Customer Reviews

The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In "New Community Rules" the author has created a handbook that is not only an excellent read, but also an excellent primer for any organization or enterpreneur trying to answer the question, "So what can this social media stuff do for me?"

In a methodical approach, covering all the bases of social media as it exists today, the author will walk you through the various aspects of social media marketing and how to use each of them to strengthen your company or brand. She teaches you the do's and don'ts of the social mediasphere -- and as many marketing folks know, the don'ts are probably one of the most valuable lessons you can ever learn. For example, don't use social media to try and push your products on people who haven't engaged with you -- it simply will not work.

The book itself was written for folks who probably haven't had much experience in the social media sphere. It not only walks you through the various offerings out there (from Facebook to Flickr; from Digg to Twitter) but also how each one of them is used -- and who uses them. It's important to note, and the author does a good job of this, that not every social media site is meant for every type of person or brand. Just like a focus group, you have to find the right environment for your social media efforts.

Anyone who is involved in marketing will find this book invaluable. The only drawback to it is that references to sites and such are very much based on what we know now, in 2009, to be true. No doubt in a few years the sites will have changed, but the principles behind social media marketing and interacting with your customers will still be the same.

I spend more than 20 hours a week immersed in various social media related activities so perhaps I'm not the target audience for this book. When I read books I'm looking for "secrets" which means something I haven't thought of - a new connection - a golden nugget that helps me see something from a different direction, or in a different way. I didn't find any in this book. In fact, I finished it a couple of weeks ago, and I can't, from memory, detail any specific part. That doesn't make it a bad or worthless book. It just means I've absorbed all of this info from other sources first. People who are looking to become involved in Social Media will find it useful because it does present a solid work on the topic. I'm trying to think of a book I've read in this space that is better, or more complete, and I can't, so if you're new to social marketing, and want a thorough overview of all aspects, buy this book. If you've already done a lot of reading on the topic, or actively participate, you can safely pass on it. The other point worth noting is that development on the internet is moving so very quickly today that for those who are inside and active, thoughts and ideas spread, and age, very quickly. If you're not yet involved in social media marketing, and you want to read one comprehensive overview, this is an excellent book. I gave it three starts instead of five because this is my review - a review of what the book offers someone with a medium to advanced level of experience in this area. If I were to rate it as I think someone new to social media marketing might, it probably would deserve a five star rating for the thoroughness of its coverage.

I have read a lot of books over the last year that aimed to be the "go to" source for understanding Social Media. Finally, one stands out. 'The New Community Rules' by Tamar Weinberg - probably the single most important book to read this year if you are involved in marketing your organization or cause on the web.

Practical, readable and accessible to those just getting starting out in this area, 'The New Community Rules' is sure to become the social media "bible". It starts off with a brief introduction to what social media is, follows with how to set goals, gets into the specifics of what to do, and finishes off with how to measure your results. Tools touched on include: blogs, microblogging, social networks, social bookmarking, social news, Q&A websites, photography, video, and podcasting. At the end, there is a nice 'Ultimate Social Media Etiquette Handbook' that spells out the dos and dont's of using some of the more popular social media sites.

Some points specifically stood out for me. First, Tamar makes it clear that you need to pick and choose which tools to focus on based on your goals and target community - something strangely absent from many other social media books. Then she goes further by spotlighting niche sites that cater to specific audiences, making the point that you can get a lot more exposure with a lot less effort if you use them. WiserEarth, for example, would fit into that category. Second, she goes into a lot of details on what she calls 'Informational Social Networks' like Wikipedia, Mahalo Answers, and Yahoo Answers which get a lot of traffic and can generate significant ongoing referrals. Finally, since I've never really been able to understand StumbleUpon, a social bookmarking service that we use to great effect at WiserEarth, it was a revelation to read the description in the book.

Besides this book, I recommend a number of other social media "must reads" for non-profits and activists:

* We Are Media - a community effort lead by Beth Kanter and NTEN to put together an online curriculum for nonprofits using social media. Since its a wiki and frequently updated it won't be obsolete like a book!
* Mobilizing Generation 2.0 by Ben Rigby - a nice summary of social media tools with specifically tailored strategies for the activist / nonprofit community.
* Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky - an oldy (in social media terms) but a goodie, this book is filled with great stories that illustrate the power of social media. Its a helpful frame for starting you web 2.0 exploration.

This book is a great place for newbies to start. But don't worry if you are past the beginner level. If you rate yourself at the intermediate level, or even the advanced level in social media, there's much to hold your attention. I learned a lot from this book, despite being steeped in social media everyday due to the nature of my work.

