Connor BrookeTweeting Fortune 500 CEO’s, Thought Leaders and Entrepreneurs
As a social platform, Twitter still remains the number one network for sharing. 
According to a study done by Umpf, for every 100M users on social networks, 197.3 Twitter users were likely to share an online story. This is a huge number compared to just 41.8 on Facebook, 15.2 on LinkedIn, and 6 on Google+.
With over 500M accounts, 142M of which are in the United States, using Twitter in a social media strategy is still good business.
However, with social media making such a huge impact on the way businesses are marketing and in how people make buying decisions, it is also surprising to learn that only 1.8% of the CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies have a presence on Twitter.
We took a look at the Fortune 500 CEO’s on Twitter, as well as a few of the top influencers on Twitter and have compiled a list of the people you need to be following.
Why?
These CEO’s, Presidents, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Thought Leaders all have the same characteristics that you do. They have drive, skill, education, ideas and knowledge about starting up, running and keeping a business going.
Not only that, they also have the courage, the tenacity and the rock hard endurance it takes to run or own a business, think out of the box, innovate, and not worry about what they rest of the world is saying about them.
And they are all tweeting about it.
1. Noah Everett @noaheverett
With 4.3M followers and a big dream, Everett has started Heello.com, an call-out for Facebook to stand up straight and take notice. He is also the co-founder of Twitpic.
2. Richard Branson @richardbranson
Founder of Virgin Entertainment and Virgin Airways, among other things, Branson is a true innovator who also stays true to his heart. Check out his blog where his topics range from a visit to the SXSW to How to Make Your Morning Great.
3. Chris Anderson @tedchris
As the head of TED.com, Chris Anderson has taken the online web talk to a level no one ever expected. As an influencer he deserves a spot here. As someone to watch for innovative ideas and just plain interesting information, go and check out his feed.
4. Martha Stewart @marthastewart
The food and home entrepreneur who has had a couple of bumps in the road isn’t letting a little thing like not having a network show anymore get in her way. With a magazine and an award winning blog, she embodies the life of the executive and living in the Hamptons.
5. Donald Trump @realdonaldtrump
No stranger to bumps in the road himself, Donald Trump has taken the term “leverage” to the heights of real estate riches. His tweets about finance and real estate are the real deal.
6. Biz Stone @biz
The Co-founder of Twitter, Inc, as well as the Co-founder and CEO of Jelly, Inc. Biz has a true understanding of how the start-up works, especially within the online universe. His new start-up with Ben Finkel, Jelly.com, is a new app that uses photos, interactive maps, location, and people to deliver answers to queries. He’s also got a kickin’ Twitter handle.
7. Tony Rocha @realtonyrocha
A radio and television director with a doctorate in communications, Tony Rocha is serious about business, Hollywood and tweets a lot about them.
8. Warren Buffett @WarrenBuffett
Just over a half a million followers and a Klout score of 90 gives this tried and true entrepreneur a lot of influence on Twitter. Currently the CEO for Berkshire Hathaway, the old dog shows us that he still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
9. Rupert Murdoch @rupertmurdoch
He is Executive Chairman of News Corp, the largest news and information services provider in the English speaking world. With a long history in the news industry, Murdoch has embraced and is using social media in ways that his peers (many of whom are deceased) would never have dreamed.
10. Marissa Mayer @marissamayer
As the CEO of Yahoo! Mayer is one of only a few females on our list. However her ten years at Google honing their products and design concepts give her special cred. Her Twitter posts are full of helpful insights from her point of view in a male dominated industry.
11. Mark Zuckerberg @finkd
It’s hard to believe that the founder of Facebook has just over 250K followers, but then again, Twitter isn’t his strongpoint. As Facebook’s CEO he is still at the top of his game and Facebook is still the king of social. However, his latest love – the app game – is making a strong presence in his tweets.
12. Ralph Lauren @RalphLauren
Quintessential high-end designer Ralph Lauren has a love for all things luxurious and beautiful. His website has won awards for design and photography. As a member of the Twitter world, his influence remains highly in the design realm, however, as an entrepreneur and business man, his relentless pursuit of an excellent product gives him a space as an influencer on our list.
13. Ev Williams @ev
The founder of Medium.com has ruffled a few feathers with the sort of kind of blogging platform that is quickly getting noticed for its shareability and ease of use for people who just want to get their content seen. As the former co-founder of Twitter, Ev has a lot to say about the online universe and how to see and be seen within it.
14. Kevin Rose @kevinrose
The founder of Digg.com one of the best online networks for the latest and best content, is also a partner at Google Ventures and has time to tweet about his non-profit efforts.
15. Howard Stern @howardstern
He considers himself the King of all Media. The radio talk show host, with decades of questionable methods to get ratings rolling up behind, as well as millions of fans to back him up, has a rabid following and an interesting lens on our world.
16. Suze Orman @suzeormanshow
The Emmy Award Winning TV Show Host and New York Times Best Selling Author knows her finance and how to stretch a dollar. Her website, www.SuzeOrman.com is one of the most popular on the web for people looking to get out of debt, or learn to save money. Her basic ideas, industry credibility and the level of trust the general public have in her make Orman an influencer and a must on our list.
17. Michael Kors @michaelkors
As one of the top influencers on Twitter, the long standing top designer hasn’t remained successful by j His marketing efforts and online presence are cutting their own pattern.
18. Tim O’Reilly @timoreilly
The Founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media has recently launched Radar.oreilly.com, an online resource for insight and analysis about emerging technologies. Expect excellent content from this innovator.
19. Jack Welch @jack_welch
The former CEO of GE didn’t end his career when he left the electric innovation giant. A leadership magnate and best selling author on the subject is giving back with the Jack Welch Management Institute, an MBA program offered through Strayer. Welch is one of the few people on this list who was an influencer before Twitter came around.
20. Bill Clinton @billclinton
Now known as the Founder of the Clinton Foundation, the 42nd President of the United States has almost 1.5M followers. His non-profit work and his political commentary make his tweets worth reading.
21. Guy Kawasaki @guykawasaki
Guy Kawasaki is another influencer on our list who was innovating and making waves well before Twitter cam along. Now, he is the “chief evangelist” at Canva.com, which you’ve got to try for creating free graphics. In the past he has worked with Google on their mobile business unit and is the author of several best selling books. A true self-starter, Kawasaki is someone we all love to hear from on Twitter.
22. John Paul Aguiar @johnaguiar
As the number 6 social media power influencer of 2013, Aguiar is a blogging entrepreneur who gives plenty of tips and advice, as well as a hint of humor to bloggers who want to make money in social media. He built up his Money Dummy Blog to over 110,000 followers in less than two years.
23. Jeff Barrett @BarrettAll
Barrett was named the most influencial Ad Exec on Twitter by Business Insider and contributes to The Washington Times and Mashable. As the Co-Founder of Status Creative he knows how to create attention online and about branding.
24. Ann Handley @marketingprofs
Handley is the manager of social media content giant MarketingProfs. She aids in producing content that just keeps getting better and better.
25. Arianna Huffington @AriannaHuffingt
As the chair, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, as well as the author of 14 books, her news and blog site combines the articles of both hard hitting journalists and rising bloggers alike. The Huffington Post has become the most widely read, linked to and cited brand on the internet today. Huffington also won the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for national reporting.
Check out these Fortune 500 CEO’s and other Twitter influencers and let us know what you think about their tweets. Are their other CEO’s or business minds that you don’t want to miss when you use Twitter for business? Tell us about them so we can add them to our list.
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This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
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