Top 50 PR Professionals You Should Be Following On Twitter



2009 July, 30th
Genesis Davies
Genesis Davies

One of the advantages of a social network like Twitter is that you can learn a lot just by following the right people. If you’re promoting your business, then following the top PR professionals on the site is a great way to pick up hints and tips, as well as possibly make some valuable contacts.

Not sure who to follow? Why not start with these 50 PR professionals? Click on their names to follow them on Twitter.

  1. Chris Brogan runs a self-named social media blog and offers plenty of social media insight in his tweets.
  2. Bill Stoller of Publicity Insider is a 25 year veteran in the public relations industry.
  3. Beth Harte of MarketingProfs is an avid Twitter user and public relations educator.
  4. Guy Kawasaki is co-founder of Alltop and blogs at How to Change the World.
  5. Peter Shankman, founder of HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a public relations pro who  helps others get the word out about their business in a unique manner.
  6. Brian Carter, SEO and PPC manager of Fuel Interactive is a PR professional with a touch of humor and some great tips.
  7. Laura Fitton, founder of Pistachio, tweets about PR, social media and family life.
  8. Gary Vaynerchuk, best known for his video blogging, has some interesting public relations and marketing tactics that work.

  9. Julien Smith is co-author of Trust Agents, blogger and tweets on a variety of topics.

  10. David Jones from PR Works blogs and tweets about the Canadian public relations industry.
  11. Brian Solis of PR 2.0 offers helpful advice and the latest social networking news via tweets.
  12. Mirna Bard of NuReach Media covers the latest PR news and offers helpful social media information, both on Twitter and her blog.
  13. Stephen Davies of PR Blogger tweets the latest PR news stories and offers insights.
  14. Karen Russell is another public relations educator who tweets and blogs at Teaching PR.
  15. Kellye Crane of Solo PR is best known for her social media marketing and public relations strategies.

  16. David Meerman Scott is author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR. See his website here.

  17. Todd Defren of PR Squared offers a personal look at social networking and PR strategies.
  18. John Cass of PR Communications is friendly on Twitter, but provides useful PR information, as well.
  19. Scott Monty is the head of social media at Ford Motors and also runs The Social Media Blog.
  20. Beverly Macy of Gravity Summit not only uses social media marketing, she teaches it at UCLA.
  21. Neville Hobson, a UK based blogger and communicator, shares his social media tips on Twitter and his site.
  22. Chip Griffin is CEO of Custom Scoop and blogs about public relations and social media on ChipGriffin.com.
  23. Marcel LeBrun provides SEO and PR insight on Twitter, is CEO of Radian6 and blogs at Media Philosopher.
  24. Richard Binhammer is part of Dell’s social media team and provides some valuable information both on his blog and Twitter.
  25. Keith Burtis is a social media expert and offers his expertise on his blog, KeithBurtis.com.
  26. Connie Crosby, a social networking professional, offers her advice and insights on her blog, as well as Twitter.
  27. Christopher Penn of Marketing Over Coffee is a social marketing expert, as well as a real life ninja.
  28. Brendan Cooper is a copywriter and social media marketer which he blogs about on his self-titled blog.
  29. Cece Salomon-Lee of PR Meets Marketing is director of marketing for InXpo and an expert in online PR.
  30. Elena del Valle blogs at Hispanic MPR and offers her marketing and PR advice in her tweets, as well.
  31. Trevor Cook writes about social media and online public relations on his blog.
  32. Mack Collier of the Viral Garden work his social media magic on Twitter and consults with businesses needing marketing tips.
  33. Ferg Devins heads up the social marketing in Canada for Molson and tweets useful links and tips.
  34. Lisa Dilg works as a PR Account Director at Perkett PRsuasion.

  35. Sonny Gill is a social marketing guru who blogs on his own blog, as well as tweeting PR tips.
  36. Doug Haslam works on PR for Shift Communications and blogs about social media on his self-titled blog.
  37. Shel Holtz of A Shel of My Former Self is a self-made public relations expert and founded Holtz Communication + Technology.
  38. Amber Nasland of Altitude Branding is Director of Community for Radian6 and a social marketing expert.
  39. Colin McKay, aka Canuckflak, writes about marketing, networking and politics and is based in, you guessed it, Canada!
  40. Liana Evans is one of the Search Marketing Gurus and she also shares her expertise on Twitter.
  41. Joseph Thornley of Pro PR is an expert in building relationships with business contacts and integrates social media with PR.
  42. Mike Kujawski is a strategist focusing on social media marketing for non-profits and government organizations. Read his blog here.

