Tuesday 30 April 2013


Twitter's top trumps: are you the Lady Gaga of social enterprise?

I have lifted this piece written by the Guardian's Joe Jervis that has created a league table of active twitterers in the social enterprise world. As the top ranking women (coming a lowly 72) he might be concluding that I am the Lady Gaga of social enterprise. Somehow this seams improbable, unless the emphasis was on the gaga bit, but its a fun piece and I agree about the importance of social media in terms of message, for those of us who love to communicate - you can't beat it! Over to Joe.......
Ever wondered how influential you are in the world of social enterprise? Find out whether you've made our list of the top 50 most connected tweeters
Lady Gaga in Las Vegas




















Of all the pieces of advice I received at university, as I prepared to enter the competitive world of journalism, one rather hyperbolic statement has stayed with me: "If you're not on Twitter, you don't exist".
Two and a half years on I've sent more than 2,000 tweets and amassed the huge total of 390 followers in the process, including influential social enterprise figures such as SEUK's Peter Holbrook and David Floyd ofSocial Spider CIC.
Yet despite my best efforts, I've failed to make a newly released list of the top 50 most connected tweeters in the world of social enterprise. Research commissioned by the Guardian Social Enterprise Networkfrom social media consultancy Tweetminster shows us which Twitter players packed the most punches during a three-month period ending earlier this year.
Tweetminster sought to identify the 1000 most active social enterprise Twitter accounts by searching for the tweeters who tweeted most about relevant terms such as #socent and social investment. These 1000 accounts were then analysed, with the "most connected" accounts being the ones with the most followers out of this group of 1000.
Using that methodology, here are the top 50 most connected organisations and individuals on Twitter in social enterprise – the Lady Gagas and Justin Biebers of the socent world.
1Skoll World Forum @SkollWorldForum (452 followers from within Tweetminsters top 1000 most active social enterprise tweeters)
The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship takes place each year in Oxford, hosting nearly 1,000 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors. The Skoll World Forum website is now a year-round platform where executive audiences can learn about the latest news and innovative approaches in a variety of focus areas from deforestation to healthcare.
2. Ashoka @Ashoka (448)
Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries. Founded in 1980, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network across the business and social sectors, and a platform for people dedicated to changing the world.
3. Skoll Foundation @SkollFoundation (423)
The Skoll Foundation is the body behind the most connected Twitter player, the Skoll World Forum event itself.
4. School of Social Entrepreneurs @SchSocEnt (416) 
The School for Social Entrepreneurs provides learning and support to social entrepreneurs in UK and around the world. SSE has branches around the world including offices in London, Sydney and Ontario.
5. UnLtd @UnLtd (415)
UnLtd is the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in the UK and offers the largest such network in the world. UnLtd invests directly in individuals and offering varied packages of resources; from awards of funding, to ongoing advice, networking and practical support.
6. Acumen @Acumen (388)Acumen (formally Acumen Fund) is a non-profit that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders and ideas that are changing the way the world tackles poverty.

7. Nesta UK @nesta_uk (385)
Nesta describes itself as an independent charity with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. It does this by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills.
8. Ashoka Changemakers @changemakers (383)
Ashoka Changemakers' tools and resources service aims "to empower everyone to contribute to a better world".
9. GOOD @GOOD (381)
Good describes itself as a global community "of people who give a damn", working towards individual and collective progress.
10. Unreasonable @BeUnreasonable (380)
Unreasonable helps ventures and entrepreneurs scale their impact. Each year, Unreasonable invites 10-30 entrepreneurs to live together and receive customised training and support from 50 world-class business mentors. Unreasonable'a goal is to bring all the resources to accelerate these 50 social ventures so they can scale to meet the needs of at least one million people each.
11. Echoing Green @echoinggreen (353)
Echoing Green is a global non-profit that provides seed funding and technical assistance to emerging social entrepreneurs with ideas for social change.
12. Guardian Social Enterprise Network @GuardianSocEnt (352)
13. Social Enterprise UK @SocialEnt_UK (341)
Social Enterprise UK is the national body for social enterprise. SEUK represents its members in order to support and help to grow the social enterprise movement.
14. Social Enterprise @PioneersPost (335)
Pioneers Post is an online newspaper that connects social innovators across the globe.
15. Social Earth @SocialEarth (323)
SocialEarth is a source for news and information about social entrepreneurship. The company has more than 170 contributors in 25 countries.
16. Young Foundation @the_young_fdn (320)
The Young Foundation is a London-based thinktank which takes practical action on the issues it researches, specialising in social innovation and social enterprise.
17. ClearlySo @ClearlySo (317) 
ClearlySo connects social business and enterprises with potential investors and corporations looking to engage with the social economy.
18. Skoll Centre @SkollCentre (316)
The Skoll Centre, based at Said Business School in Oxford, aims to advance the field of social entrepreneurship "through education, research and collaboration".
19. Social Enterprise London @SocEntLdn (313)
Social Enterprise London works to unite, inspire and lead London's social enterprise movement.
20. Kiva @Kiva (301)
Kiva is a non-profit organisation with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.
21. Nathaniel Whittemore @socialentrprnr (300)
22. The Big Society @thebigsociety (297)
23. Beyond Profit @beyondprofit (291)
24. Social Investment @TheSocialInvest (285)
25. SOCAP Markets @SOCAPmarkets (278)
26. Third Sector @ThirdSector (275)
27. Case Foundation @CaseFoundation (270)
28. Next Billion @NextBillion (268)
29. Rodney Schwartz @RodneySchwartz (267)
30. Social Enterprise Blog @socialbusiness (265)
31. Social Enterprise Mark @SE_Mark (260)
32. Jonathan Jenkins @j0nathanjenkins (257)
33. Kevin Doyle Jones @Kevindoylejones (256)
34. Social Innovation @SSIReview (254)
35. Martin Montero @Montero (251)
36. Nick Temple @nicktemple1 (249)
37. PopTech @poptech (249)
38. Joey Shepp @SocialVenture (239)
39. Cliff Prior @CliffPrior (235)
40. Skoll World Forum @SkollWF (230)
41. Society Guardian @SocietyGuardian (229)
42. Liam Black @LiamABlack (227)
43. Dan Lehner @danlehner (226)
44. New Economics Foundation @nef (226)
45. Social Innovation Camp @sicamp (225)
46. StartingBloc @StartingBloc (225)
47. NCVO @NCVO (223)
48. Ben Metz @benmetz (215)
49. Peter Holbrook @peteholbrook (210)
50. Social Citizen @socialcitizen (209)
Those who missed out on the top 50 but feature in the top 100 includedThe Grameen FoundationOgunteBig Society Capital and Oxford Jam. The individual woman with the highest score – at number 72 – is Allison Ogden-Newton, formerly of Social Enterprise London and now heading up the Transition Institute.
Are you surprised by those at the top of the list? Is there anyone missing from the list who you thought would be on there? Let us know in the comments section below.
For more Guardian #socent on Twitter follow @GuardianSocEnt – or@joejervis89

1 comment:

  1. Social innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds — from working conditions and education to community development and health — that extend and strengthen civil society.
    social innovation

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