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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
Social media marketing: Why practice it? How does it work? And what options are available?
I liked this book very much. I read the author's first book on this subject back in July, 2007. And now he has a second great book out on the subject. It includes the following 16 chapters:
1. Making the case
2. Making choices
3. Ear to the ground
4. Courting online influencers
5. Corporate soapboxes
6. Customer...
Published 22 months ago by Jeff Lippincott
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Pleasurable read on social media
I read this book to expand my reading from Blogging to Social Media (blogging, podcasting, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter... among others).
I thought one of the main values of this book is its currency - it was published in 2009.
It was a good, broad overview of the different tools & sites available. I would agree with the statement on the back...
Published 18 months ago by Douglas Haider
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
Social media marketing: Why practice it? How does it work? And what options are available?, November 5, 2008
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
I liked this book very much. I read the author's first book on this subject back in July, 2007. And now he has a second great book out on the subject. It includes the following 16 chapters:
1. Making the case
2. Making choices
3. Ear to the ground
4. Courting online influencers
5. Corporate soapboxes
6. Customer conversations
7. The social network gorillas
8. Niche innovations
9. Learning from conversations
10. Basics of social media content
11. Picking your spot
12. Telling stories with words and images
13. Engagement through interaction
14. Promote thyself
15. Measuring results
16. Celebrating change
The book was very easy to read. It is full of great content. And it is very well researched. I found each of the chapters to be packed full of cites to Web sites that are critical players in the social media marketing realm of things. And I've read quite a few books on this subject. I can tell you this book is not simple fluff or something merely written in order to capitalize on the current popularity of the subject matter.
There are real world examples cited throughout the text. And I found them to be very good additions to the points being made in the main body of the book's content. So the numerous cites to Web sites and the inclusion of real world examples makes this book a goldmine of information for anyone hungry to learn about social media marketing. I had one problem with the book - its organization. When I completed it and sat down to write this review I said to myself: "There are 16 chapters in this book. How can they be broken down into three or four "parts?" I had hoped it would be easy for me to eyeball the parts. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Below is how I think the book probably should have been organized to be a little more easily digestible. 5 stars!
[I] WHY PRACTICE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?
1. Making the case
14. Promote thyself
8. Niche innovations
[II] HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WORK?
10. Basics of social media content
12. Telling stories with words and images
5. Corporate soapboxes
4. Courting online influencers
6. Customer conversations
13. Engagement through interaction
3. Ear to the ground
9. Learning from conversations
16. Celebrating change
15. Measuring results
[III] SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING OPTIONS
2. Making choices
11. Picking your spot
7. The social network gorillas
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
The perfect primer for social media marketing, November 26, 2008
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
This is a comprehensive overview of social media marketing, with enough detail to make it useful for marketing practitioners, yet not having so much detail as to confuse or overwhelm. It's an excellent starting point for small business owners and leaders, corporate executives, traditional media marketers and advertisers, SEO and SEM service providers, and public relations specialists.
Using case studies, bios of power users, and drawing on his own experience as a tech sector journalist, Gillin makes a strong case for why - and how - social media works. He explains social networking etiquette, which tools to use and for what purpose, how to develop online relationships that support corporate objectives, how to effectively write, promote, and engage on the social Web, and significantly, how to measure results of social media activity. I found his detailed advice on podcasting, video, and image (photo) creation especially helpful, since there's comparatively little written on these topics.
If you are trying to figure out what all the fuss is about blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, this book is for you. If you're ready to launch your own social media program, this book will tell you how. Gillin gets into the nitty gritty, explaining such things as how bookmarking sites work, how to use YouTube for business, how to promote your blog, why blogs improve search engine visibility, and why talking to customers increases customer loyalty, attracts business, and accelerates new product/service development.
Like all books on social media, it's best to read this one now. A year from now, a good bit of the information is likely to be out of date, as Gillin himself points out.
In his closing chapter, Gillin points out that the social Web is not just for marketers. Employees at every level in a business will be directly engaging customers online - it's already happening. And already, customers are talking about companies on Twitter, Facebook, and the like, whether companies participate in the conversations or not. Gillin's conclusion - social media is not a fad, it's a permanent sea change in how business communication takes place. Nobody in management can afford to be in the dark about these developments, which is why I think "Secrets" is a genuinely important book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Social Media Primer, December 11, 2008
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
From my perspective, this book is an excellent read for beginners or those looking to bring social media concepts into the organization. For those who have been playing in this space for a while, it's a good refresher and some of the content will be considered review.
This is a book that I'll be sharing with staff members who are interested in getting into the social media game and need the foundational concepts that are outlined in Paul's book. Secrets of Social Media Marketing will find a place on my bookshelf as a a reference manual for future use.
For those looking to dive into the social media space, pair this book with Groundswell and you've got the information you need to build the foundations of a successful social media program within your organization.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Good theoretical intro to the subject., June 12, 2009
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
This is NOT a How To book. It discusses the background of Social Media Marketing. The trends in the area, how it can be used (discussed at a non-How To Do It level), the advantages, what to look out for, etc.
