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Welcome to the Fifth Estate: How to Create and Sustain a Winning Social Media Strategy
 
 
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Welcome to the Fifth Estate: How to Create and Sustain a Winning Social Media Strategy [Paperback]

Geoff Livingston (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 31, 2011
Geoff Livingston returns with Welcome to the Fifth Estate, a refreshing, realistic look at citizen media. Now Is Gone was recognized as one of the first books depicting the social media revolution and its core concepts of participation and community. Grounded in years of award-winning campaign experience, Welcome to the Fifth Estate delivers the necessary guidance to build a successful, sustainable social media program. In addition to solid strategies, tactics and measurement tips, businesses and nonprofits will learn how to address internal cultural challenges, and avoid hype-driven pitfalls like shiny object syndrome and personal brands. Mashable Editor in Chief Adam Ostrow provides a thoughtful forward on the evolving media landscape.

Frequently Bought Together

Welcome to the Fifth Estate: How to Create and Sustain a Winning Social Media Strategy + Groundswell, Expanded and Revised Edition: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies + Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (And Other Social Networks)
Price For All Three: $36.98

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Geoff Livingston provides clarity of thought and process in his approach to creating a sustainable strategy in the face of fast-changing technology. Welcome to the Fifth Estate explains how to be focused yet flexible -- key skills you'll need to keep your organization aligned on the strategy. --- Charlene Li, co-author of the bestseller Groundswell, author of the New York Times bestseller Open Leadership, and founder, Altimeter Group

"Winning in social media is not about technologies and tools, it's really about being part of prevailing culture -- and you don't change your culture by staying inside your own walls. Geoff is one of the rare ones who understands the difficulties of culture shift, and can help you think about what you do both outside and inside your organization to ensure your success." --- Christopher Barger, director, global social media, General Motors

Buy this book, because it s THE single best guide to effectively navigating the social media landscape. There are many self-declared gurus out there, but few real visionaries. Geoff is the rare real deal, and his book is comprehensive, fascinating and packed with fresh insights.

- Katya Andresen, COO Network for Good, author Robin Hood Marketing.

In Welcome to the Fifth Estate, Livingston picks up where Now is Gone left off, and aptly weaves sound practical advice about social media usage and management into a broader sociological web of communications, culture and media. The book, which is a must-have for anyone looking to build or manage a social media program, is peppered with scores of helpful case studies and actionable insights, making it both a fascinating read and a de-facto reference guide. Just don t expect it to collect dust on a shelf once you ve read it; this book is sure to become your social media desk reference for years to come.

- Olivier Blanchard, author, Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts in your Organization, founder, The Red Chair Group.

& #34;At a time when journalists and mainstream media are flanked by a myriad other outlets in reporting, analyzing and spreading news stories, organizations of every form and size face unprecedented opportunity to communicate their story directly to the public. Thanks to technology, publishing has become easier than ever. However, to break through the clutter of this fragmented communication environment and get their message out, businesses need a sound plan. One that will help them identify where they should focus their efforts and who yields influence with their customers in the short term to reap long term benefits. The Fifth Estate will show you how." - --Valeria Maltoni, author, Conversation Agent blog.

"Winning in social media is not about technologies and tools, it's really about being part of prevailing culture -- and you don't change your culture by staying inside your own walls. Geoff is one of the rare ones who understands the difficulties of culture shift, and can help you think about what you do both outside and inside your organization to ensure your success." --- Christopher Barger, director, global social media, General Motors

Buy this book, because it s THE single best guide to effectively navigating the social media landscape. There are many self-declared gurus out there, but few real visionaries. Geoff is the rare real deal, and his book is comprehensive, fascinating and packed with fresh insights.

- Katya Andresen, COO Network for Good, author Robin Hood Marketing.

In Welcome to the Fifth Estate, Livingston picks up where Now is Gone left off, and aptly weaves sound practical advice about social media usage and management into a broader sociological web of communications, culture and media. The book, which is a must-have for anyone looking to build or manage a social media program, is peppered with scores of helpful case studies and actionable insights, making it both a fascinating read and a de-facto reference guide. Just don t expect it to collect dust on a shelf once you ve read it; this book is sure to become your social media desk reference for years to come.

- Olivier Blanchard, author, Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts in your Organization, founder, The Red Chair Group.

