The idea for this story actually came to me from our writer, Jennifer Kaplan, but since I’ve written on this topic before, she asked if I might want to tackle it – Sure. A few months back, Darren Rowse challenged his readers to create a top ten to follow list to Twitip. As you can see, 192 of us responded with out top ten list folks who Twitter on a wide variety of topics. My list was green.
But, I’ve had a chance to think about it some more.
Trying to determine how to best build your list of followers can be a challenge and a raging argument is going on right now with the Twitterati on quality versus quantity. Is it better to follow lots of people and have lots of followers or does the quality of the follower matter?
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As a marketing guru, I lean toward quality. I tweet almost everyday and I’ve set up Twitter accounts for several clients and have carefully managed which people we follow; at what rate we gain followers and how closely they match the target market we are attempting to reach.
Why?
The reason quality matters is your ability to reach out to your target audience is limited by how many of their tweets you see. If you follow random people, those tweets to which you might want to respond get lost in the masses of tweets you receive. (In some ways the 2000 followers limit on Twitter is a good thing.)
So, if you’re looking for green folks to follow on Twitter, take a minute and consider, what sort of green people should I be following?
Twittergrader lists the most influential Twitters using the key word, “green”. But then again, there you have a hodgepodge of healthy living, green tech and green business folks, including (yours truly, @mcmilker), @ecochildsplay and @ greenoptions. Actually, quite a few Green Options writers are on this list.
What you really want is a list of people to follow that meets your particular needs.
Are you interested in activism? Try following:
@ Michael_Hoffman, @WomenWhoTech, @greenwash,
How about green parenting? Try following:
@greenmom, @ecochildsplay, @greenmoms and @organicmania
@ thesmartmama, @lamamanaturale, @ greenmommy, @ mamagoesgreen
Maybe green media? Try following:
@sustainablog, @greenoptions, @maxgladwell, @ greennews,@ gogreentube,
Or perhaps green business? Try following:
@mcmilker (That’s me!), @ greenskeptic, @ greensmith, @ entregreeneur, @ecoofficegals
How about Green tech
@ alexismadrigal,@ tomraftery,@ scobleizer
Regardless of your approach to green, there are Twitter streams out there that will interest you.
Now I’ve given you a lot more than 10 people to follow. It’s your turn. Who writes your favorite green Tweets?
Update: I hadn’t even published this list, but mentioned I was working on it on Twitter, @choosespun, @a_willow and a few others have already responded! The power of social media!
About Maryanne Conlin
Chat with SuperEco at http://twitter.com/supereco, or find our feed at http://twitter.com/supereconews. We’d love to hear from you!
I love these lists – nothing beets a recomendation when choosing new followers. I’ll have to make time to go through it latrer.
I did something similar a while ago over on ‘dot.green’. you can see it here: http://tinyurl.com/58n33t
As I have written before Twitter rocks. It is the best way to keep up to date with the people and organizations you care most about. Best way by far for breaking news.
Great article MC.
FYI, we tweet here: http://twitter.com/ProformaGreen
Good list. Would have been easier to use if you’d hyperlinked the names, but I’ll still use this to find a few to add.
Thanks for including TreeHugger! Agree w/ John Platt that it’d be great if these were all hyperlinked, but happy to be included regardless!
http://twitter.com/TreeHugger_com
-Chris Tackett
Hey,
I’d like to speak with you about this blog. I’ve been doing some research for my own site and would like to share an interesting blog idea with you. Get back to me at your earliest convenience.
Thanks!
-Josh
how about green Fashion?? @ecofashionista!!
Great list…would love to see more about green gardening!
Thanks for the ideas Kelly!
I like @ecofashionista for green fashion, as well as, @sprig. What others do you recommend for eco fashion?
Our own @feelgoodstyle just signed up for Twitter too!
Green decorating @sprig, @greenyourdecor, and @ecofabulous, @greentalk. Green building @jetsongreen, @greentalk.
There is even a garden group as well which I am member and follow Ruth above. How many days until Spring?
For more of a corporate sustainability angle (my particular interest) I like:
@asheen – Green entrepreneurship prof at Babson
@digg_enviro – Social links from Digg’s green channel
@WholeFoods – The store
@nearwalden – David Douglas, Sun’s Chief Sustainability Officer
@lamarguerite – Activist or sorts
@CSR_Trend_Watch – Select stories from CSR Wire
@triplepundit – By the folks at TriplePundit.com
and, of course, yours truly:
@viridus – green business focused
I also use http://news.virid.us/ which is Digg-style green business news categorized by job function.
First of all congrats on your award!! I have to say I am so confused about Twitter. I have gotten the grasp on FaceBook and have found it to be tremendously helpful. I am not techno-savvy and Twitter does not seem like it “does” anything?! I have just joined Twittermoms and would like to actually figure it out. Any tips?
Rachel Sarnoff of Eco Stiletto just did a lecture at Belly Sprout. I love her blog!
WOW! Thanks for the honorable mention!
I would also add @thegreenparent and @thegoodhuman to the list
Jen,
@greenparent I believe is included on our list of green parents to follow on Twitter – Jenn Savedge is great as is David – @goodhuman
@howyoueco 1,600+ followers looking for the people, products and practical ways to go greener at home,work and play
Great list, thank you! If you have a dog, check out @raiseagreendog
thanks for all these great “green” twitter’ers to follow… good info on here.
do you think you would consider us for the list? not top ten obviously but we just really want to make a difference out here and get people thinking for them selves and not just being marketed to… we are disappointed in how out of hand this waste is getting
thanks again for this great info!
If you would like a reliable source on all things organic please follow http://www.Twitter.com/OrganicAuthorit
If you are interested in green tweets from the greenest city in america – Portland, Oregon… I would add @molfamily to the list. He produces the Energy Trust Better Living Show which is the largest sustainable lifestyle event in the Northwest.
a few more to follow…
http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/11/19/49998