This week a new study from Altimeter Group and Wetpaint (which I read about on TechCrunch) ranks the top 100 brands on the web. The listing measures level of engagement within social media, predominantly based on the number of social media channels the brand is using.

Starbucks, Dell, eBay, Google and Microsoft round out the top five of most engaged brands on the web. None of which I’m sure comes as any surprise as they are five of the most engaged brands outside of social media as well.

There are some great things to learn from these highly engaged brands, but I think it is even more interesting to look at those less established brands that are making strides in social media. The brands on the most engaged list start with enthusiastic audiences of millions of consumers. What about the smaller and more local brands that have built their audiences and brand engagement in social media from the ground up?

What are some of your favorite local or smaller brands that you engage with on social media?

On an unrelated note, I am the blogger formally known as Eileen Maclean. I’ve recently married and changed my name so past posts are now listed under Eileen Buleza.