27 Masters of Marketing and PR Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Marketing is a cacophony but a few voices are consistently heard clearly. Listen to those and learn.
By Murray Newlands Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Everyone in marketing and public relations knows just how difficult the job can be. If you are just starting out, you are wise to learn from the key players on this list of industry leaders who have succeed in a big ways in this challenging field. They are all a little different but share these fundamental values:
Willingness to learn and try new things.
Patience with people.
A strong sense of pride in what they do.
Always able to overcome adversity.
Here, in no particular rank, are 27 top experts worth paying attention to if you want to become a successful marketer or public relations professional.
1. Bryan Eisenberg is a world-famous speaker and author. He understands what it takes to turn heads in the business world, and is great at what he does. He is most famous for his co-authorship of the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and USA Today.
Related: 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a PR Firm
2. Lewis Howes was named "5 Internet Guru's Who Can Make You Rich" by Details Magazine and is host of The School of Greatness Podcast on iTunes. He started out playing professional football then transitioned into the business world. Since then, he has written a number of books, invested in start ups, built a successful company and sold it for seven figures. He is the guy to follow if you are interested in entrepreneurship.
3. Oliver Roup, the founder and CEO of VigLink is someone you need to keep your eye on. His company has raised a whopping $26 million for web publishers who are looking to make money from content. He understands the process of starting a new business, and he is still growing as a marketing expert and entrepreneur.
4. Zac Johnson is a leader in the online marketing world. He is the president at MoneyReign, and boasts more than 500 followers on LinkedIn. On top of the people that follow him for his quality, he also has 99 plus endorsements in PPC, affiliate marketing, and blogging. Close behind those, he has 91 endorsements in online marketing.
5. Jeremiah Owyang is an expert marketer. He is the founder of the website Crowd Companies, which helps draw crowds to different sites by using marketing techniques. If you're not following him, start now! He has a lot to share with people who want to learn more about the world of marketing and public relations.
6. Jacob Morgan is an inspiration to anyone in the public relations world. He is an accomplished writer who just released his second book, The Future of Work, discusses how to run a business in a professional, efficient manner. If you're an inexperienced entrepreneur, there is lots to learn from Morgan.
7. Anne Ahola Ward is an author and entrepreneur who understands what it takes to succeed in the business world. She has quite a few publications, including her most popular ones "7 Reasons Why You Have to Fire Yourself" and "Desktop is Dead, not SEO." She knows what works in online marketing and shares tons of tips.
8. Tammy Blythe Goodman has experience in the world of social media marketing. She has taken multiple courses on the subject and has expansive knowledge on how to market for your social media business and make the most of it. If you follow her lead, you will see growth in your business in no time.
Related: 6 PR Tips for Generating Publicity for Your Startup
9. Mat Morrison knows his way around the marketing world. He currently owns the English company Mediczar Ltd. Prior to that, he was a social media strategy director for Starcom MediaVest Group. Combine this with his experience in the business since 1999, and it's plain to see why he is a key player to follow in the social marketing world.
10. Scott Monty is a communications expert with vast experience in public relations who knows how to communicate in a way that gets results. If you're in the midst of figuring out your business, he offers great tips to get your business that extra growth you need without spending extra money.
11. Larry Alton is a professional freelancer who knows his way around social media marketing. His writing style brings crowds to see what is being offered or shown on the page he is promoting. He is a key figure to follow if you want to learn how to market your business using a freelance writer.
12. John Boitnott is a widely-published writer who can score results. His work on Entrepreneur.com alone shows his writing commands attention. If you need someone who can get you connected, this is your guy.
13. Duane Forrester has been in the business of online marketing for 15 years. He understands what makes people want to visit your page, and he's very good at what he does. His public relation skills are off the charts - he can bring people together just by using his words.
14. Scott James is currently a brand strategist with Greenleaf Book Group. He works with people who are publishing books in the field of marketing. Scott can help people plan for the most effective marketing strategy before their book even hits the shelves. He also uses his extensive public relation skills to communicate with people in a way that gets things done.
15. Lea Ann Stundins has in-depth experience at branding for many different companies. She has worked in the field on a freelance basis for almost 10 years, and has also served as a creative director title at United Commercial Realty. Keep your eye on her to learn how to start your company using simple branding strategies.
16. Travis Wright has been in the business of digital marketing for 20 years. He focuses on helping businesses grow via social marketing. It doesn't matter how big or small the company is, Travis is up to the job. His enthusiasm and professionalism make him a key person to follow.
17. Liz Strauss knows how important it is to communicate in the world of marketing. She is the CEO for GeniusShared, which trains people how to be good people and business smart. This combination of public relations and marketing savvy is the perfect mix for a successful business structure. Follow her if you are interested in learning about both of these important aspects of entrepreneurship.
Related: The 6 PR Tips Every Startup Should Employ
18. Andre F. Bourque is an advisor who helps companies figure out how to create the best content for their business. Couple that with an extensive journalist career and you can see why Andre is a solid person to follow if you want to gain more business knowledge.
19. Gary C. Bizzo has made a career out of nothing. He climbed to the top and proved himself to be a strong leader in the world of business, entrepreneurship and marketing. You should follow him if you want to learn how to lead your business into the future with public relation skills.
20. Eric Siu is the CEO of Single Grain, LLC. He worked very hard to bringing his public relation skills out in the open and used them build trust. He's capable of helping companies build their audience by using a range of marketing strategies including SEO and social media marketing.
21. Rohan Chandrashekhar has a long list of achievements, most notably as the CEO of BUZZVALVE. In a little less than a year, Rohan has built a thriving clientele. He has also been published in The Wall Street Journal. He has the knowledge and experience in customer service. He knows how to please people.
22. Larry Kim, is the founder of WordStream, a company that creates software designed to make search engine marketing easier than ever before. He knows how to get people's attention and it shows through his work. If you want some marketing inspiration, he is the perfect person to follow.
23. Steve Hall is well known for starting the successful publication Adrants, which covers every aspect of marketing, but focuses on social media and advertising. If you want to start up your own business, or you're trying to make your already existing business flourish, then he is the guy to follow.
24. Ritu Sharma is an excellent speaker who has made a career out of her public relations skills. Ritu took it another step and co-founded Social Media for Nonprofits. The organization seeks to help nonprofit companies expand their social media awareness. If you want to see how a leader speaks, don't miss out on Ritu's updates.
25. Peter Daisyme works in accounting. His public relations skills are second to none. He spends his time talking to people and figuring out how to help them sell their property online. He is a skilled problem solver and has a keen eye for helping people with property that they otherwise would not be able to sell. He's currently working on Host.
26 Chris Monteleone has spent his entire career in sports, media and entertainment dealing with major leagues, TV networks, film studios and more. He has made a career out of building relationships and listening. He recently raised $1 million to fund his new company, Sweigh, which is a social polling platform that measures sentiment around keywords, people and topics in real time. He is a key figure to follow if you are looking to learn how to successfully package, sell and market a new idea.
27. Justin Levy is a social media expert who knows how to market to any demographic in a way that is attractive to the eyes and is always successful. He is the director for social marketing at Citrix, and also does public speaking via his website. Justin is a great person to follow if you want to learn how to market your company using social media outlets.
There you have it. If you're looking for some new ideas, marketing tips, or PR advice to help your business grow, these are the professionals that you need to follow. Each of them brings a particular expertise to the table with insights that will help you take your business to the next level.
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