Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Wins in a Socially Connected World [Hardcover]

Gail F. Goodman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

A definitive guide to growing your small business through "Engagement Marketing"

As a small business owner, you've always relied on word-of-mouth referrals to grow your business. Thanks to social media—and its nimble partner, mobile technology—it's now easier than ever to turn customers and clients into engaged fans who spread the word about your business across a variety of online platforms. And that's what Engagement Marketing is all about. Written for anyone who owns or manages a small business or non-profit, this book is filled with practical, hands-on advice based on the author's experience of working with thousands of small businesses for over a decade.

You'll learn how to attract new prospects—as well as how to increase repeat sales—using your existing customers and social networks.

• Learn how to create customer experiences that increase positive customer reviews and endorsements
• Get practical advice on how to entice people to join your social networks and run engagement campaigns that increase visibility—and endorsements—for your business
• Understand why engagement is so important—and how you can use it to turn passionate fans in your social networks into tomorrow's new business
• Author Gail Goodman is CEO of Constant Contact, America's leading email and social media marketing company for small businesses

Engagement Marketing will help you make a bigger name for your company, build your network, and reach your goals.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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From the Author: Six Simple Ideas for Small Business Marketing

1. Buyers trust comments and reviews (even from strangers).
   According to a Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey, only 14 percent of people trust advertising, while 78 percent of people trust consumer recommendations. When businesses interact with current customers online, these socially visible interactions feed their referral engine.
2. A customer's friends are a business's next best prospects.
   We all want to find a rich source of qualified new prospects. Turns out every business already has one! The social networks of your current customers are filled with people like them - people who might be interested in your products or services.
3. Rise above the ordinary in small and large ways that wow customers.
   To create a connection, understand the experience your business delivers through a customer's eyes...and find one or two spots to create something a little bit special.
4. They won't join if they're not asked. (Yes, they really have to be asked!)
   People need to know why they should connect to an organization's social media vehicles like Twitter and Facebook. What are they going to get? Ensure that it is easy and compelling for them to connect, and then ask them!
5. Engagement drives social visibility.
   Social proof is the concept that when we see our friends and colleagues take an action, such as eating at a particular restaurant, that action is an endorsement. Social proof happens through social visibility. When people engage with a business - especially online via social media - their networks see this engagement, and they are enticed to engage, too.
6. Engagement matters.
   Engagement cements a connection between a business and their current customers, and drives the social visibility that will motivate and inspire repeat and new business. Engagement happens in small doses.

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From the Inside Flap

"If you're still scratching your head about how social media can help your small business, you've picked up the right book. Engagement Marketing shows you how to connect with existing customers and create new ones. The expert at small business marketing,Gail Goodman shaves the process down to three easy steps. A must for any growing small business."
— W. Kenneth Yancey, Jr., CEO, SCORE

If you've shied away from social media because you just cannot see how it benefits your small business, association, or nonprofit, Engagement Marketing will change your perspective. That's because Gail F. Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact, "gets it." She knows you're pressed for time, on a budget, and just a little bit skeptical of the whole "social media thing."

You already know that word-of-mouth referrals are the lifeblood of your small business and that they ultimately lead to more business. Engagement Marketing builds on this tried-and-true marketing basic, only now Goodman shows you how to do it with referrals that have become publicly visible thanks to social media.

Whether you run a hotel, an accounting firm, or a museum, you'll find lots of creative, cost-effective ways for reaching out to your customers, members, or donors and encouraging them to spread the good word about you online, where it's visible to their friends, families, colleagues—and the world.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1118101022
• ISBN-13: 978-1118101025
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Goodman is the CEO of Constant Contact, a leading provider of email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, local deals, and online survey tools for more than half a million small organizations. A small business expert and visionary, Gail has revolutionized the way small businesses and organizations can effectively and affordably build relationships with their customers, clients, and members. Through her work, she has learned a variety of lessons on how small businesses succeed in reaching and keeping customers -- all of which she brings to bear in "Engagement Marketing."

In 2011, Gail was named one of Boston's top 30 innovators by "The Boston Globe." She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, a member of the Board of Directors of SCORE, and Chairman of the Board at Constant Contact.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic online marketing guide for any small business owner May 18, 2012

By Suzanne Bates

Format:Hardcover

As a small business owner, I know first-hand how daunting it can be to navigate the social media landscape. It's time consuming! And for owners of small businesses, our time is stretched thin. Gail Goodman makes a compelling case for not only the importance of social media for small businesses, but how to prioritize social media activities. It isn't about the number of "fans" or "followers" you have, but how you engage those fans and followers. She provides practical and insightful case studies and tips on how to create powerful word-of-mouth for your business using these new technologies and tools, as well as other tried-and-true marketing tactics. "Engagement Marketing" is a must-have for any small business - whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned business looking to engage more customers.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong Primer for Social Media May 14, 2012

By Pkras

Format:Hardcover

Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman has provided a nice primer for SMBs engaging in social media. This book is not an insider approach for industry pros. It does not take a high level. Rather, it is more geared towards explaining the basics of the "engagement marketing cycle" as a means of managing good word of mouth.

Goodman defines the cycle as providing the "Wow! Experience"; Enticing customers to stay in touch; and Engaging customers via social media. She emphasizes that SMBs really need to develop nuance when they are applying messaging via email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and G+. Each has different strengths.

While a lot of SMBs don't think they really have much to say, Goodman provides insights into possible subjects, and case studies on how and when to apply social media techniques, including discussions, promotions, events, polls/surveys, shared information and news and announcements. This book is very helpful, and clearly written.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ FOR ANY BUSINESS OWNER May 18, 2012

By BWP

Format:Hardcover

Every small business owner wears many hats, but knows that their customers are the top priority. With Gail Goodman's book, Engagement Marketing, every small business owner can learn how to reach out and engage the right customers IN THE REAL WORLD! This book gives small business owners a map of how to market to your clients effectively in this social media world we live in, without overwhelming the reader. Gail Goodman truly understands what small business owners need and has delivered spot on!