This month I noticed a new service in Social Oomph a professional social media service that I have subscribed to at a cost of about $15 per month for the last year or so.  The service is called clout and it basically looks at your followers and identifies the top 50 people that follow you based on their own following/followers and number of updates.
I was surprised to see that of my top 50, I only talk on a semi-regular basis with Chris Brogan, typically when I run into him at a social media conference, which is ironic as he has a great message these days telling social media folks to get out and shake the bushes meeting people from other walks of life ‘Outside’ of Social Media.  🙂
I have also talked with Depeche Mode a couple times on Facebook, but not on Twitter.  There are also a couple people like Rob McNealy, whom I know and have had some great conversations with in the past, but despite the power of social media, haven’t talked with him lately.  But the larger number of the people with the most clout, that follow me, don’t talk to me.  🙂  I’ve met Jeff Pulver at one of his Social Media Jungle events in Las Vegas and he gave me the impression that he’s the type of guy that brings interesting people together to do interesting things.  I’ve tried to engage Guy Kawasaki a couple times but the conversations did not go well, I’m sure more my fault on that than Guy’s.
So here’s the thing, I have to wonder how ‘influential’ these people really are?  I’m not questioning Zappos, nor Chris, nor Guy or Jeff or even Rob & definitely not Depeche Mode, but the others, I have to wonder if the twitter medium is missing something.
If only 5 out of my top 50 of the most influential people in my list aren’t talking to me, well then why are they following me?
I also have to wonder if I’m missing something myself.  I am not the type of person that chases people to develop a connection just to have a connection.  If I can help someone, I reach out and help them.  I do try to reach out and also engage in interesting conversations with people, but I don’t spout non-sense on twitter just to increase my updates or reach a stat or something.  I know some people do under the theory that it increases their twitter/web/social media footprint even if its only one tweet at a time, but that’s not me, that doesn’t seem useful nor valuable and frankly I don’t have the time to tweet non-sense.  🙂
But if these are the most influential people in my twitter network, maybe I do need to reach out to these fine folks a bit more and find out why they thought I was interesting enough to follow in the first place and see if there is some opportunity that we as members of a social network at a first degree connection level might be able to realize, maybe even make the world a better place or something.

Sample Tweet and Statistics

1
zappos
Zappos.com CEO -Tony
Las Vegas
www.zappos.com blogs.zappos.com twitter.zappos.com
http://www.zappos.com/
They should pass a law so that the time spent ironing clothes in a hotel room gives you credit for time spent at the gym.
21 hours, 6 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2007/06/23
Following: 393,792, Followers: 1,665,349, Updates: 120
2
Starbucks
Starbucks Coffee
Seattle, WA
Freshly brewed tweets from Brad at Starbucks in Seattle, WA.
http://www.starbucks.com
This is neat – Our Sing along video passed 1,000,000 million views on @YouTube http://bit.ly/8U5wH7 #allyouneedislove
1 hour, 52 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2006/11/29
Following: 84,051, Followers: 723,839, Updates: 4,179
3
depechemode
Depeche Mode
Burbank, CA (band webmaster)
From beginnings in Basildon, Essex, to the Universe, Depeche Mode have been creating their brand of music for almost 30 years.
http://www.depechemode…
New #depechemode Tour Blog: Berlin – http://www.depechemode.com/tour/tourblog.html
3 hours, 10 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2009/03/24
Following: 6,499, Followers: 356,170, Updates: 104
4
jeffpulver
Jeff Keni Pulver
New York
Technology Anthropologist; Entrepreneur; Early-Stage Seed Investor; story teller, Living in Social Media. Producer of #140conf
http://jeffpulver.com
@drorengel I don’t have any SF meetups planned.