  43. Dave Fleet, a social media account director at Thornley Falls and a marketing blogger.
  44. Debra Mastaler of Link Spiel offers link building and SEO tips for business owners.
  45. Jimmy Vee, author of Gravitational Marketing: The Science of Attracting Customers, offers social marketing advice.

  46. Leslie Carothers, social media consultant and conversational marketer, also writes at the Kaleidoscope Partnership.
  47. Arik Hanson is a digital communications consultant and an expert in marketing and public relations. Read his blog here.

  48. James Walker of Gen Y PR Prescription doesn’t have a massive amount of followers, but is dropping some gems on his blog and Twitter.
  49. Lee Odden shares over 12 years of experience in social media marketing on Twitter and his blog.
  50. Carin Galletta of Ink Foundry focuses on word of mouth advertising and more traditional PR techniques.

Who do you follow that we should know about?

About the Author

author photo

Genesis Davies is a freelance writer and blogger and a work at home mom. She works as account executive for Pamil Visions PR and she also runs a blog for work at home moms, At Home Mom. For Everything PR she covers the news column. Follow Genesis on Twitter or email her at gdavies [at] pamil-visions [dot] net.

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There Are 73 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Jackie Wright on 30 July 2009:

    You forgot the ever popular @azprgal! By far, one of the top PR/MarComm pro’s in Arizona. :-)

  2. Comment by Marcel LeBrun on 31 July 2009:

    Thanks for the shout out, Genesis.
    Cheers,
    Marcel

  3. Comment by Karen Russell on 31 July 2009:

    Wow, I’m honored to be included with the others on this list! Thanks.

  4. Comment by Deb Carbone on 31 July 2009:

    Thank you for this post. How about Seth Godin @thisissethsblog?

  5. Comment by Connie Crosby on 31 July 2009:

    I am flattered! Thank you for including me in such fine company.

    Cheers,
    Connie

  6. Comment by William Hann on 31 July 2009:

    HighViz Consulting Group @highviz_pr at Twitter and highviz.consulting on FaceBook

  7. Comment by Peter Shankman on 31 July 2009:

    Thanks for the shout! I’m a public relations! A public relations what, we’ll never know . :D

  8. Comment by Elena on 31 July 2009:

    Hi Genesis,

    Great idea to list PR Twitterers. Thanks for including me on your list!

  9. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 31 July 2009:

    LOL, Peter, I think something got lost when Genesis coded the post. :) I am sure she will make the necessary update and we all learn what a public relations you are ;)

    Pleased to have you here.

    Always,
    Mig

  10. Comment by Harry Gries on 31 July 2009:

    Ron Ploof is a B2B Social Media Strategist specializing in high-tech. He also writes the Ron Amok blog.

  11. Comment by jonny goldstein on 31 July 2009:

    Geoff Livingston is fun and informative.

  12. Comment by Stephen Davies on 31 July 2009:

    Thanks for the inclusion. **blushes**

  13. Comment by Frank Strong on 31 July 2009:

    What a great post Genesis! As I followed a bunch of these people you reccomend, I was also looking to follow you. Wish your Twitter handle was nearby.

    Cheers,
    Frank Strong
    Director of Public Relations
    @Vocus

  14. Comment by Doug Haslam on 31 July 2009:

    Genesis,

    Thank you for the list– whatever I did to deserve it. As long as you keep me below @tdefren all will be well in the SHIFT office.

    Doug

  15. Comment by James S. Walker on 31 July 2009:

    Have to echo all the comments here. Thanks so much for including me! Great to be in such amazing company!

  16. Comment by Sasha on 31 July 2009:

    First let me say, that I think it’s great you put this list together. When I saw @CubanaLAF tweet it, I absolutely HAD to read it.

    However, there are a few things I don’t quite understand…

    Brian Solis isn’t in the top 10 and neither is Scott Monty? …and where is Sarah Evans?

    I’m sorry, don’t take this as rude, but I respectfully ask: Did you reasearch before putting this list out?