& #34;At a time when journalists and mainstream media are flanked by a myriad other outlets in reporting, analyzing and spreading news stories, organizations of every form and size face unprecedented opportunity to communicate their story directly to the public. Thanks to technology, publishing has become easier than ever. However, to break through the clutter of this fragmented communication environment and get their message out, businesses need a sound plan. One that will help them identify where they should focus their efforts and who yields influence with their customers in the short term to reap long term benefits. The Fifth Estate will show you how." --- Valeria Maltoni, author, Conversation Agent blog.

About the Author

Geoff Livingston is an author, public speaker and marketing strategist who has dedicated his career to helping mindful companies and nonprofits achieve social change. Geoff brings people together, virtually and physically to affect change achieve and higher knowledge.

Geoff organized the first Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington in 2011, an event that raised $2 million for more than 1000 nonprofits using online media tools. In 2012 he is serving as vice president of strategic partnerships for Razoo, a series of regional online giving contests that unite communities to raise millions for local causes. He also started and sold social media boutique Livingston Communications, and co-founded social good firm Zoetica.

A former journalist, Livingston continues to write, and has authored three books. He blogs prolifically about nonprofits on Inspire Generosity and Mashable, and social media on his eponymous blog.

Professionally, he has advised United Way of America, The Case Foundation, Razoo, Environmental Defense Fund, Ford, Google, Live Earth, PayPal, the Philanthropy 2.0 Project, Network Solutions, Procter and Gamble, Sully Erna (Godsmack lead singer), and many others on how to use social media to achieve social good.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 216 pages
  • Publisher: Bartleby Pr (May 31, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0910155860
  • ISBN-13: 978-0910155861
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Geoff Livingston is an author, public speaker and marketing strategist who has dedicated his career to helping mindful companies and nonprofits achieve social change. Geoff brings people together, virtually and physically to affect change achieve and higher knowledge.

He organized the first Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington in 2011, an event that raised $2 million for more than 1000 nonprofits using online media tools. In 2012 he is serving as vice president of strategic partnerships for Razoo, a series of regional online giving contests that unite communities to raise millions for local causes. He also started and sold social media boutique Livingston Communications (2009).

A former journalist, Livingston continues to write, and has authored three books. He blogs prolifically about nonprofits on Inspire Generosity and Mashable, and social media on his eponymous blog.

Professionally, he has advised United Way of America, The Case Foundation, Razoo, Environmental Defense Fund, Ford, Google, Live Earth, PayPal, the Philanthropy 2.0 Project, Network Solutions, Procter and Gamble, Sully Erna (Godsmack lead singer), and many others on how to use social media to achieve social good.

Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My Zoetica colleague, Geoff Livingston, shared a preview copy of his forthcoming book Welcome to the Fifth Estate and it is a great read!

This book offers principles to guide corporations and nonprofits to think through a social media strategy that is aligned with communications or marketing goals. It is chocked full of excellent case studies from the for-profit and non-profit sector to bring the concepts to life as well as a synthesis of expert opinions. Geoff frames his strategy advice in the context of the current media landscape and how it has changed and evolved since his first book, Now is Gone, as he discusses in this interview from Networked for Good.

I went straight to the strategy and measurement chapters. The book defines a social media strategy as an overarching plan that creates meaningful engagement with stakeholders. Strategy is what powers tactics and tools, and without it an organization won't achieve results or be seduced by "shiny object syndrome" or as Jeremiah Owyang says, "Don't Fondle the Hammer." A well designed strategy that includes a positioning statement is what will enable organizations to break through the media clutter - the rest is tactical.

So, what makes a good positioning statement? As Geoff writes in the book, "an understanding of what makes people fall in love with causes, products, services and ideas." That takes the discipline of listening to ensure that you understand your community, value them, and build a meaningful experience. It also takes analyzing competitors and perhaps in the nonprofit sector, understanding the ecosystem or network of organizations working on similar issues. In short, listening is market research. Geoff reminds us that a good positioning statement is simple and dictates messaging used during media interactions.

The book identifies four categories for a social media strategy. Each strategy type is not mutually exclusive. An institution can use all four, if they have capacity and resources. The four types described in the book in more detail include:

Participation -- This may be an individual (often called a social media or community manager) or in more sophisticated organizations, a team of people that are basically out and about on the interwebs, having conversations with their communities of interest.

Service -- Serve your Internet community with great data, content and applications.

Top Down -- Many organizations assume they will not be able to invest the time in the grassroots effort necessary for full community participation, nor do they want to commit to a long-term content offering. Instead , they opt to build relationships with influencers using a top down approach. With a relevant offering for the influencer, they seek blog coverage or social network profile endorsements. By building relationships with critical influencers, they hope the communities following these leading voices will follow suit.