4 hours, 52 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2007/02/01
Following: 30,870, Followers: 328,394, Updates: 28,953
5
TweetDeck
TweetDeck
London
TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.
http://www.tweetdeck.com
Your New Followers columns should now be working again folks. See http://bit.ly/3XFFgB for instructions. Contact @richardbarley if any probs
10 hours, 8 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2008/05/16
Following: 155,122, Followers: 284,923, Updates: 6,468
6
GuyKawasaki
Guy Kawasaki
VirginAmerica 2A
I am a firehose that answers the question: What’s interesting? Co-founder of Alltop.
http://alltop.com/
How to engage in social media and still have a pay wall, WSJ style http://om.ly/eDKi
1 hour, 37 minutes ago from otweet
Joined Twitter on 2007/08/26
Following: 216,760, Followers: 205,932, Updates: 41,008
7
nansen
Nansen Malin
Seaview WA
Passionate about politics,technology,beach life,salmon and creating change.Former Alinsky student who does conservative politics.Mom of 4.WA GOP ExecBoard
http://www.seaviewwa.com
@triphoppa Calling me an idiot is not appreciated. Plenty of folk think differently than you do about #netneutrality.
3 hours, 51 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2008/04/14
Following: 188,182, Followers: 179,943, Updates: 9,165
8
Radioblogger
Duane Patterson
Southern California
Producer of Hugh Hewitt Radio Show, blogger on the Hughniverse, pesterer of @ev, according to web reports, winner of track & field gold medal.
http://www.hughniverse…
@TurtledoveJB i think kennedy is attracting coakley voters. i think the tea party people figured out the landscape in the bay state. #hhrs
3 hours, 9 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/12/03
Following: 173,203, Followers: 165,364, Updates: 18,222
9
RobMcNealy
Rob McNealy
Aurora, Colorado
Husband, Dad, Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, Libertarian, Entrepreneur, MBA, Rapper, Blogger, Podcaster, Foodie, Home Schooler
http://www.RobMcNealy.com
Sheep Gives Birth to Human-Faced Lamb in Turkey: http://kl.am/HumanFace <-Creepy #Strange
5 hours, 10 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2007/11/24
Following: 154,830, Followers: 163,708, Updates: 20,146
10
SpaceAstro
Space & Astronautics
Space & Astronautics News
NASA, ESA, NOAA, USGS, astronomy, space, weather, oceans, Earth science, earthquakes, aerospace. Editor/Journalist.Also @oceanechoes @helpanimals @weatherplanet
http://space.gs/
Video: Tracy Reines, Director of Response Operations for the American Red Cross, discusses the latest for the… http://ff.im/egf0r
6 hours, 34 minutes ago from FriendFeed
Joined Twitter on 2008/10/02
Following: 165,178, Followers: 157,072, Updates: 5,320
11
StartupPro
Martin Zwilling
Fountain Hills, Arizona
Veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, tech professional, and angel investor. ([email protected])
http://blog.startuppro…
Ask the Attorney; Securities Laws – http://shar.es/aR1NY
5 hours, 15 minutes ago from ShareThis.com
Joined Twitter on 2009/01/01
Following: 155,227, Followers: 155,164, Updates: 2,073
12
LarryWentz
Larry Wentz
West Fargo, ND
Owner of WeightlossProgram.com, Anti-Viruses.com, 100s of Domains, Internet & Affiliate Marketing, Cat Lover, Lake Bum, Pool Player, Happily Un-Employed
http://www.AffiliateNe…
@MikeWhitmore I’m doing better but I am now very swamped/backlogged. Hope to be on Mastermind call tomorrow nite!
1 day, 1 hour ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2009/02/24
Following: 157,781, Followers: 153,987, Updates: 2,437
13
williger
Darren Williger
Chicago
Success driven ex-DELL sales maker and new media evangelist by day. Meditating, guitar playing, wine making, crime fighting superhero at night. I like cheese!