    Brian Solis is known for PR outside of Twitter and I knew about him before I was even on Twitter, so him not making the Top 10 I think major. 11 still isn’t below 10.

    And Scott Monty not making top 10 either? Umm, he’s a “model” for the “business” communications Twitter model. EO and other large social groups that are similar talk about him and use him as an “example.” Again, another person known outside of Twitter as a good Twitter example.

    And Sarah Evans? She started #JournChat on Twitter for PR and other communications professionals. She’s the resident PR writer on Mashable. How is she not on your list at all?

    Or what about Valerie Simon — she writes PR for the Examiner and is ALWAYS tweeting about her interviews, etc., I believe her #hashtag is #prexaminer

    While, I am friends and follow some people on your list, I consider some of them journalist or social media people, not public relations people. So I’m a little confused and wonder why you numbered people the way you did, how you made your list and why some people were left out.

  17. Comment by Sonny Gill on 31 July 2009:

    I scrolled all the way down as all these smart folks should be way ahead of myself.

    Truly appreciate you putting me on this list.

  18. Comment by Don Bartholomew on 31 July 2009:

    This is a great list if it was titled ‘50 People to Follow on Twitter’. Many, many of these good folks are not “PR professionals”, although they certainly may be good at PR and self-promotion.

  19. Comment by Genesis Davies on 31 July 2009:

    Sorry about that Peter! I`ve made the appropriate changes. :)

    My Twitter ID is @athomemom, for those looking for it.

  20. Pingback by DR. WHAW? – July 31, 2009 « One true sentence. on 31 July 2009:

    [...] Top 50 PR Professionals You Should Be Following On Twitter by Genesis Davies — I love PR, and I love Twitter.  This post gives a great list of the best [...]

  21. Comment by Arik Hanson on 1 August 2009:

    Fairly certain I don’t belong on any list that includes Shel Holtz, Todd Defren and Chris Brogan, but thank you anyway for the shout. A great resource to be sure!

    @arikhanson

  22. Comment by Mirna on 1 August 2009:

    Thank you so much for the inclusion Genesis! You are the best!

  23. Comment by Phil Butler on 1 August 2009:

    Hi Don,

    I think what Genesis took for granted was that all the readers would understand this list was of PR people with a “significant” presence or impact via Twitter. You are correct though with regard to there being a more strict interpretation. I think she did not include Richard Edelman or Margery Kraus because the basically would not soil their hands with Twitter (or have the time for the nice version).

    Thanks for your input though, and no one is really right or wrong in these things. I guess we could call anyone on Twitter a PR person by a less stringent model. :)

    Always,
    Phil

  24. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 1 August 2009:

    @Sasha – I think Genesis left the comments open for a reason, Sasha. Brian Solis IS on the list, at number 11 – the “top” doesn’t mean that these people are the best in the world, they are listed randomly. In my opinion they are all great. As for Scott Monty and Sarah Evans, they will certainly be included in another list. It’s hard to satisfy all egos.

  25. Comment by Jeremy Pepper on 1 August 2009:

    You’re missing a lot of people – and some of the people on the list probably do not belong at all.

    Where are the PR professors, such as Robert French, Barbara Nixon, Kaye Sweetser, and others?

    Where are the Edelman folks, who were touted again and again at BlogHer, such as Danielle Wiley, Phil Gomes, Rick Murray?

    Where are the real PR and SM people doing the real work, and not just Tweeting? This isn’t about ego, but it’s about people that are pushing the industry ahead.

  26. Comment by Phil Butler on 1 August 2009:

    Well Jeremy, since this was about people one might find on Twitter, or more appropriately “affecting Twitter”, many of the ones you mentioned, while superb examples of PR people, simply do not really darken the doors of Twitter. I am sorry you missed the list, this is not a the top PR “famous” list, but rather a collection of people in the industry who Genesis thought deserved attention. There will of course be other lists I know, but as for Blog Her, well, I am working on an expose about that event myself. It should be fun, so check back.

    Thanks for your input though, and as in all lists, none can be all inclusive.

    Always,
    Phil

  27. Comment by Jeremy Pepper on 1 August 2009:

    Um, with no disrespect, the ones I mentioned do more on Twitter than some of the people you have on the list. They move the conversation forward and help others out. It has nothing to do with famous – some of those people I mentioned are likely not known outside of PR – but they do have valuable commentary on both Twitter and their blogs.

