Ok ladies and gents, it’s time to share my end-of-year follow list.

I have very strong opinions about Twitter lists, and rather than sh*t on someone else’s, I figured it was time I’d put my money where my mouth is and create one of my own. 🪡
As someone who’s worked in social media marketing for 10 years and been on Twitter for the same amount of time, I can easily say that #MarketingTwitter has been a saving grace this year.

Yes, you’ve probably seen some of my rants, but I genuinely care about this community. ✊🏾
But first, some housekeeping:

• As a minority and POC, I tried to make this list as diverse as possible
• I didn’t want this list to give off “circle-jerk” vibes, and while I made meaningful relationships with these people, I wanted to name-drop folks I learned from 💪🏾
All that said, lesssgetitttt (alphabetically) 👇🏾
/ Let’s start it off with @Adriyoung. I sometimes forget how small the marketing world in the Bay Area is and it’s been great to connect. What you did at Fenty was cool, but you’re kicking butt at Mos. I watch all your TikToks and constantly pick your brain on video + editing. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/adriyoung/status/1340535636244119552
/ So, should @annamelissa have her own sitcom on ABC or an E! True Hollywood Story? Regardless, she’s a must-follow for all things NBA marketing, branding, copywriting and D&I.

Most importantly, not a day goes by where I’m not laughing out loud because of her tweets. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/annamelissa/status/1343115843018739712
/ @lewisalex10 is doing some pretty creative things from a social strategy + community aspect at Jeni’s, but he’s also another D&I champion within the marketing space. Besides dropping knowledge on the timeline, he also has a very fun music podcast 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/lewisalex10/status/1343235772648984576
/ If you’re not sure how accessibility applies to social media, then you need to change that by following @HashtagHeyAlexa. She’s a huge champion in this space when it comes to tips and best practices, and besides having great hair, she’s just delightful overall. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/hashtagheyalexa/status/1297309401133600768
/ @AnthonyYepez is like your social media big brother—always there and always comforting. He’s led social at some pretty big brands and I’m excited to see what he does at his new gig in the new year. His timeline is filled with truth-bombs and he built a community too 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/anthonyyepez/status/1342109245156843520
/ Come for sneaker + Knicks jokes, stay for the social media hot takes with @AYakatally. You’ll notice a theme here with D&I champions, but he’s also doing some interesting things on his podcast, having serious discussions with awesome folks 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/ayakatally/status/1295676525107449857
/ When you combine pop culture with social media, you get @brianne2k. You’ll get a melting pot of positive vibes, marketing trends and pure nostalgia. Not only does she have her own awesome podcast, but she hosts a fun Twitter chat in #PopChat https://twitter.com/brianne2k/status/1333472365175590912
/ @chvrlesjr is another solid guy who tweets positive vibes and social media realness on the daily. He’s someone I’ve had the pleasure of trading stories with and is one of those rare people who’s seen social media marketing from multiple lenses (social + design + photography) 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/chvrlesjr/status/1338877661586874369
/ @ThatChristinaG is like a walking social media marketing encyclopedia. Not only is she a great resource to rely one if you’re looking to grow and up-level your marketing skills, but she’s doing some great things on her Medium blog 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/thatchristinag/status/1337091747256684545
/ She affectionately calls me her “Twitter Husband,” so I guess I have to say something nice about @claireakennedy_. Joking aside, it’s been awesome to pick her brain about B2B social media, employee advocacy and personal branding. I’m excited to see more blog posts from her. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/claireakennedy_/status/1337426552968146944
/ We both love social media and Rihanna, so I had to throw @donyetaylor_ on here. I’m impressed by all the things she’s doing at her Black-owned creative marketing agency, and it’s always great picking the brain of someone who analyzes social activations + pop culture 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/donyetaylor_/status/1329219437338116097
/ It’s been great chopping it up with @EuniceCancino and getting to know more about her core values. Yes, you’ll get the social + marketing advice, but you’ll also get to pick the brain of someone who’s looking to empower women and POC. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/eunicecancino/status/1322001274599055360
/ I’m showing my age, but y’all remember that skit on In Living Color where that immigrant Jamaican family each had like 7 jobs? In real life, that’s @ishverduzco.

This dude has an impressive background and shares a lot of marketing + life advice. Grab his book (I did) 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/ishverduzco/status/1271521136656826368
/ @JasonRBradwell is my brother from across the pond. Even though our online activity doesn’t match up, he’s a great resource when it comes to general marketing and advertising. You should also check out his B2B social media podcast (shameless plug, he had me as a guest) 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/JasonRBradwell/status/1304103976670027776
/ 280 characters can’t sum up @jaydeipowell, but she’s definitely someone who’s got an incredibly diverse background and is a great person to lean on when it comes to messaging and finding your brand’s social voice + tone. Also, if you need some D&I realness on your timeline 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/jaydeipowell/status/1343293701607612421
/ @jsstansel is the guy who says things that are in my head, but says them far more intelligently and eloquently than I could. He’s a champion in the Higher Ed space, but the majority of his content is applicable across all industries and roles. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/jsstansel/status/1341479716381990912
/ @natbalda ran social for one of my favorite shows in 2020 and deserves more kudos for all of the creative and social activations. She deserves a follow for all of her strategic + tactical insights, but is another vocal D&I champion 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/natbalda/status/1342170079014735873
/ @tess_bless is another one of my B2B social media marketing buddies and one of the first people I connected with offline. Come for the social hot takes, but stay for the self deprecating humor. Jokes aside, it’s been great to pick your brain about Microsoft social. 👇🏾 https://twitter.com/tess_bless/status/1339284743368536064
Ok, people...that’s it! I appreciate y’all reading this far and hope you got value from it. I hope no one feels slighted if they weren’t included, but know that there’s only so much time in a day to be on Twitter and get to know folks, and I hope to connect with more of you. 🤟
I’m hoping to both learn and meet with more of you marketers here and offline in the new year, so in the words of the late Prince (by way of Dave Chappelle)... 💜
You can follow @West_Syed.
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