Here are the reasons I rated this book a 5-star and recommend you read it:

(1) The book gives an overview of using social media to market a business.
(2) A wide number of social media sites are identified and explained
(3) You get detailed "how-to" advice
(4) It explains how to use features of large social sites -- so you know what to do with a site, beyond just creating a profile.
(5) There are numerous screenshots, helping convey information better than words alone.
(6) Each chapter has many citations to places online where you can read more. That way, if you are advanced, you can dig in more and won't be left wanting.
(7) The author is widely recognized as knowing her stuff when it comes to social media.

Disclosure: I was interviewed for the book. But if I'd thought it was not going to be a good book, I wouldn't have participated in the interview in the first place.

Definitely worthwhile!

Wow! What a great job you did on the book! Really, congratulations!

The New Community is full of great information, terrific links, incredible ROI case studies, and the writing style is very easy to understand! The format is awesome! You really have a winner here! I would recommend this to anyone wanting to understand social media better, and those of us who think they do!

Congratulations! - Lon Safko (Author of The Social Media Bible)

I just finished reading The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web by Tamar Weinberg. It's just been released so it is hot off the presses, which is exactly what you need when it comes to social media. It is very difficult to write a book on a medium that is moving like a bullet train!

I often read these books as an audit for my clients and readers, always searching for good books to recommend. There are no experts and every book (or e-book) will always offer at least one nugget to add to your understanding, capabilities or strategy plans.

This book is well written and comprehensive with a very conversational manner, making the exploration of topics such as blogging/micro-blogging, reputation management, and rich media digestible. Tamar gives you a good foundation in terms of providing a background on social media before she dives into the key element which often get missed in the rush to get into social media: goal setting.

She then leads you through the appropriate actions to get started. By covering these three topics before even going into the specific platforms, she provides you the tools you will need to succeed in marketing to the social community.

There are wonderful case studies throughout the book that illustrate which interesting and inspiring.

I highly recommend this book!

Andi Fisher
[....]

As a former journalist who has found that the appropriate use of social media is helpful in my work and personal life I enjoyed this book's utter practicality, conversational style and specificity. She describes the "why" to get involved in social media, then the "how" - rather than starting with the "what" as some social media experts are prone to doing. This book will be helpful to newbies and to the seasoned players on this scene. In fact her slant is how to be helpful so you naturally attract and involve your kind of clients. When I got done reading it I wanted to get to know more about her and her work - one sure sign that she embodies what she writes.

The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web is a pretty long title, but wait till you get a hold of the book-- it's chock-full of how-to's for the manager who wants to get in the social media game.

Author Tamar Weinberg shares her depth of knowledge of making a play at the social media space. As the title suggests, the slant of the book is marketing and this means that there is adequate attention to finding target audiences, measuring metrics, and defining return of investment relative to the social media space.

People already inundated with social media and virtually living on the web will find nothing earth-shaking about this book. But looking at social media as a marketing channel will appreciate this guide. Social media faves like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and user generated content are covered, but the things taken for granted like social media etiquette and engagement are also in the book.

One thing marketing execs will like about this book is that it has practical information in running a social media marketing campaign. From strategy development to work flow and tactical considerations, there's good enough info.

The caveat is that someone may find the information here "basic" already as the social media space is moving at an accelerated pace. But nonetheless, The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web is very comprehensive and covers all social media bases.

I have read a good number of books on social media and this is one of the better ones when it comes to combining nuts and bolts with insight based on real in-depth experience. Weinberg is a steeped in social media -- it's what she does for a living, 24/7 -- and it shows. Even if you're into social media there's likely something you can learn here.

Discussion of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, videos and podcasts are to be expected in a book of this title, though Weinberg's perceptions are cut above the rest. She really gets this stuff and knows how to work the different platforms to achieve desired goals.

The true added value of this text comes from her attention to topics that are somewhat under the radar. She delves deep into bookmarking services (StumbleUpon, delicious, etc.) social news sites (digg, reddit, sphinn, and many more) Mahalo, and other aspects that are not as readily recognized or understood, but can provide the means to supercharge your social media efforts.

Including case studies to illuminate certain points, Weinberg covers a tremendous amount of ground. She makes the point that "social media marketing is a comprehensive effort," and the same goes for this book.

I found The New Community Rules to be the most important single book I have read in a very long time. This is the most well written and comprehensive instructional text tool I have come into contact with. Anyone who owns a business, is responsible for marketing, sales and customer service must read this book! College professors, you need to make this an assigned textbook. The book gives you in-depth information on everything there is relating to Social Media Marketing. It tells you what the main social media sites and applications are, how to use them and what they are best suited for. Tamar gives you information you would never find on your own and it is obvious that she is a top expert in this field. She also provides real world case studies of how companies like Dell Computer, Zappos[...], JetBlue and others used Social Media to become more aware of what their customers were saying about their brand reputation and how they turned it into a positive situation and even increased sales. Get it, Read it, Do it!