Empowerment -- The hardest of all forms of social media strategy, empowerment assumes that the organization will commit to building a far flung community. In essence, these stakeholders create conversations and ideas that are so extensive they exist well beyond the organization's reach.

Geoff reminds us that tactics are not tools, but actions. He outlines ways to approach interaction across different social platforms and technologies. These include:

Conversation Starters
Relationship Approaches
Shareability
Integration
Community Management
Course Corrections
Reputation Management

My other favorite is Chapter 6, a guest chapter from my other Zoetica colleague, Kami Huyse, on measurement. She outlines three guiding principles that can help an organization shape a measurement plan: SMART objectives, Measure What Matters, and the 3 A's of Online Measurement. The secret is becoming a measurement maven and transform data into actionable insights to inform strategy.

If you're looking for solid principles to think about social media strategy formulation, pre-order your copy of "Welcome to the Fifth Estate" now!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm an avid reader of Geoff Livingston's blog and preordered this book the minute it was possible to do so. I love how Geoff's mind works, and how he takes you through the logical processes involved in not only creating a solid social media strategy, but also how to ensure that it's sustainable.

I enjoyed the read myself, I recommend it to others on a regular basis and, equally as important, I've put it in the hands of a number of clients who have reaped great benefit from the wisdom that Geoff shares.

I can't recommend Welcome to the Fifth Estate highly enough - it's really the kind of book that businesses wanting to understand the social space and navigating the social space need to read. More than once.

Shelly Kramer
@shellykramer
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Geoff hits it out of the ballpark on this one.

Quick points:
1) End of chapter summaries spotlighting key points
2) Lead ins for each chapter - setting the expectations and goal
3) Focused on business
4) Motivational

The tone this time is serious. Geoff is calling on you, the business mogul and the small business man/woman to take the online world seriously.

Breaking down first who that community is, The Fifth Estate, and why they're important, Geoff builds it into a business case for using Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.

This isn't just a checklist though. Geoff hits on effective strategies, and one key point - don't forget your business brain. Facebook isn't the yellow pages, it's another place to meet, greet, and schmooze your customers.

Geoff doesn't come at this from a 'passionate guru' perspective but that of fellow businessman and entrepreneur. His work with nonprofits and corporations gives him real world experience, not just numbers and rhetoric. A highlight of this is each chapter contains real stories of success and failures by companies big and small. Not just obscure ones either, but ones from the headlines.

Any downsides? The book was just a little slow for me. Mostly because I'm already in the choir and could skip the intro chapters (but didn't!).

Also check out Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Insightful and spot on.
Lots of great insights in that little book. Easy to read, lots of stuff to highlight and bookmark, and I learned quite a bit. Well worth the cover price. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Olivier Blanchard
Reference Guide For Sustainability
Geoff Livingston's latest book is a page turner for anybody that is truly passionate about Social Media. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Christian G. M. Adams
Core Curriculum For Marketing and PR Professionals
The rapid evolution of "social" technologies and the pace of change in the social media landscape can sometimes lead marketers, PR professionals and consultants to overly focus on... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Christopher Barger
Fabulous book!
Geoff's book is subtitled, "How to create and sustain a winning social media strategy" and within its 206 pages you certainly get the insights and wisdom of a fellow alumni of the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Lee Hopkins
Are you ready for the 5th estate?
Customer Video Review
Length: 1:43 Mins
Published 10 months ago by Jeffrey Esposito
Essential Addition to Any Communications & Marketing Library
Because social media is a disruptive technology shift, most communications and marketing professionals are on the verge of becoming obsolete. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Monica (AKA @CyberlandGal)
A Good Book For Organizations Going Bust Online
Geoff Livingston does a fine job with the premise behind Welcome to the Fifth Estate, helping demonstrate the difference between an organization's traditional marketing efforts and... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Rich Becker
It's a PR-Page-Turner
My blog post says it best. And the bulk of it is re-published below:

The book picks up where "Now is Gone" left off - and it provides a more substantive point of view. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Kevin Dugan
Great Read for Case Studies and Actionable Ideas
Geoff Livingston's new book, Welcome to the Fifth Estate, has an interesting concept...normal, everyday people as the Fifth Estate. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Arment Dietrich
Essential Lessons in Strategy for Social Media Communications
If you work with a business or non-profit, and need a solid resource on how social media can help your strategy, I highly recommend this book. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Kristen Parrinello
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