    As for BlogHer, before you write your “expose” answer one question: were you even there?

  28. Comment by Liliana on 1 August 2009:

    Uh, it is actually disrespect, Jeremy. You decided to attack something that was published in good faith and indented to reward some PR colleagues we respect and admire. This was not an “awards” list, and not a popularity contest either. The people you mention will probably be on another list. You are welcome to add them in the comments, but is disrespectful to say that some of the people don’t deserve to be on the list. If you cannot see that… well…

    And to answer your BlogHer question, Jeremy, no we were not, but we are interviewing people.

  29. Comment by Jeremy Pepper on 1 August 2009:

    Actually, Liliana, the title is “Top 50″. That is different than just a list of people you know or respect. It’s quantified and qualified. And, yes, there are some I respect, and others I don’t. That’s my opinion that I’m entitled to.

    Great on BlogHer. It was my fourth one, so you can interview me as well.

  30. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 1 August 2009:

    Guys, let’s not judge people by the number of tweets, but by attitude and reactions. As a great colleagues said: “listen, engage and don’t push or pitch” ;)

  31. Comment by Phil Butler on 1 August 2009:

    I was not there and had no desire to be.

    Always,

    Phil

  32. Comment by Jeremy Pepper on 1 August 2009:

    So, it will be a fully balanced post Phil? I look forward to the Monday morning quarterbacking.

  33. Comment by Genesis on 1 August 2009:

    I’m quite surprised by the controversy this post generated! I think next time I’ll have to do a Top 500 list. ;) I did try to include some people who might not be on everyone’s radar but who are providing useful information and worth following, not just those who have the most followers.

    There are many, many amazing PR professionals out there, which is why I invited people to share their favorites at the end of the post. Please feel free to include their Twitter IDs here so we can follow them and perhaps include them in a future post.

  34. Comment by Diego Hodge on 2 August 2009:

    Great list. Thanks for the insight.

  35. Comment by Jeremy Toeman on 2 August 2009:

    Never sure how I feel about these kinds of lists. I generally dislike them, because I feel they reward the wrong behaviors. While there are obviously some well known people here, the list effectively missed the grand majority of “really amazing PR people who don’t do much for their personal brand”…

    So here are mine. Biased as a list can possibly be:
    @drs650, @academik, @emilyfields

    -jeremy (@jtoeman)

  36. Comment by Tom Nocera on 2 August 2009:

    It appears that if anyone creates subjectively a “Top 50 List” of anything and includes my friend Guy Kawasaki in the top 5, you are certain to get some attention.
    But, the downside is that you also stand to look foolish when all is said and done. And the bell once rung, cannot be unrung.

    Cheers!
    Tom Nocera

  37. Comment by Vanna Xenno on 2 August 2009:

    Marcel Lebrun is not a PR professional – recommend you review his CV and professional background to learn his background in canadian Telecom operations. His foray into social media was most recent with his taking on the post as CEO at Radian6 – he transitioned to the sector for his management competency, not PR and social media knowledge. Testament that we can all become social media bloggers and “experts” in short order – yet, lacks credibiity. His inclusion in this list is simply a PR move for Radian6.

  38. Comment by Jim Jackson on 2 August 2009:

    Great information. It is nice to find sites with content that helps me grow my business. Thank you

  39. Comment by Dror Zaifman on 2 August 2009:

    This is a great list of people I will surly add to my Twitter but I like to suggest another great marketing individual to consider for your next list.
    Hope you don’t Mind I mention his name but have followed him for a long time and he adds great value http://twitter.com/MitchJoel
    Thanks again for such great names and resourceful information.

  40. Comment by Phil Butler on 2 August 2009:

    Vanna, Welcome to this, the latest in splitting hairs for the sake of Twitter. :) In our business, we consider just about everything PR – ergo the name. We do in depth stuff about world renown PR professionals all the time. This time, Genesis was covering some impactful people, within the broad scope of what PR has become, on my least favorite social tool Twipper, twister, twiki, errrr…Twitter. :)

    We thank each and every person who has come to talk about this list, and respect their opinions honestly. As you surely know, making a list of professionals is always going to leave someone out, or even include those some will not consider appropriate. Genesis used her criteria, and we will always stand behind her. If she makes a mistake, she will fix it we know. As for Lebrun, surely has the credentials to compete with any communicator? Anyone with 10,833 followers should be classified as at least someone who knows how to brand themselves. This is just from my cursory look at him. Social media, and networking are PR in my view, perhaps even the most fundamental and progressive kind.

