So assemble your team, and follow this five-step process to establishing a content strategy that includes all the necessary ingredients for an outstanding campaign.

1. Get to know your business

“But I obviously already know my own business.” This step is not just about knowing your products and services inside and out (although that is certainly necessary.) At the forefront of the campaign, everyone on the team needs to be on the same page about:

• The ultimate goals of the campaign (Do you want to increase sales? Or just brand awareness?)
• Your lead funnel and sales cycle (What is your current lead-to-sale conversion rate? Why are prospects dropping off?)
• Your brand identity (Are you a professional and highly experienced service provider? Or a fun and accessible name?)
• How you want to position your brand in the market (As helpers? As inspiring? Funny? Education?)
• Strengths and hurdles (What makes you better than your competitors? Why would a prospect pick a competitor over you?)

A common understanding of all of these elements is going to give you direction and have an impact on the type of content you create.

2. Get to know your market

…and get to know it well. While demographic elements like age, gender, are occupation are important, you need to go deeper than that. Create audience personas that identify your market’s anxieties, daily tasks and schedule, hopes and dreams, job details, and expectations.

But getting to know your prospects isn’t enough. You need to know how to connect with your prospects. So identify who is influencing your customers, where the influence is taking place, and what they are talking about. Are they on LinkedIn talking about Obamacare? Or on blogs trading recipes? What relationships do you need to start building in the industry to reach your customers through this content and what does that content need to be about?

Lastly, take a good hard look at your competitors, the type of content they are creating, who it is reaching. If your competitor as a thorough case study library, you will probably want to focus on one as well. If your competitor is focused on blog but has no white papers, that presents an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.

3. Take a content inventory

Create a thorough list of all of the content you already have, both on your site and in a blog and offsite through published articles or interviews. But don’t just log the content’s existence. Look at how it has performed. Did it get many social shares? How many people read the blog? Were there any comments? Did someone contact you after reading that post? See if you can identify any trends or pieces that performed particularly well and why.

4. Decide on media types and distribution channels

Based on the knowledge you have acquired on your target market and your existing content resources, pick from the following list of content types what you think your market will most respond to.

• Articles
• Interviews
• White Papers
• Case Studies
• Videos
• SlideShares
• Photos
• Infographics
• Emails
• Polls/Surveys
• Contests
• Memes/Gifs
• eBooks
• Podcasts
• Webinars
• Press Releases
• Cartoon

The possibilities are endless for what you can create, so don’t pigeon-hole yourself. Vlogs (video + blogs) can work very well for B2B businesses that have strong industry knowledge but little time to sit down and write an article. SlideShares are a great way to present information visually and everyone loves memes.

Again, if you notice your competitors only producing one type of content, see if you can gain a competitive advantage with a new type. But always keep your target market in mind. If your target market is big-business CEOs, you probably don’t want to go with cartoons.

5. Create a content calendar

Now, take all of that data you just accumulated, and set up a schedule. Create a calendar, broken down by day that includes:

• The title of the content piece
• Media type
• Distribution channel
• Publishing dates
• Keyword Targets
• Goals (ex. 150 social shares, 3 conversions)

Ideally, put the content calendar in a collaborative document so everyone involved in the campaign can access and update it any time they need. Get as detailed as possible and stick to the schedule.

From here you should be set to implement an effective content strategy. Do you have additional tips to help get started? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting @BFMweb.

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-steps-for-creating-your-first-content-strategy/feed/ 0 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-lists-to-get-started-with-remarketing/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-lists-to-get-started-with-remarketing/#comments Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:57:06 +0000 Jared Del Prete http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13708 Imagine that 96% of your website visitors leave without completing a desired action or that 70% of visitors that add a product to their digital shopping cart abandon the process before completing their order. According to recent Forrester Report, these percentages are a reality.

But what if you can reengage a specific set of these visitors instantly and at scale?
Good news! You can! This is the core benefit of remarketing (also known as retargeting or remessaging).

Some other Benefits of Display Remarketing include:

• Improve ROI on marketing budgets – For businesses already spending money to drive traffic to a website, remarketing can extend the conversion funnel to your best qualified visitors.
• Increase brand awareness – Re-displaying ads to new prospects increases the likelihood of brand retention and awareness. It also helps that marketers can now reach prospects with likable and sharable ads in Facebook through Facebook’s exchange ads.
• Granular retargeting capabilities – In other words, advertisers can use tailored messaging and incentives based on the browsing behavior of the prospect.

