Ironically, the 'social media' industry can sometimes feel quite isolating. When technology develops at the pace it does, stakeholder teams expand and employees want time with the "social strategist", it's often difficult to cut through the noise and find out what really works and what doesn't.
As a Social Business practitioner for SAP finding good, honest, practical advice wasn't always that easy. Networking with like-minded professionals from other industries kept us innovating, developing and integrating our social business programs including employee advocacy, social selling and social media marketing.
If you're planning to launch an employee advocacy program, then check out this list of practitioners below on Twitter. You won't find self-proclaimed influencers, social media ninjas or gurus in this list. You'll find practical folks that are responsible for in-house social business programs. People who share useful insights and experiences that might just make your job a little easier this year.
No time to follow them? I've compiled a Twitter list you can subscribe to in one click.
Nolan Carleton - @ParsleyCarleton
Social media lead @ATT focusing on internal social engagement and #EmployeeAdvocacy. Hashtag to watch - #attemployee. Morea bout the ATT advocacy program here >>
Laura Spreck Lee - @LauraSpreckLee
Digital marketer and social lead @Purina responsible for employee advocacy and community management. More about the Purina advocacy program here >>
Bart Casabona - @BartCasabona
Director of Social Media @PitneyBowes. Tweets great content about the connection between social media and customer service. More about the Pitney Bowes advocacy program here >>
Alli Soule - @allisoule
@SASSoftware
Employee engagement & training specialist focused on #socialmedia and #EmployeeAdvocacy. Finds great content on employee engagement and advocacy. More about the SAS Software Program here >>
Sarah Hill - @Sarahpathill
Social Media Manager and employee advocacy lead @Manulife - Sarah talks more about her employee advocacy here >>
Paul Lewis - @paul_a_lewis
#SocialMedia expert @PitneyBowes. Tweets interesting content around #SocialSelling and #AI technologies.
Xavier Monty - @xaviermonty
The Chief Social Offer @Talentsof. Previously pioneered #socialselling at Sage. Great content around employee engagement and #HR related topics. More about Sage advocacy program here >>
Davin Wilfrid - @dwilfrid
Senior manager of customer advocacy at @QuickBase. Tweets about customer advocacy and #contentmarketing. More about the Quick Base advocacy program here >>
Justin Clark - @JustClarkSocial
Heads up #SocialMedia @MCRMetrolink. Shares great tools and tips for social media management.
Amber Armstrong - @ambarmstrong
Director digital social and influencer marketing @IBM. My only 'influencer' in the list. Shares content about #digitalmarketing and #CX.
Keith Lewis - @KeithLewisComms
Internal comms and #SocialMedia expert @ZurichInsUK. Comms focused approach to #socbiz. More about Zurich's social business program here >>
Ekua Odoi - @ekuaodoi
A good social friend and Marketing Director at #SAP tweeting about #marketing #digital #social #socialselling and #employeeadvocacy.
Kirsten Boileau - @kirstenboileau
My ex-colleague and global #SocialSelling lead at SAP. Tweets about #digitalmarketing and social selling insights. More about SAP advocacy program (explained by me!) here >>
Turner Roach - @turnroach
A #SocialMedia marketer @DeloitteUS. Tweets about #employeeadvocacy and #socialmedia. More about the Deloitte advocacy program here >>
Didier Rombaut - @drombaut
Drives social enablement @Cisco. Tweets about future technology, social media, #EmployeeAdvocacy and sources good #Socialintelligence. More about the Cisco advocacy program here >>
Jason W Spencer - @jasonwspencer
Jasons leads Customer Service & #EmployeeAdvocacy on @Humana's Social Media Team. A great example of advocacy in regulated industries. More about Humana's advocacy program here >>
Hugh Leonard - @HughGLeonard
Hugh is a #SocialSelling practitioner @IBM. He tweets great content about social selling, #employeeadvocacy and general social media. More about IBM's advocacy program here >>
Lee van Loggerenberg - @leevanlog
Global social business lead @Accenture. Tweets about #thoughtleadership #employeeAdvocacy and #personalbranding. Some good social media content too.
Nestor J. Portillo - @nportillo
Communities expert @Cisco. Well worth following for #socialmedia insights and #contentmarketing articles. More about Cisco's advocacy program here >>
Sylvia Santelli - @sylviasant
Good friend and ex-SAP colleague, Sylvia is a communities expert. Modern marketer who tweets about #socialmedia #iot and community development.
Sarah Manning Burr - @sarahmburr
Social Media lead @ServiceNow. Tweets mainly about #cloud but leads #employeeadvocacy. More about ServiceNow's advocacy program here >>
Remember, if you don't have time to follow each them, just subscribe to the Advocacy Practitioners Twitter list instead! Let me know if any other practitioners can be added to the list.