    Always,
    Phil

  41. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 2 August 2009:

    @Dror Zaifman this is what I call style and professional response, Dror! Thank you very much for your valuable contribution to the list, and for the grace of your comment.

  42. Comment by @scottmo on 2 August 2009:

    Thank you Mrs. Genesis (coolest name) for a great article. This really helps people like me who just woke up to a new world about a month ago. MY GOAL is to make next years top 50 list. Thanks again & have a great week!

    Scott Morris

    PS – stay at home moms are my heroes.

  43. Comment by John Cass on 2 August 2009:

    Thanks for including me on the list.

  44. Comment by Cece Salomon-Lee on 2 August 2009:

    Thanks so much for including me on such an exclusive list!
    Cece

  45. Pingback by Social Media and PR Prima Donnas on 3 August 2009:

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  46. Comment by @FvrythingPR on 4 August 2009:

    You missed @steverubel from the Edelman Digital and @augieray from Fullhouse Interactive.

  47. Comment by Keith Burtis on 4 August 2009:

    Genesis, I am honored and flattered to be here. What an amazing list. I few I don’t follow yet. Thank you for the resource!

  48. Comment by Craig Sutton on 5 August 2009:

    Any list that recommends the “Top 50 PR Professionals” and then populates it with a bunch of marketers is missing the point, no? Why not do the research, separate the marketers from the community managers from the PR people from the school teachers and make the list actually relevant?

  49. Comment by Phil Butler on 5 August 2009:

    Hi Craig and thanks for your input. Your points are valid of course, but not necessarily from our point of view. Everything PR is not just about top PR professionals, but as much about PR in its true form, relations between people. These individuals, while not Waggener Edstrom, perform the work in the trenches of the digital realm. You know as well as we do that Twitter for most PR execs is just something delegated to bought marketers or lower level account reps. There are a number of PR CEO types in the list I believe too. As far as school teachers, I can think of no profession more suited to get some kind of PR recognition.

    We will endeavor to do other lists which will be approached from standpoints and directions out side the social media or networking realm, but for now we do not consider Richard Edelman’s administrative assistant Twitting something as hard core Digital media involvement. As for the marketers, well, I am with you on the over marketization of just about everything these days, Twitter and Mommy Blogs being the worst of the lot. However, PR is as much about marketing a story as it is about some high society dogma of magical communication powers. We do appreciate all viewpoints, and yours is not the least of the valid ones as I said. traditional PR does bear the heavy boots of blue striped suits as does Venture investment.

    Always,
    Phil

  50. Comment by Cathy Browne on 6 August 2009:

    While I do appreciate that the list was well-conceived and took a great deal of time and effort, I agree with people here that many of those listed aren’t ‘PR’ pros in the strict sense. If the title had said “Marketing and PR” I’d be fine with this.

    However, I can’t believe that you failed to mention @dannybrown – social media PR practitioner and blogger, and the founder of 12for12K.org. He deserves to be there.

  51. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 7 August 2009:

    Cathy, no one forgot anything. It’s just one list, limited at 50 people. Maybe next time Genesis should make a 500 list, but I tell you from own experience, even then there will be voices of people who will find it natural to ask “why is this person not mentioned” or “why is this person not in the top ten.”

    Adding a name we did not include in the comments is fine. Accusing the writer of “forgetting” is not.

    I have a suggestion for all those who don’t like the list: make your own.

  52. Pingback by Make a Meaningful List and Take a Stand | Cheeky Fresh on 9 August 2009:

    [...] one good, haphazardly chosen example.  I hate to critique just one person making one list, but this one was on my radar, and this [...]

  53. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 9 August 2009:

    At what point do lists like this cease to be useful to anyone? Obvious choices are obvious, lame choices take up space, any underappreciated thoughtful choices are drowned out. No stand is really taken on the list, and comments sections are used to do thinking for the author. No one can agree on anything, because once the list gets past about 20, anyone might as well be on the list. By one of the commenters’ standards, *I* should be on the list for having more than 10k followers and knowing “how to market myself”.