But Wait..What is it? How Does it Work?
Display Remarketing is a form of pay per click marketing that allows you to show banner advertisments to users who previously visited your website as they browse the rest of the web.

• First, a prospect user visits your site.
• Next, a tracking cookie is dropped on their browser.
• The prospect user then leaves your site without converting or taking desired onsite action.
• You then display banner advertisements to that user as they continue to browse other websites throughout the web.
• Lastly, your banner ads entice the user to come back and complete a purchase or take some other desired action.


Image courtesy of blog.straightnorth.com

What Do I Need to Get Started?

• Access to an ad exchange platform that supports display remarketing – A few popular self-serving platforms include the Google Display Network, AdRoll, and Chango.
• Remarketing code (or “tags”) – This is a snippet of code that needs to be added to your website or specific web pages. The code snippet will be generated by ad platform that you choose.
• Target audiences and remarketing strategies – You’ll want to build one or more audience lists that will define which visitors you want to follow around with ads. An example of this would be visitors who abandoned their shopping cart or visitors who abandoned a contact form. For more common remarketing strategies, keep reading…
• Budget – Cost-per-click bids for remarketing should generally be higher than standard display or paid search since you will be targeting prospects who have already shown an interest in your product or brand. You can, of course, approach this more strategically by further segmenting your remarketing lists based on historical marketing data. For example, you can allocate a higher budget to the prospects that came through a transactional search query if you know that these types of users historically convert at a higher rate.
• Ad Creative – When creating display ads, you’ll always want to make sure they are relevant to your audience lists and contain a compelling call to action. It’s also recommended that you use and test a variety of designs and messaging, while also considering the variety of ad sizes and placements.

Who/How Should I Target? Some Common List Building Strategies Include:

• Targeting those who abandon of a shopping cart or lead generation form – Followup with banner advertisements that offer a bonus incentive to complete a purchase or form submission.
• Targeting those who visit particular product category pages – Followup with ads that include products or services from this category.
• Targeting existing customers – Up-sell or cross sell existing customers based on purchase behavior or seasonal interests.
• Exclude existing customers and recent converters – Filter out recent customers from broadly targeted advertisements.

Lastly, some General Best Practices for Display Remarketing Include:

• Establish granular remarketing lists – The more targeted the original traffic, the better the remarketing response.
• Timing is KEY – Determine the best timeframe to re-engage your users and test your hypothesis.
• Get started sooner rather than later – Start building your remarketing lists now. Even if you don’t intend to use them right away, you can build a pool of users to target when you do wish to start remarketing
• Avoid overexposure – Use frequency capping and ad scheduling to avoid pestering your audience and help manage ad spend/
• TEST, ANALYZE, OPTIMIZE! – Overtime, strike negative performing placements and reward the positives.

Do you have other strategies or best practices for display remarketing? Let us know in the comments below or tweet @BFMweb.

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-lists-to-get-started-with-remarketing/feed/ 0 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/how-to-use-call-extensions-in-enhanced-adwords-campaigns/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/how-to-use-call-extensions-in-enhanced-adwords-campaigns/#comments Fri, 31 May 2013 20:04:47 +0000 Tera Brown http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13693 As uncomfortable as Adwords Enhanced Campaigns may make those of us who have grown accustomed to a certain level of control, we must adapt. The change is inevitable. Read this post to learn about one way you can be prepared. ]]>

As uncomfortable as Adwords Enhanced Campaigns may make those of us who have grown accustomed to a certain level of control, we must adapt. The change is inevitable and you will continue to be pestered to upgrade your campaigns until Adwords consumes your campaign and spits it back out anyway it pleases.
D-day is July 22, people. Be prepared.

One of the nicer features included in Enhanced Campaigns — that’s right, there are good additions — is the improved settings for Call Tracking extended to all advertisers free of charge. So here’s what you’re missing if you haven’t upgraded your call extensions:

1. Free Google Forwarding Number: If you still use legacy campaigns, you still pay that annoying little $1.00 fee anytime a user completes a call using a Google Forwarding number. If you are not using a Google forwarding number — you don’t know when a call is made from an ad. With the new, free call extensions (should you choose), you get to see where the call came from, and how long (in seconds) the call lasted. Data is king right? So get the numbers and get that data.

