If this is your first time to my "Follow Friday" series, click here to find out more about this curious Twitter culture.
For the FollowFriday Hall of Fame, click here.
The gist is this: There are tweeps (Twitter people) whom I think are worth following. And I want my network to know about them so you'll have the benefit of knowing them, too. But, while the Twitter culture has adopted the pattern of simply listing names, I've decided to use this space every friday to give you more info about why I think the folks I recommend are worth recommending.
This week's follow friday list, in no particular order:
- @MindBridj. (aka, MindBridj.com.) Why? Well, full disclosure, I'm its Chief Evangelist. I won't plug it too much, but I do want you to know about it. In part, so you can give me feedback as I move forward and expand its niche-y footprint. Though I've already been putting the business model to work for a few years, I only recently turned on its online presence. MindBridj is a small business helping small businesses (local speakers, trainers and presenters) transform their message for delivery on an eLearning platform via the web. I haven't done a full-court press on it yet ('seems to be gaining traction on new projects right now at a nice manageable pace), but I would appreciate any constructive feedback as I continue to add services.
- @hubspot (aka, HubSpot.com.) Why? I think these guys do social media/social networking right. They help educate and enable people and businesses in the 'sphere about how best to engage in the 'sphere without asking anything more in return for that effort than the price of mutual engagement and participation. Yes, I have no illusions about them being a for-profit business. But, the approach this group takes isn't to be in our faces about retaining their services. Rather, they do it right. Engage us, educate us, help us, and then let us make consider at what point we're ready to retain them. While I'm at it, let me also let you in on a free marketing training series HubSpot is hosting. Registration is free--click here.)
- @astdOC (aka, American Society for Training and Development, Orange County Chapter.) Why? The organization started the year with a mission to add engagement through social media to its mix of communication vehicles. I can't say there haven't been--and don't continue to be--some growing pains with that, but the board and its members continue to move forward. They're growing everyday in the social media activities they engage in. Keep an eye on this group, they'll continue to grow in the coming year.
- @animationmentor (aka, Animation Mentor). (Full disclosure: I'm related to one of the veeps.) Whether or not they've thought about it in the way I'm saying it here, I think long before we were all calling social media what it is today, they were already doing much of it. I mean, 5 years ago, they were already engaging people and students online. Animation Mentor teaches aspiring digital/animation artists (y'know, Pixar- and ILM-types) the skills required to be a viable animator... and they do it all online. They've got a great program. They've been growing and continue to do so. I've been seeing them engage the online social sphere more and more in recent months. I hope to see that trend continue; I think they have much to offer the social media space.
That's it for this week... If you're on Twitter, take a look at the four tweeps above. They're worth following. And, if you do, tell 'em, @MelAclaro sent ya. :)
