Team Building

It seems that Twitter subscribers can't get enough of referrals of others to follow on the micro-blogging service.  And why should they be discouraged?  As Crystal Williams, the founder and owner of BambuSky, which helps clients build online communities, wrote in response to my cross-post of my original list here of 10 small business people to follow on LinkedIn,

I'm a Twitter fanatic!  I absolutely believe in its power to generate new leads and referrals (because it has for me and others).

For small and midsize businesses especially, this capability enhances employee engagement activities and team building, since they can be tasked to follow those on Twitter who both praise and bemoan their products or services – and provide valuable insights to leadership in the latter case.  This offers the opportunity to shape the message about your organization.  Pretty amazing considering Twitter is still free (and likely won't be charging its users to login anytime soon, according to InternetNews.com).

So who else should small business leaders and entrepreneurs add to their followers lists?  Four members of various LinkedIn groups responded with their picks.  Start with Williams and these five that she follows and recommends:

• Tom Diederich - online community manager
• TechGlance - the latest tech news "without leaving Twitter"
• Jeremiah - Senior Analyst, Social Computing at Forrester Research
• Andrew Maverick Hyde - "Design, Usability, Startup Junkie"
• jasontryfon - customer service evangelist, social media advocate

William Doom, mortgage planner at Sterlining Home Mortgage chimed in with his own feed, plus Michael Arrington, a serial entrepreneur who runs TechCrunch, a blog covering Silicon Valley technology start-ups.

Next, Deb Dib, who I recommended, responded, adding life strategist Walter Akana and small business branding expert Paul Copcutt.  Of these two, Deb says,

Both are savvy, connected Certified Personal Brand Strategists.  They are at the cutting edge of what works in the confluence of branding people and their strengths within business, team, and client-facing activities.  And tying it to job satisfaction and internal/external performance for "return on brand."

Finally from LinkedIn, at least for now, Luke Harvey-Palmer, owner and "chief buzz officer" of BUZZLE, a professional training and coaching firm, responded with the following in addition to his own feed:

I also heard from two folks who saw my list when I cross-posted it on The Society for Word of Mouth online community.  John Easton, president of Eastonsweb Multimedia, recommends:

Jerell Klaver, founder of Mad Maverick, also commented on the SWOM site, adding:

• Elissa Klaver - founder and owner of SALUS, a provider of customized natural and organic bath and body care
• Rob McNealy - new media consultant, small business coach, speaker, and entrepreneur

Thanks for the great referrals, everyone.  Let's keep them coming!  Please list below who you follow beyond those listed here and on my original post related to small business and entrepreneurship.  What do your picks do that's innovative when it comes to using employee engagement and workplace team building to effect measurable changes in organizational productivity and profitability?