http://williger.com/
What You Will Need to Start Brewing Your Own Beer: There are a few basic pieces of equipment needed to start brewi… http://bit.ly/7lE7VP
4 days, 17 hours ago from twitterfeed
Joined Twitter on 2008/06/18
Following: 132,755, Followers: 132,366, Updates: 22,913
14
jeanlucr
Jean-Luc Raymond
Paris, France
Consultant formateur en projets numériques citoyens. Twitter consultant. Social Media & Digital Citizenship consultant, teaching. [email protected]
http://blog.jeanlucray…
Internet pourrait être le grand gagnant de la crise du marché de la publicité http://j.mp/5icehD
51 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2007/05/17
Following: 136,965, Followers: 129,637, Updates: 11,092
15
AlainVanHeerden
Alain van Heerden
Cape Town
Internet Marketing Consultancy – The difference between success and failure is almost always a matter of inches – the distance between your ears.
http://alainvanheerden…
Why Did Google Build a Phone and a Browser? http://bit.ly/7VUYnC
8 hours, 42 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/11/29
Following: 127,827, Followers: 124,935, Updates: 1,049
16
caseywright
Casey Wright
San Diego
CEO Wright Brothers Communications
http://www.cawright.net
Guy at GNC recommended a protein powder with more “bioavailability.” I recommended an in-store thesaurus.
2 days, 21 hours ago from Twittelator
Joined Twitter on 2008/06/05
Following: 121,705, Followers: 123,501, Updates: 2,238
17
chrisharrington
Chris Harrington
Charlotte, NC
Emerging Media Strategist, Advertising Agency Technology Director, Vegan, Audible Advocate, Dad, – #votewoz
http://www.google.com/…
@geekyjess I’ll try to post today. In short, we thought up a great Lego app and a grocery store app.
5 hours, 25 minutes ago from Tweetie
Joined Twitter on 2009/02/18
Following: 26,158, Followers: 121,493, Updates: 1,811
18
chrisbrogan
Chris Brogan
Boston, MA
President, New Marketing Labs. More? http://bit.ly/cbbio . email: blog at chrisbrogan dot com
http://chrisbrogan.com
Flying to New Orleans. See you in #nola? Ping @tommartin for details. 🙂
24 minutes ago from Seesmic
Joined Twitter on 2006/10/23
Following: 97,729, Followers: 116,409, Updates: 59,003
19
brooksbayne
brooks bayne
two weeks from everywhere
satirist, entrepreneur, technologist, music producer, melter of faces utilizing molten guitar riffs, slayer of myth, debunker of hogwash. american. foodie.
http://brooksbayne.com/
@catraalien they knew each other. twitter is just an asterisk in this case, imo.
13 hours, 24 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2007/04/30
Following: 108,421, Followers: 110,012, Updates: 24,373
20
DesignerDepot
Webdesigner Depot
Vancouver, Canada
Webdesigner Depot is one of the most popular blogs about web design trends, tutorials and much more. It’s run by Walter Apai, a web designer from Vancouver.
http://www.webdesigner…
Designing an Idea – How to Beautify your Inspiration: http://bit.ly/75O2pl
1 hour, 50 minutes ago from HootSuite
Joined Twitter on 2008/11/25
Following: 103,749, Followers: 108,826, Updates: 3,331
21
EverywhereTrip
Gary Arndt
Appleton, Wisconsin
Travel blogger and photographer. I’m a one man National Geographic. I’ve blogged and tweeted from over 60 countries and territories since March 2007.
http://Everything-Ever…
Two Years Ago: Daily Travel Photo – Yakushima, Japan http://su.pr/2wVeeM
3 hours, 31 minutes ago from Su.pr
Joined Twitter on 2007/02/13
Following: 99,297, Followers: 106,612, Updates: 15,119
22
Kamper
Kamper
Denmark
Easily manage multiple Twitter accounts on one single page with your own TweetCockpit. Never again switch windows and log in and log out of multiple Twitter acc
http://www.socialoomph…
RT @tweetmeme Inspiration Dose 10 – Conceptual Digital Artwork by Thomas Tibitanzl – slodive http://tinyurl.com/y9jbnep
1 hour, 33 minutes ago from TweetMeme
Joined Twitter on 2008/01/21
Following: 104,441, Followers: 104,768, Updates: 3,983
23
LiveEarth
Live Earth
Global
The Run for Water is a series of 6km run/walks taking place over the course of 24 hours in 192 countries, featuring concerts and water education activities…
http://liveearth.org/run
RT @global_water: Help the ppl of Haiti by donating to a GWC member on the ground: @CRSnews: http://bit.ly/4SzSnl @care: http://bit.ly/4 …
1 hour, 51 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2007/05/18
Following: 94,588, Followers: 98,606, Updates: 684
24
Foodimentary
Foodimentary
World~of~Food
Twitter’s @ShortyAwards winning Food~Fact~Tweeter Guaranteed to pepper your day with fun food facts! Impress others with your food knowledge!