2. Extension Scheduling: This is great for advertisers who know that the phone call only means something if someone is there to answer it. You can now schedule your Phone Extension to only appear during your operating hours.


3. Phone Call Conversions: This is probably my favorite feature — you determine how long a phone call lasts in order for it to carry actual value. Google sets the default conversion time at 60 seconds, but there are plenty of businesses where 60 seconds is hardly enough time to constitute a valuable phone conversation. So pay attention when you set up that extension, and figure out which allotment of time (in seconds) results in a valuable phone call.

4. Don’t want it all? Then take your pick. Google offers you some level of control here — granted that tablet will still get bunched with desktop. You may choose to only show your phone number on mobile devices. You may choose to opt out of Google’s call reporting (which is fine if you use your own call tracking system). And you may choose to show only your phone number, or both the phone number and website.


So check out the upgraded call extensions. It gives marketers the opportunity to collect a little more data, and prove a little more value in their pay-per-click marketing campaigns.

Have you upgraded to enhanced campaigns yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below or tweet @BFMweb.

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/how-to-use-call-extensions-in-enhanced-adwords-campaigns/feed/ 0 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/where-does-your-content-lead/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/where-does-your-content-lead/#comments Thu, 30 May 2013 15:14:19 +0000 Gary J. Nix http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13676 Whether you're advocating for an idea, a product or service, or any type of brand message, the content that you create, coupled with the context in which is put, leads all of the conversations you're trying to create. But is content truly king? Read this post to find out.]]>


These past couple weeks were some of the busier ones in the digital space. A new slew of link networks got zapped. Google I/O introduced a couple of new products and services. A restaurant had all of their social media accounts simultaneously hacked… or so they say. Do you know what came out of these happenings? Content, content and more content.

Whether you’re advocating for an idea, a product or service, or any type of brand message, the content that you create, coupled with the context in which is put, leads all of the conversations you’re trying to create. Digitally speaking, content and context are important to your SEO efforts. In regards to the digital arena, content and context are vital to how you communicate on social media. When in a space where streams of binary code materialize into internetted channels… well you get the idea: content and context are essential. However, does that mean one or both are king?

Where do we begin?

Let us begin with content. It is the foundation of our communication when we are positioning ourselves as a resource – something that, in one way or another, we all should be.

1. First and foremost: make sure that the content created aligns with your strategy. Too many people miss this fact. The strategy leads all that you do and that includes content. Additionally, context is introduced in this part of the process.

2. Content marketing is a real thing, the concept of which is straightforward: content marketing is shaped by the content surrounding your objectives.

3. In the world of today, content is no longer campaign based. Content is continuous.

4. If you want to enter the realm of real-time, you need to have a fully present and empowered team of content creators, decision makers (including legal) at your disposal. Imagine if the Super Bowl blackout was caused by some real disaster. People would be talking about that Oreo tweet in a totally different light.

No pun intended.


We’ve reached another level now. Since context is ensconced in the strategy, its strong status has been established. The consistent need for content is referred to and likely the genesis of the concept of its formerly perceived position of sovereignty. Looking at this mathematically we can postulate the following:

nx2 = ?
where n=content and x=context

If you look at the progression of points above, our answer to our question has not been brought up yet. However, a bit more thought will lead us to the oft overlooked, but absolutely obvious.

nx2 = TRUST

The quality of your content multiplied by weighted context, because great content in the wrong context is ineffective, determines the level of trust.

Easy lies the head that wears the crown… in this case

I was enlightened to the final answer to the formula and motivated to write this post after reading the title of a post from SEOmoz.

Trust is what we’re after. Part of how search engines base their rankings on how the bots determine trust. Search engines then measure human interaction with the results and further determine trust. Your actions on social channels are (or should be) partially designed to instill consumer trust in your brand and its actions. Everything that a business does has a layer of trying to infuse a trust that will drive a consumer to pick their brand and, at some point, make a purchase. Trust.

Long live the new king.

