America's Marketing Gurus

Every person with a background or interest in marketing is inundating social media platforms with an urge to be a part of the buzz and help spread the word on whatever is hot and newsworthy. However, not everyone is a distinguished marketing guru like the list below. There are a select few in the marketing world who actually know what they’re talking about and here’s the list of my top picks for those spreading factual and entertaining knowledge in Twitterland.

1. Chris Brogan consults and speaks professionally with Fortune 100 and 500 companies, such as PepsiCo, General Motors, and Microsoft about the future of business communications and social software technologies. With 11 years of experience in online community, social media and related technologies, Brogan has more than 164,000 followers and more than 77,000 tweets. Follow him @chrisbrogan

2. Brian Solis is an acclaimed author on social media and business and is the Principal of FutureWorks, an award-winning new media and business strategy consultancy in the Silicon Valley. His blog, BrianSolis.com, is ranked among the top 1 percent of all blogs tracked by Technorati. Solis has more than 73,000 followers and more than 9,000 tweets. Follow him @briansolis

3. Danny Sullivan is the Editor of SearchEngineLand.com, an online publication that offers the latest search news, research and analysis, commentary and expert advice covering Google, SEO, PPC, and other sectors in the search and engine and search marketing world. Sullivan has more than 88,000 followers and more than 18,000 tweets. Follow him @dannysullivan

4. Rand Fishkin is the CEO and Co-Founder of SEOmoz, which offers online tools and tutorials about Internet marketing and search engine optimization and with a goal to provide software and education to businesses and individuals around the world. Fishkin has more than 22,000 followers and more than 3,000 tweets. Follow him @randfish

5. Lisa Barone is the Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Outspoken Media, Inc., which provides clients with Internet marketing services, including SEO consulting, online reputation monitoring, social media, blog consulting, community building, and affiliate marketing. Barone has more than 14,000 followers and more than 34,000 tweets and upholds her notoriety for excessive Twitter updates. Follow her @LisaBarone

6. John Jantsch calls himself and website, DuctTapMarketing.com, the World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Expert for continuously offering real-world, proven small business marketing ideas and strategies. He’s also an award-winning social media publisher and best-selling author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and “The Referral Engine,” which assists in training and licensing small business marketing consultants from across the globe. Jantsch has more than 44,000 followers and more than 7,000 tweets. Follow him @ducttape

7. Jonathan Fields is a self-proclaimed “creation-obsessed author and entrepreneur” and is a small business and online marketing consultant and venture partner. He began his career as a hedge-fund and securities lawyer for the S.E.C. and then for a New York law powerhouse Debevoise & Plimpton before expanding other interests before entering the marketing world. Fields has more than 26,000 followers and more than 19,000 tweets. Follow him @jonathanfields

8. Dan Zarella calls himself the Original Social Media Scientist and is an award-winning social, search and viral marketing expert. He’s the author of the Link Attraction Factors report that helps readers determine which topics, days, times, and keywords attract links in social media stories for semantic content optimization and his Science of ReTweets Report analyzes when, why and how Twitter users ReTweet things and explains how marketers can get more ReTweets. Zarella has more than 27,000 followers and more than 9,000 tweets. Follow him at @danzarrella

9. Scott Stratten is the President of Un-Marketing, which promotes positioning one’s self as a trusted expert in front of their targeted market, so when they have the need, they will choose you. His book, “UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging” became a national best-seller before it was released. Stratten has more than 73,000 followers and more than 63,000 tweets. Follow him at @unmarketing

10. Jennifer Van Grove is a personal Twitter favorite and is not only a local San Diegan, but is also a Social Media Reporter at Mashable and is a former correspondent for NBC San Diego news channel 7/39. If it’s new in social media, Van Grove has already reported on it. She has more than 13,000 followers and more than 14,000 tweets. Follow her at @jbruin