The best Twitterers are Marketers

There's no denying, the best accounts to follow on Twitter have the most followers -- that's why they have the most followers (and if you disagree, please, keep reading). But what you don't realize, is that every one of those people are selling you something. It's true -- even if it's not obvious.

Let's start with just the people YOU follow. There are your friends, your family, and everyone else. An everyone else is selling you something.

Take the list of the top 10 people on Twitter with the most followers (this does not include corporate brands, which, obviously, are trying to sell you something):

1. Justin Bieber: @justinbieber - 39,673,026 followers
2. Lady Gaga: @ladygaga - 37,703,992
3. Katy Perry: @katyperry - 37,075,529
4. Barack Obama: @BarackObama - 31,982,994
5. Rihanna: @rihanna - 29,756,835
6. Taylor Swift: @taylorswift13 - 28,329,970
7. Britney Spears: @britneyspears - 27,372,412
8. Justin Timberlake: @jtimberlake - 20,778,620
9. Shakira: @shakira - 20,773,482
10. Ellen DeGeneres: @TheEllenShow - 19,301,628

They're all trying to sell you something -- mostly music. And even when it's not as obvious as that, they're still selling you on the idea of themselves as musicians, politicians, or celebrities. Their selling their own personal brand.

And then there are the corporate brands. Common sense tells you they are trying to sell you something, but you wouldn't know it by reading their tweets. There is no mention of "Buy this" or "Try that" -- just simple content marketing and engaging conversations. And that's why they're the best brands on Twitter:

1. YouTube: @YouTube - 10,259,054 followers
2. Twitter: @twitter - 8,856,790
3. Twitter en español: @twitter_es - 8,480,198
4. CNN Breaking News: @cnnbrk - 6,923,605
5. TwitPic: @TwitPic - 6,615,838
6. UberSocial: @UberSoc - 5,826,875
7. The New York Times: @nytimes - 4,700,907
8. NBA: @NBA - 4,525,421
9. Google: @google - 4,465,778
10. E! Online: @eonline - 4,267,255

Brands and Twitter are all about content marketing. The best brands -- whether personal or corporate -- are the best content marketers. They post interesting tweets that are relevant to their followers. By doing so, they promote their brand. That's why they have the most followers. And that's why all the best Twitterers are marketers.

10 things I hate about Twitter

I hate when someone I follow on Twitter...

1. Still uses the now-ancient "RT @twitterhandle" to retweet someone instead of just hitting the Retweet button.
2. Puts a period before an @mention because they want the whole world to see what they're talking about (not just those people who follow both of you).
3. Makes me click on the link to find out I'm completely uninterested.
4. Automatically posts every check-in on Foursquare and GetGlue.
5. Has an entire conversation with a friend on Twitter instead of just texting or calling them.
6. #humblebrags -- though they are funny when they're unknowingly retweeted by @humblebrag
7. Has a profile picture of anything other than their own headshot.
8. Just tweets a link with no supporting text
9. #pitytweets
10. Tweet thieves who repost original, funny, or interesting content without mentioning the source.

#howfamousareyou?

Twenty years ago the only way to tell how famous you were was if you were recognized on the street. Ten years ago you would estimate it by the number of Google search results for your name. Three years ago your popularity could be directly correlated to the number of friends you had on Facebook. Now there is a true test. Twitter, and your number of followers, is now the ultimate ruler to measure fame. And like anything, there are ways to cheat the system, but the"hanging chad" here can be removed with a simple formula: Followers / Following = Fame.

If you flunked algebra, try these:

• Klout
• Tweetreach
• Twitalyzer
• Booshaka
• Peerindex