Has this post convinced you that trust is the new king? Let us know in the comments below or tweet @Mr_McFly and @BFMweb.

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/where-does-your-content-lead/feed/ 1 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-tips-for-using-pinterest-to-drive-traffic/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-tips-for-using-pinterest-to-drive-traffic/#comments Tue, 28 May 2013 16:31:48 +0000 Camelia Negoita http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13642 With Mashable reporting that Pinterest drives more referral traffic than all other social networks combined, can you really afford not to optimize your company's pinterest account? Learn how with this post!]]>

I have to admit that I’ve been hooked, hopelessly and shamelessly hooked, on pinning incredible exotic destination photos, delicious sweet treats, elegant interior design ideas and fabulous personal style ideas on Pinterest for over 2 years now. I think, at this point, it’s safe to say that I am addicted to Pinterest (here’s a good way to identify a Pinterest addict). What I love about Pinterest is the fact that I have a whole new world at my nimble fingertips that I can explore without leaving the comfort of my home or office.


In that I am not alone. Pinterest has grown tremendously, from 7 million uses in 2011, to over 30 million active users now (per comScore), with the largest percent actually comprised of women.

What’s even more fascinating is that, when it comes to social media marketing, Pinterest, the darling network of brides-to-be, fashionistas and budding home decorators, tends to drive more referral traffic to sites than Google+, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn and all other social sites out there combined according to Mashable.com. Now that’s revolutionary!

So how do you make your brand and products more discoverable in an environment where consumers are looking to capture and curate inspiration of all forms? As the site continues to evolve and become more brand-friendly, we’ve established a handful of core best practices for helping brands connect with potential clients on Pinterest.

1. Verify Your Account
The first step is to get verified and create an opportunity to attract your Pinterest visitors to your website and be able to access the Pinterest analytics. Verification makes your website URL more visible on your Pinterest page by creating a red clickable link and placing a check mark beside it. This boosts engagement, SEO, and traffic to your site. After that, you just have to make sure that your website is converting the right visitors into customers.



2. Use SEO Keywords to Describe Your Business
Pinterest allows you to describe your business and communicate who you are and what you can do for your audience in 200 characters. Take advantage of descriptive copy and use keywords that you would like to rank for in search engines in your “About” section. Search engines do index this page, which is really great. Make also sure you connect your Twitter and Facebook accounts to Pinterest so you can share your Pins across all of your social networks.

3. Include Rich Descriptions Along With Your Pins
When looking for ideas, I’ve been using the Pinterest search feature more and more frequently — and so are many of your potential clients. While it’s not clear which factors matter most when it comes to Pinterest’s search algorithm, one thing is sure: descriptions matter. A lot. When pinning content, keep discoverability in mind and include the most searched keywords (you can identify them by using the Google Keywords Tool) in your description. You should also be sure to mention your brand name. “But what about hashtags?” you might ask. While a popular practice on Twitter and Instagram, hashtag use has not become mainstream yet on Pinterest. To quote the Pinterest best practices guide: “You shouldn’t write a novel; a couple of well-crafted phrases can more convincingly encourage a repin than a hashtag.”

4. Keep Google In Mind When Naming Your Images
Remember that the pinned images of your products don’t just live within Pinterest – they are indexed by Google and other search engines too. To maximize discoverability in these search engines, make sure you name your images with a descriptive file name, preferably containing terms for which you want your content to rank, before pinning them. Search engines will index your image based on its name, so make sure it is specific and relevant. Search success will require close collaboration between the content and SEO teams for your brand, as is the case with your content marketing across other social networks as well.

5. Sharing Is Part of Caring – Don’t Forget to be Social!
Don’t forget: Pinterest is a social community. Remember to interact and engage with others. Repin, follow, like, and comment on other people’s pins. Being social is the name of the game. You also have the choice to add contributors to your Board by editing a selected Board and then adding a Pinterest account. These interactions will generate greater interest in your own content, build relationships, and increase your following.

Do you have additional tips for optimizing a company Pinterest account? Let us know in the comments below!