    Anyway, you are welcome to read my fresh take on this list, and long, nearly-meaningless lists in general (including what I think is a good example), here: [editor note: link removed by Mihaela Lica - see comments below for the reason. If you are interested to read Mr. Drapeau's article, the title of his post is "Make a Meaningful List and Take a Stand"]

  54. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    Mark, as I said, different people have different opinions. I personally don’t see this list as meaningless. It’s meaningful for those who want to meet other people who think alike but they do not have time to search for them. This is what is meant for.

    As far as the people on the list, they are all valuable, and they all tweet about PR issues. Everything is PR after all.

    Sorry you didn’t make the list, but the number of followers was not a criteria. The content and the quality of the tweets of the people on the list was. This is not to say that your tweets are not important. We just didn’t know who you are. That’s why the comments are still open, for people to add recommendations for future posts. They might not all be lists, but they will come.

    Articles like these are an invitation to connect. You think the list was meaningless… I say it was not. If it made you leave a comment and write a whole post based on this, the list made an impact, reached its targets just fine. :) You now understand what I mean?

  55. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 10 August 2009:

    Mihaela –

    I wrote a post to laugh at lists like this. If you think I was the intended audience and that we “connected” well, that’s a fairly optimistic view.

    If you read my article, you would see that I never said that the people on the list aren’t valuable, I said that the list wasn’t valuable.

    Apologizing to me for not making the list is really, really silly, since I’m not a PR professional. In fact, had I made the list, I would have been far more viciously critical of it for being meaningless.

  56. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    You still don’t see my point, Mark. The list has a lot of meaning for people who need it. 150 who tweeted it seem to like it. Some people don’t. Opinions will always diverge.

    You know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder… The same applies to meaning. If the list has no meaning for you, so be it. Ignore it, let it go, don’t waste your time.

    Also, if you didn’t want to connect, why did you bother to make a comment? Again a waste of time – yours and mine. I am sure you have better things to do with your life than responding to meaningless posts.

  57. Comment by Phil Butler on 10 August 2009:

    Mark, I think by now anyone reading this sees what you are up to. to be honest, if you want to get more traction for your own enterprise, and traffic to your blog, I suggest linking on the Huffington Post or another highly visible site.

    Though our site is progressing nicely, it just does not have the traffic to make a link bait like yours to be very effective. If you want Twitter visits, then Twitter is the place to devote your time.

    As for insulting our authors, and showing your “wares” in such a fashion, feigning authority might work for imbeciles, digg haters, and Twitter newbies and the like, but the clients or visitors you should be looking for will see through this ham handed segue into intelligence in a second.

    Mig was not apologizing, she was suggesting that you might be upset because you were not included. Many have come here using the same tone as you in some ridiculous attempt to attract attention. If I am not being clear enough, let me spell it out for everyone – this is what you are doing too.

    My suggestion, take it or leave it, is to sit down and write some content and engage people on a better level. As for me, I would not count on anyone so obtuse. I hope this is crystal clear. I almost deleted your initial comment because it was spam any way, but it is not our way to summarily cut people off. Be nice or be gone.

    Always,
    Phil

  58. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 10 August 2009:

    Phil, I don’t blog for traffic. I write to change how people think about a topic. I wrote about this topic because I think that lists like this are effectively meaningless. I think that people coming to this site that are dissatisfied with this list, as I was, might like reading my article. I wrote a good article about what *I* think, and everyone else is entitled to what they think. Now, if you think critical thought and tough love is “insulting” or “obtuse” or “spam” well fine, but that’s kinda sad. If you knew anything about me, you would know that I’m just about the last person out there looking for link bait. Nor do I need it.

  59. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    Again the “me, me, me” approach. You are the judge of your article – you think it’s good. If I come to your blog and I say it is bad, how would you feel and what would you reply? Critical thought is always welcome, but it has to make sense. The only reason why you came here in the first place as I see it, was to bait the readers of this post to your site – and you admit it. BTW, Mark, people are “who” not “that.” You are really ignoring that over 150 people liked this article. You assume that if you don’t like it, is automatically bad. You display a high level of arrogance and cockiness.

    You think you did not insult? Should I spell it for you? You say: “this list is lame and meaningless. Come to my site.” – not exactly in these words, but this is the message.

    Then you call me silly for trying to be nice with you.

    Then you say you did not come here to “connect” but you still come back to argue.