http://www.facebook.co…
On this day in 1957 the Frisbee was invented. Inspired by pie tins of the Frisbee Pie Company http://shortyawards.com/Foodimentary
4 hours, 28 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/11/07
Following: 103,306, Followers: 97,836, Updates: 2,676
25
the_gman
Gerald Weber
H-Town USA
Houston SEO/SEM Guy – Blogger – Friend – Lover – Skydiver – entrepreneur – Tweeter & President Of Search Engine Marketing Group in Houston TX.
http://sem-group.net/s…
RT @drcarolynmiller: Join me w/ @TheDIAMONDCoach Find yr Diamond no matter wht! #BlogTalkRadio at http://tobtr.com/s/852474 11am CST.
5 hours, 55 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2008/06/14
Following: 93,931, Followers: 97,802, Updates: 13,983
26
mark33
Mark Ewing
Colorado
Professional Traveler, Explorer, Adventurer, and Internet Affiliate Marketer, Success Coach, Mentor and Networker
http://www.RealVacatio…
Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.
5 hours, 24 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/02/16
Following: 105,450, Followers: 97,718, Updates: 1,167
27
zaibatsu
Reg Saddler
Denver
Just a guy who loves Social Media. Want to know what our company does: The 1st Rule of Fightclub: you don’t talk about Fightclub
http://www.linkedin.co…
RT @artfanatic411: In urgent times, avoiding online charity scams (cnet) http://bit.ly/5M7SVW #Haiti
1 hour, 11 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2007/08/09
Following: 59,560, Followers: 97,525, Updates: 33,669
28
DominicScott
Dominic Riccitello
Los Angeles, CA
Entertainment Industry
http://www.DominicRicc…
At in n out with my favorite 90 pound model girl
1 hour, 2 minutes ago from UberTwitter
Joined Twitter on 2009/03/05
Following: 92,162, Followers: 96,915, Updates: 12,773
29
DaveMalby
Dave Malby
Sacramento
Entrepreneur Extraordinaire since 1975! also Musician, Inventor, Author, Photographer, and Sarcastic Realist!
http://theCamStand.com
Happy Wednesday @keeperofdreams @jhoggie @FairieMoonChild
1 hour, 21 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2008/07/25
Following: 95,815, Followers: 96,910, Updates: 24,339
30
MikeKlingler
Mike Klingler
Portland, OR, USA
Teaching Marketers To STOP IT!!! Grow Your Business Being ‘YOU’ & Enjoying It… Be Proud Of What You Do.
http://RenegadeProfess…
@jerrycchen Doing a Low Budget Film ($5-10 mil) on Tesla (the scientist)… aiming 4 Product placement w/Tesla Motors – maybe u can help 😉
14 hours, 27 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/08/07
Following: 93,155, Followers: 96,601, Updates: 2,168
31
BigRichB
Rich
Austin, Texas
The Twitter HULK!! Grrr. Look into my Eyes. I AM the Most Interesting Man in the World! I Like Dill Relish & Sour Cream too.
Weird Q… which foreign country are you fascinated with? For me, it’s Russia.