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-tips-for-using-pinterest-to-drive-traffic/feed/ 2 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/innovative-revitalizing-business-strategies-at-the-bfm-expert-seminar-series/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/innovative-revitalizing-business-strategies-at-the-bfm-expert-seminar-series/#comments Thu, 23 May 2013 19:12:03 +0000 Thom Prewett http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13626 On May 21st, the third seminar in Blue Fountain Media’s Expert Series was hosted at the Gansevoort Hotel on Park Avenue. The seminar featured presentations from the Blue Fountain Media team, as well a special presentation from Google representative, Chris Morgan. Each of the seminar’s presentations touched on innovative strategies to revitalize one’s online business from a variety of angles including display advertising powered by search retargeting, digital content strategies, and new up-and-coming approaches to mobile and social media marketing.

Below you can find photos and presentation slides from throughout the day:


Blue Fountain Media Founder & CEO, Gabriel Shaoolian delivers a presentation on PinPoint display advertising – an emerging search-retargeting platform.


Senior Business Consultant, Matthew Smith presents 5 Easy Steps to Revitalize Your Business


Chris Morgan from Google delivers his presentation


Joe DiNardo, a Digital Marketing Specialist from Blue Fountain Media’s marketing department, highlights new techniques for advertising on social media platforms.


Marketing Manager Ashley Kemper discusses how businesses can create real content strategies that work.


Marketing Director Alanna Francis presents new methods for using mobile marketing to drive new leads and sales


Advertising with Social Media by Joe DiNardo


Content Strategies That Work by Ashley Kemper


How To Use Mobile Marketing to Drive Leads & Sales by Alanna Franics

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/innovative-revitalizing-business-strategies-at-the-bfm-expert-seminar-series/feed/ 0 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-seo-mistakes-to-cutt/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-seo-mistakes-to-cutt/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 19:10:14 +0000 Julie Barsamian http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13614 The sultan of webspam, Google’s Matt Cutts, recently released a video listing the top five most common mistakes in SEO. If that video didn’t convince you that you’re making one of these mistakes, or if you want more ideas for how to fix them, read on.]]>



The sultan of webspam, Google’s Matt Cutts, recently released a video listing the top five most common mistakes in SEO. If that video didn’t convince you that you’re making one of these mistakes, or if you want more ideas for how to fix them, read on.

Mistake #1 – An un-crawlable website or no website at all
Websites are a mark of real world validity. My first boss said he hired me over the other candidates because he could find me online, and that it must have meant I was a real person.
There is a website for almost everything these days; but if you’re a business, you should definitely have an online presence with at least a phone number, links to products, and services. If you do have a site, its important to ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the website user friendly?
• Can search crawlers scan and categorize all of the information you’re hosting?
• Are there any orphaned pages that can’t be reached naturally by clicking through the site?

If you answered no to any of these questions, then its likely that you need to add an XML sitemap.

Mistake #2 – Words and phrases that don’t reflect the way people search
You may have heard that query styled keyword phrases are a big no-no. For example, you’d want to bid on “facial masks” but not “how do I know if this facial mask works?”

This is because the second phrase could be the mark of a browser or researcher rather than a converter.

Be that as it may, organic search optimization is a slightly different, longer term process that should appeal to consumers in times of action and dormancy. Creating consultative content on your website that mimics the way people search can help boost organic rankings and it will also ensure that the content on your site is engaging and elicits action.

How would you, a friend or relative find the services or products you offer? If you’re a medical professional, you may want to consider symptoms and concerns people may search for. This content can be hosted on a FAQ page or dedicated symptom-related content pages throughout the site. The same theme may apply to other subject matters as well: beauty, clothing, gardening etc.

Mistake #3 – Stale Linkbuilding
If you create content for the sake of keywords alone, you might find a place to publish it if you ask, and keep asking, and ….you catch the drift. If you think of dynamic content pieces that people want to read, you’ll have an easier time distributing it.

Links don’t have to come from articles alone. Additionally, the outreach that has been traditionally executed using a linkbuilding-only strategy can move outside the box. Images, infographics, videos, whitepapers, and podcasts are all dynamic and effective ways to reach out to your audience and amplify brand awareness.