    AGAIN: if this is meaningless, don’t waste your time. Or are you that bored?

    Now, because you do not blog for traffic, I will remove the link in your first comment. I am sure the interested readers can find your “meaningful” piece of literature on their own. Our readers are very intelligent.

  60. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    PS, did I mention that your article is “lame” because what you think it is a good example of a list is a list made by… SURPRISE… you?! LOOOOOL.

  61. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 10 August 2009:

    Mihaela,

    I think the list is meaningless, not the discussion. You are confusing the two things. And if someone is insulted by one person saying that the list is meaningless, oh well. Not sorry! There is no shortage of “best people in PR” lists.

    I love it when people disagree with me. That means I wrote something thought-provoking. You can go to my blog and tell me flat out it’s crap. I have a thick skin, I appreciate debate, I enjoy an ecosystem of ideas. You don’t seem to. That’s cool.

    Incidentally, who are the 150 people who liked this article, the ones who tweeted about it? Tweeting a link and liking it are not the same. I believe I tweeted it myself.

    I don’t blog to get traffic, but it’s plainly silly to remove the link. Just shows that you can’t have an honest discussion with someone who disagrees with your website. What’s the point of comments again?

  62. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    Mark, you want to be right no matter what, don’t you? I already gave you my arguments why the list was not meaningless. You chose to ignore them and to step all over me, calling me silly. Excuse me for not being thrilled with your approach. I didn’t intend to delete your link first, but I reserve the right to do it if the person who is using this site to bait is being disrespectful. You were. In my opinion you didn’t want to discuss, you wanted to force an opinion. In my first reply I told you that what is meaningless to you, can be full of meaning to others. You did not accept that, on the contrary. I think that the only person who doesn’t want a honest discussion is you.

  63. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 10 August 2009:

    Oh, I completely accept that this list is meaningful to some people. I just think that a shorter list with more explanatory material and originality would be far *more* meaningful, which is what you are ignoring as you energetically defend this list.

  64. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    Then why didn’t you mention this argument from the start?

  65. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 10 August 2009:

    Mihaela, for someone to think that this list would be useful to absolutely zero people would be idiotic, so I didn’t think to mention it. Everything that everybody writes is useful to at least some tiny niche of people – that’s called “the long tail” economy. Next time I’ll mention the completely obvious.

  66. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 10 August 2009:

    Mark, honestly, you seem to be an intelligent man, with a lot of talent and the resource to make a difference. However, getting into a polemic about something you consider meaningless is not necessarily the way to prove your value. Why don’t you try to focus on things that matter instead? If you really care, then write a story about this http://www.pamil-visions.net/fairies-weeping/24042/ – for example. People like you should channel their energy into meaningful debates – things that change our world, make a mark on life and matter for the future. Twitter is here today, tomorrow this service will be gone. The Internet is the best translation of “sic transit gloria mundi”

    I say “peace” – and from now on, let’s be people who connected due to a meaningless piece, but who made the best out of the ephemeris. Think about it.

  67. Pingback by TwiTips Top Ten Niche Twitter Users | GROWMAP.COM on 11 August 2009:

    [...] Top 50 PR Professionals to Follow on Twitter (Pamil-Visions Everything [...]

  68. Comment by B. Joe on 12 August 2009:

    Mihaela, as you see, the man only replies for “meaningless” threads and articles… The future of our children is of no concern. Don’t waste your time on him.

  69. Comment by Mark Drapeau on 12 August 2009:

    Sorry, B. Joe – Mihaela told me to “think about it” so I was working on that for a few days before I got back to commenting.

  70. Comment by Matt Shepherd on 13 August 2009:

    I think Sarah Evans should be in the top 50. She has some fantastic thoughts and content.

  71. Comment by Mihaela Lica on 13 August 2009:

    You are right, Matt, Sarah is a fantastic person. :)

  72. Comment by Boris Khodorkovsky on 13 August 2009:

    Thank you for the great list.
    Most of PR-pros on Twitter I’ve found myself, but your list helped to discover a few interesting communications professionals.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,
    Boris Khodorkovsky
    NETOCRAT Communications founder
    @netocrat (twitts in both Russian and English)

  73. Comment by Carin Galletta on 27 August 2009:

    Wow. Thanks for including me. Greatly appreciated.

    Carin Galletta