6 days, 11 hours ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/10/21
Following: 95,109, Followers: 95,897, Updates: 1,980
32
Debbas
Debbas
Just arrived to freezing Orlando to go on a marketers with 400 CEO’s to Belize, Honduras and Mexico
4 days, 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry
Joined Twitter on 2008/06/22
Following: 102,911, Followers: 93,560, Updates: 3,939
33
EcoInteractive
EcoInteractive
Costa Rica
Eco Preservation Society: Inspiring Action, Empowering People,Connecting Communities & Transforming the Planet through Conservation, Reforestation & Education
http://unhub.com/EcoIn…
McDonald’s seeks to cut cows’ methane emissions http://bit.ly/8rSIlY What are they doing for their customers w/ this problem?
3 hours, 7 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2009/01/13
Following: 94,039, Followers: 93,114, Updates: 4,382
34
Coachforyou
impulse3
Germany
Life Coach for: Social Media, Online Marketing, Networking, Web 2.0, Blogger, Mountain Biker- If you can dream it, you can do it.
http://www.facebook.co…
Wie gefällt Euch das Video http://ow.ly/W9rd zu Googles neuen Nexus One? http://ping.fm/vbtIB #News #twtpoll #viral #Marketing #Online
55 minutes ago from Ping.fm
Joined Twitter on 2009/02/24
Following: 91,334, Followers: 90,843, Updates: 2,756
35
DuncanWierman
Duncan C. Wierman
Greenville, SC
Software CEO turned Real Estate Investor / Marketer. I show you how to use creative online marketing methods to do more deals online. Virtual Investing
http://www.duncanwierm…
New blog post: Why “Done For You” Lead… http://www.duncanwierman.com/blog/duncans-opinion/why-done-for-you-lead-generation-is-a-bad-idea/
17 hours, 46 minutes ago from Twitter Tools
Joined Twitter on 2008/07/21
Following: 92,261, Followers: 89,986, Updates: 1,122
36
mikepfs
mikepfs
33.721392,-116.385280
Husband , Father,Christian, Conservative , Tech Geek #TCOT
Some AT&T iPhone Users Seeing Increased 3G Data Speeds? http://tinyurl.com/ycl2bov
1 hour, 2 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/05/09
Following: 88,932, Followers: 87,487, Updates: 37,161
37
0boy
JD Rucker
Orange County, CA
Social Media. It’s what I do. I love to find and share high-quality content.
http://soshable.com/jd…
Having a Purpose in Life May be Key to Happiness http://su.pr/1jcXSW #psychology #research
1 day, 13 hours ago from Su.pr
Joined Twitter on 2007/12/28
Following: 84,435, Followers: 83,317, Updates: 4,706
38
ChuckNeuschafer
Chuck Neuschafer
Wichita, KS
Dad, Husband, School Technology Integration Specialist
http://www.chuckneusch…
@LAminerals You’re welcome!!
6 days, 19 hours ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/12/07
Following: 89,046, Followers: 82,972, Updates: 469
39
Louis_Batides
Louis N. Batides
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Having fun buying and selling houses and helping others to do more of the same. Business System development and Social Networking.
http://www.ibuycolorad…
SEO Goes Social http://bit.ly/8ChL2j
3 hours, 13 minutes ago from twitterfeed
Joined Twitter on 2009/02/27
Following: 87,840, Followers: 81,979, Updates: 11,979
40
AlohaArleen
Arleen Boyd
Honolulu, Hawaii USA
Live Aloha! Give Mahalo! Embrace and delight in your passions!
http://www.AlohaArleen…
@Christiegarcia All is well – thanks for asking! Still wondering if the arsonist was targeting those people or the neighborhood in general.