Mistake #4 – Page Titles & Descriptions
All pages on your site should have a title. Titles should reference page content, a category (if necessary), and the company name. Even if you have a 404 page with PacMan on it, it should have a title.
For example, Blue Fountain Media’s 404 page‘s title tag appears as such: Pacman 404 Page|Blue Fountain Media

In addition to properly titled pages, the meta-description should explain what is on the page. The meta-description is not visible on the site, but appears in searches for relevant keywords. It helps build confidence and intrigue. For example, if you Google “shoes,” you might see this:

And you might think “Free shipping on shoes? Heck yes. I’m clicking!” If the page description instead read “We’re gonna zap you with shoes, shoes are going to go Zap, OH ZAP we have shoes!” the site would probably experience a drop in click through rates.

Mistake #5 – Webmaster Resources
This isn’t really a fault, but more of a call to action for online marketers. Always be curious. Use Google Webmaster Tools, blogs, and forums to learn about new rules and trends in SEO. Don’t be afraid to network, find webinars and conferences where you’ll gain valuable insight and make friends who know how to pronounce WYSIWYG and believe that “spammy” is an appropriate adjective to describe bad site content.

Do you know of other common SEO mistakes that Matt Cutts may have missed or didn’t address? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting @BFMweb !

]]> http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/5-seo-mistakes-to-cutt/feed/ 0 http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/the-top-10-ceos-on-twitter/ http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/the-top-10-ceos-on-twitter/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 20:20:50 +0000 Ashley Kemper http://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/?p=13597 When it comes to Twitter, most CEOs shy away and relegate the task to a bubble gum intern of sorts. However, this is not always the case. This post contains 10 CEOs who have unleashed their social potential, attracting huge online audiences and sculpting a brand personality in the process.]]>

While most companies have embraced the fact that, like it or not, social media marketing is a necessary evil of corporate branding and client communication, these accounts are usually relegated to a bubble gum intern tasked with rehashing press releases. Twitter, in particular, scares off more than its fair share of corporate higher-ups who shy away from strict character counts and direct interaction with mere mortals.

There’s a lot to be said, though, for C-level executives who put themselves out there and lend personality to their brainchild’s online presence.

Still think CEOs should stay put in a stuffy conference room? Below are 10 CEOs who have unleashed their social potential, attracting huge online audiences and sculpting a brand personality in the process.


Chris Brogan – @chrisbrogan
Day Job: CEO & President of Human Business Works, an education and media company
Backstory: Having authored several books on the subject, and launching his own “unconference” series (PodCamp), Chris Brogan has established himself as a bona fide social media maverick.
Highlight: Chris Brogan has nailed the ideal combo of commentary, conversation, and personality in his feed.
Follow for: Thought provoking Vine videos (“What exactly is Rice-A-Roni?”), latest social media news, gym rat bragging (rightfully so), and links to general business inspiration


Gary Vaynerchuk – @garyvee
Day Job: CEO of VaynerMedia, a Brand Consulting group specializing in social media
Backstory: First gaining notoriety in the world of wine connoisseurs for his podcast Wine Library TV, Gary Vaynerchuk hung up his goblets in 2011 to focus full time on VaynerMedia, which he co-founded with his brother.
Highlight: Ask and you shall receive—when Gary asks his followers what they need right at that moment, he actually delivers for them, breakfast staples and all.
Follow for: Social media truisms (“I don’t care how many followers you or I have, I care about how many care”), mentions of newest social power players, live sports coverage (mostly hockey), and restaurant reviews (mostly in NYC).


Tim O’Reilly – @timoreilly
Day Job: CEO of O’Reilly Media, a “technology transfer company” centered on technology book publishing and tech conferences
Backstory: A 1975 Harvard grad, Tim O’Reilly has become a technology activist strongly in favor of open source software and working towards a Global Brain.
Highlight: Curated content pulled from all over the web turns O’Reilly’s feed into a primer on the current state of technology and government.
Follow for: Internet activism, government critiquing, and emerging science and technology news.


Jon Ferrara - @Jon_Ferrara
Day Job: CEO of Nimble, a social CRM platform for small businesses
Backstory: Nimble isn’t the first walk in the park for veteran entrepreneur Jon Ferrara. Two decades before founding Nimble, Ferrara launched GoldMine, another CRM, which was eventually bought out by FrontRange.
Highlights: Content is king for this #SocialSelling prophet with a steady flow of blog posts detailing all aspects of marketing and brand building.
Follow for: Guaranteed responses to @mentions, link digests that will improve your business (“7 Steps for Sales Teams Going Social”) and insights into the future of social lead generation.


