11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Relevant to Small Business, September 8, 2009
I really enjoyed reading "The Digital Handshake" and learned quite a bit about how to use Social Media to grow my business. I've read other books about Social Media before but they were geared toward corporations and very large businesses.
I found there to be much more information that was relevant to my small business. This book not only gave me specific ideas about how to use social media for marketing my small business, but also taught me more about the nuts and bolts of each medium so that I can better understand how to create content.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Practical and Tactical: The Digital Handshake is good read for most, September 30, 2009
Paul Chaney, president of the International Blogging and New Media Association, has done a fine job with The Digital Handshake, Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media.
While I find his book to be much more practical and tactical than strategic, anyone who is relatively new to SM and the tools required will find The Digital Handshake and extremely approachable read, with wonderful references, case studies and guidance. For those with a little more experience, the book is full of reminders, tips and tricks that you will find helpful.
One of the things I liked most about Paul's book is the way he pulls from the theoretical, such as the concepts in The Cluetrain Manifesto, and brings them to life, with real-world how-to. I would still suggest everyone read Cluetrain, but for business owners and marketing executives who are the run, The Digital Handshake becomes a solid "Cliff's Notes" with the added benefit of telling you how to use the theories now.
His summary of the five consumer trends that are shaping the marketing world we live in now is spot on, as is his well-researched and survey-filled section on media and audience fragmentation.
His seven "strategies" with detailed practical application for each include:
Business blogging
Social networks
Online communities
Microblogging
Online video
Podcasting
Social media new releases
Being from South Louisiana, Paul even tosses in a lagniappe for his readers with a catch-all "Other Social Media Marketing Tools" with practical applications to keep you acting now and thinking ahead.
His plans of action for each strategy are invaluable, if for nothing else than to see how others in your business are using the tools available. That's priceless.
The Digital Handshake is available at most big-box bookstores, including Barnes & Noble, and at Amazon. And, yes, you can also get it as a digital book for your Kindle!
Enjoy it, and if you have any of your own thoughts on the book or suggestions of another, please let me know! You can also follow discussions about the book at Twitter, using the following hashtag #digishake.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Go To Social Media Book for Small Businesses, September 12, 2009
I have read most, if not all, Social Media books on the market today. I play in that space so to speak so I feel that it's in my best interest to read as much as possible. I came across Paul quite by accident and started following his blog and consequently his writing and thoughts on new media marketing. I was instantly drawn to his knowledge, gained first hand, and his no nonsense approach. When I learned that this book was about to be published, I got excited. If it was anything like his blog posts, people were going to be in for a real treat. Well, it turned out to be even better than that. Paul has a real gift for writing in a very conversational tone. Instead of talking down to us as an expert about topics, "Consumers are increasingly skeptical...", Paul is one of us, "We consumers are increasingly skeptical..." That's a real gift and he continues it throughout the book. If you are new to Social Media strategy and tactics, Paul will guide you through the maze of tools and techniques and if you are a practitioner, you can learn a thing or two from his writing style that will help you when talking with your clients. There's an almost overwhelming number of books beginning to appear in the Social Media Marketing space. This is one that definitely deserves a spot on your bookshelves. After you have thoroughly dogeared it from reading of course.
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