2 days, 18 hours ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/10/16
Following: 81,616, Followers: 81,751, Updates: 38,217
41
tmaduri
Tom Maduri
Toronto, Ontario
Immersive Entertainment Exec, Beer League Soccer MVP, husband & father to the prettiest little girl.
http://www.thefutureis…
LifeHacks: The Definitive Guide to Making the Most of Your Netbook http://ow.ly/16kyW3
1 hour, 14 minutes ago from HootSuite
Joined Twitter on 2008/01/21
Following: 78,705, Followers: 81,316, Updates: 1,786
42
geraldromine
Gerald Romine
Phoenix, Arizona
Real Estate Investing, Adrenalin Junkie, RealEstate Investing Software Developer, Author. To KICK ASS in real estate http://kickassrealestate.com.
http://www.geraldromin…
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go
1 day ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/08/19
Following: 76,330, Followers: 80,636, Updates: 630
43
TheDigitalLife
Rick Abbott
Mammoth Cave, KY
Christian Conservative home-schooling dad, Kentuckian, elder, in love with wife and kids! #TCOT – N8HMR
http://www.TheDigitalL…
Hundreds of thousands of people have died in Haiti’s earthquake, the prime minister told CNN today.
4 hours, 24 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
Joined Twitter on 2007/03/10
Following: 84,510, Followers: 79,758, Updates: 4,403
44
mauricefreedman
Maurice Freedman
New York
CEO, Zaah Technologies, Inc. Thought Leader, Social Media Expert
http://www.zaah.com
ScoutMob brings real-time local savings to your iPhone. http://zah.cc/IpT
1 hour, 49 minutes ago from zaTweet
Joined Twitter on 2008/10/29
Following: 77,489, Followers: 74,742, Updates: 1,783
45
TimJensen
Tim Jensen
Onalaska, WI
Husband, father of 5, musician, teacher, and passionate about building loyalty in relationships.
http://www.tim-jensen.com
Packers lose 51-45
2 days, 20 hours ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/09/26
Following: 76,328, Followers: 74,418, Updates: 1,140
46
Jonathan360
Jonathan Nafarrete
Los Angeles, CA
Social media consultant and photographer. Sometimes photographer of social media. Ford Fiesta driver.
http://jonathannafarre…
@ButtercupD tell her to buy a birkin bag and let’s call it even…
16 hours, 33 minutes ago from web
Joined Twitter on 2008/09/30
Following: 64,665, Followers: 73,662, Updates: 4,014
47
Mike_Wesely
Mike Wesely
Atlanta, Georgia
Video + Optin = Success http://VideOptin.com, Articles + Cartel = 15,000 Links http://ArticleCartel.com Internet Marketer, Twitter SEO & Positioning Expert
http://VideOptin.com
#HelpKids > Please Vote for this Charity http://bit.ly/7lgEso Help Kids Get Supplies for School > High 5 votes get 10k for charity
1 day, 17 hours ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2008/03/17
Following: 67,271, Followers: 72,686, Updates: 32,162
48
stejules
stejules
Stuttgart, Germany
News from the Web / Net, Twitter, Facebook and Social Media | Power User, Tester, Social Media Allrounder, µ-Blogger, YOUR Timeliner | ‘A State Of Trance’ fan!
http://www.google.com/…
http://twitpic.com/xy5zm Twitter Hits Ground Running for Haiti Earthquake Relief http://bit.ly/7qsNGH #PRAYHAITI
2 hours, 37 minutes ago from Power Twitter
Joined Twitter on 2008/02/25
Following: 69,383, Followers: 72,136, Updates: 12,574
49
rockingjude
rockingjude
Jackson, Wy
One Person CAN make a difference!! Geoeconomics and advocate for less government, no FED. We are no longer America.
http://www.projectworl…
@opphoto it was …lolll..although i had a shortcut!!!..haven’t kept up….~?
21 hours, 41 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Joined Twitter on 2008/09/08
Following: 71,937, Followers: 71,937, Updates: 26,641
50
TheBusyBrain
TheBusyBrain
St. Petersburg, FL (USA)
Father, Husband, Photography, Music Production, Nature/Water/Animal Lover, Horrible Blogger, Outside-the-Box’er, Uber Geek, Marketing and Social Media Zealot
http://blog.TheBusyBra…
We just adopted a new member into our family from local SPCA! German Shepard mix. Smile Jäger! http://twitpic.com/xlnao
2 days, 20 hours ago from Tweetie
Joined Twitter on 2008/04/13
Following: 62,130, Followers: 70,818, Updates: 1,185