Roman Stanek – @RomanStanek
Day Job: CEO of GoodData, a cloud-based business intelligence system for reporting, analytics, metrics & best practices.
Backstory: GoodData is Roman Stanek’s third endeavor after founding Systinet (bought by Sun Microsystems) and NetBeans (now owned by HP)
Highlight: Stanek’s feed may not have the strongest personality, but it sure makes the future of Big Data feel close at hand.
Follow for: Big Data (“Election 2016: Marriage of Big Data, Social Data”), little data (“3 Sales Pipeline Metrics You Must Master”), and visual data.


Spencer Rascoff – @spencerrascoff
Day Job: CEO of Zillow, a real estate marketplace providing open access to home prices and apartment rent data.
Backstory: After co-founding Hotwire.com, Spencer Rascoff joined Zillow as CFO and VP of Marketing in 2005. Rascoff later became the company’s CEO in 2010 and lead Zillow through its IPO the following year.
Highlight: Don’t let the Harvard pedigree fool you, Rascoff isn’t afraid to share his views on anything from online trends to oral health (“I hate going to the dentist. It’s like, well, going to the dentist.”)
Follow for: General geekiness (“Thanks to @johnhcook for giving my wife great ‘anchor text’”), investing tips (“Culture eats strategy for lunch. Never invest your time or money without checking it on @glassdoor.”), and endearing sarcasm (“Great news! Apparently there is a bank account in Libya with $11 million waiting for me”).


Caroline Ghosn – @carolineghosn
Day Job: Founder & CEO of Levo League, a social good startup providing career resources to young women.
Backstory: Caroline Ghosn spent four years post-college working at McKinsey and Company before launching her own endeavor aimed at enabling young females to succeed in business leadership positions.
Highlight: Love flows freely from Ghosn who responds to most if not all mentions of her and her company from social admirers.
Follow for: Female empowerment (“take new risks :: seek opportunities :: do better work”) and relentless positivity.


Stephanie Horbaczewski – @stylehaulsteph
Day Job: CEO of StyleHaul, a YouTube community of more than 900 content creators in the fashion and design space.
Backstory: Stephanie Horbaczewski first earned her credibility as the Director of Marketing for Sacks Fifth Avenue, but this ingénue is now tackling fashion from a different angle. Harnessing the crowd-sourced power of 16-to 24-year-old vloggers, Horbaczewski has created YouTube’s No. 1 fashion and beauty channel.
Highlight: If a tweet isn’t concluded by a series of exclamation points, it’s almost guaranteed to contain a heart icon.
Follow for: Latest fashion tidbits (“Just love the holographic trend. It is so superhero.”), shameless gushing (“awwwwww *blush* heart #AXSLive”), and industry buzz.


Marc Benioff - @Benioff
Day Job: CEO of Salesforce, one of, if not the, top cloud-based CRM providers
Backstory: Benioff honed his software skills throughout 13 years at Oracle before founding Salesforce in 1999 with the aim of creating an “on-demand information management service.”
Highlight: Equal parts unique content and RT’s makes for a feed peppered with varying perspectives and interests.
Follow for: Healthcare advancement idealism (“Let’s bring forward the future of health. Take the first step with @MeForYouOrg.”), San Francisco sports, and of course the musings of one of the Best CEOs in America and the World (as named by Forbes and Barron’s, respectively).


Aaron Levie – @levie
Day Job: CEO of Box, a cloud-based file storage platform for personal and enterprise use.
Backstory: Aaron Levie co-founded Box out of his USC dorm room in 2005 as a college business project. Levie’s storage in the cloud has taken off to such an extent that now 92% of Fortune 500 companies are using Box for storage and collaboration.
Highlight: A refreshing lack of links, hashtags and RT’s allows Levie’s of-the-moment thoughts to shine.
Follow for: Quips (“‘Apple is doomed,’ said no correct analyst ever.”), factoids (“27 years ago, a 12 pound laptop with 10MB of memory cost you $9,135″), and truthiness.

Do you follow any other CEOs or executives with interesting Twitter accounts? Let us know in the comments below or tweet at us @BFMweb.

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