I’m not much of a morning person. I’ve been to more than my share of 7:30 a.m. meetings. I’ve played in the competition to be bright, sunny and full of ideas first thing in the morning, but I generally prefer that the sun be fully up before my networking begins.

Now I’ve found my own way to be social after that first cup of life-giving caffeine. Getting up early isn’t the problem; making rationale decisions is.

So after reading local news in the Boulder Camera and Denver Post, I’m generally on my computer, pleased that I’ve scheduled no meetings before 10 a.m. and giving me at least a good hour or so of learning something new about how to use social media.

As part of my morning “social” routine … checking news wires (30-year journalist habit that’s tough to break), twittering breaking business news on Boulder, and maybe scanning Facebook friends … I often take a little time to learn something new in the social media world. Since PR, marketing and social media is now my business, it’s good for me and it’s good for clients.

There are hundreds of social media bloggers to follow, but I recommend checking in on a few for some of the most informative reads. Typically I get most of their daily news from Twitter follows or e-mail feeds.

Mashable: With some 30 million monthly page views, obviously they’re doing something right. Mashable.com follows news on all the biggies like YouTube, Twitter, Apple, Google but covers many other social media sites as well. Often first with breaking news.

Sarah Evans of PRSarahEvans.com: Owner of PR firms Sevans Strategy, she’s a self-professed social media freak and really works it well. I subscribe to her daily Commentz, and almost always find something interesting to read from there.

All Facebook at allfacebook.com: What would a morning be without the latest gossip about what Facebook is up to? I haven’t seen the movie yet, but something is always up. Calling itself the “unofficial” Facebook blog, this is a great site to follow.

Social Media Examiner, your guide to the social media jungle by Michael Stelzner at socialmediaexaminer.com: Excellent tips and stories on how to actually use different social media. A recent post, for example, was “How to Use Delicious: The King of Social Bookmarking.” I often tweet links to posts on this blog.

Mediabistro.com: Yes, I do read blogs on things other than social media. Mediabistro provides a well-rounded feed of media news. It’s not really focused on social media, but what is social media without traditional media? I reading more news online, but I’m still a believer in getting some ink on your fingers.

It’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed about which bloggers or social media news you decide to follow. So find your own favorites, and then do a little socializing in the morning without actually having to stare across the table at someone.

Of course I count on a huge amount of news flowing from the people I follow on Twitter, and if you like keeping track of some of the entrepreneurial goings-on in the Boulder, Colorado area as well as links to a few of the good social media tips I discover, follow me @jwlewis.

This article also appears in Jerry Lewis’s blog, Boulder Report.