It tells you what you NEED to do very well but totally avoids the How To Do It.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Secrets of Social Media Marketing, November 12, 2008
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
I just started reading this book and am absolutely convinced that it is the best resource you'll find regarding social media marketing. Get it and I guarantee you'll continuously refer to it for honest insight that is so well written that even a caveman can now do social media marketing. I have some colleagues waiting to borrow my copy but that's just not going to happen -- they'll have to get their own as I'm not lending this one out.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A thought leader for our times, May 3, 2009
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
As a graduate school digital media and communication professor at the University of Washington, I've made this book, and Gillin's previous "The New Influencers" required reading in my Social Production and Business of User Generated Content classes.
Gillin "got it" before many other people in the business world. I quickly subscribed to his "New Influencers" thinking when many were still doubting the longevity of social media and "Web 2.0." It was the best decision I could have made: we now have record applications to our Masters' program (http://www.uwdigitalmedia.org). Our students engage in both conceptual thinking, and hands-on case study work with community-based "clients." "Secrets of Social Media Marketing" is their handbook: a practical guide to proven practices in the "real world." Gillin writes with accessible authority, providing credible examples and highly relevant perspective. Supplement the book with the "breaking news" from his blog, and you have an unbeatable combination for decision-making in this presently tumultuous world of business communication.
I give talks nationally on the changing face of marketing, public relations and journalism. Gillin is always at the top of my recommended reading list.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Engagement is in. Interruption is out., December 26, 2008
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
Gillin writes as traditional broadcast (and print) channels produce poorer returns for marketers as mainstream media fades in importance. He points to Barack Obama's campaign as an example of decreased reliance on 30-second TV ads. Instead, the campaign narrowcast his messages through every conceivable electronic medium, every waking hour.
Why should a company care about social media? Because customers are publishing their opinions of companies and products. Customers take their problems directly to the Web, whether through consumer advocacy sites like Consumerist.com, RipOffReport.com, or on their own blogs and social networks.
Gillin says failure to listen will only be taken as evidence that the company doesn't care. On the other hand, repeating the message back to the source and delivering a well-reasoned response can go miles toward demonstrating concern. For example, the Southwest Airlines blog Nuts About Southwest has won awards and frequently been cited as a shining example of how businesses can use new media to create meaningful dialogue with their customers.
Chapter 7 describes the opportunities and limitations of advertising in social networks, including MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Companies should monitor he conversations taking place there.
But before marketers start to use social media channels, they need to decide if that's a good idea in the first place, Gillin cautions. For some businesses, it isn't. Not everyone is online-savvy. Your social media efforts will probably miss this audience entirely.
Social media marketing demands a different approach to customer interactions. Engagement is in, interruption is out. The first thing you need to do is stop pitching, Gillin says. The new style of marketing is about engagement. It means forming a relationship with a prospect through the exchange of useful, meaningful information.
In the future, Gillin says, success will result from continuous innovation and outstanding customer service wrapped around a continuous feedback loop.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Pleasurable read on social media, March 16, 2009
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
I read this book to expand my reading from Blogging to Social Media (blogging, podcasting, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter... among others).
I thought one of the main values of this book is its currency - it was published in 2009.
It was a good, broad overview of the different tools & sites available. I would agree with the statement on the back of the book, "Secrets of Social Media Marketing isn't intended for the 10 percent of marketers who are on the leading edge of this phenomenon. It's for the 90 percent who are still trying to figure out how to start."
I personally didn't like the way the book was organized. I think the chapters could have been grouped together in parts to give more structure. I also think the chapter titles should have been more declarative.
That being said, I really enjoyed all the case studies and anecdotes. They made the book pleasurable and easy to read. I also appreciate Paul's perspective as a IT Journalist rather than a Professional Marketer.
Even though I have been fairly critical in this review, I am going to order Paul's "The New Influencers" book
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ROI = Risk of Inaction, April 10, 2010
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
Secrets of Social Media Marketing is an excellent read for business owners and marketers trying to gain an understanding of the changes taking place due to the force of social media. Paul Gillin has combined credible examples of success and failure with relevant statistics to build a straightforward, persuasive argument for taking action and joining the conversation. I found myself taking notes on maximizing discoverability, search optimization, blogger relations, branded communities, and syndication, none of which I had previously considered. While the flow of the book is a little awkward at times causing some redundancy, the numerous anecdotes and easy pace kept me engaged.
Gillin's writing is very accessible and the outline of tactics and secrets helps to break down the overwhelming amount of information that we encounter online. "The social media landscape is seemingly endless... No one can keep up with it... If you make it a goal to explore one new network or search engine for a few minutes ever day... you will make steady progress." Gillin encourages readers to use the tools they have and invest the time to create trust and communication with their constituents. "There's nothing about social media marketing that we don't already know. It's merely that art of conversation and relationship-building taking to a new medium." Social media is about thinking differently and acting strategically.
While the book is a quick read, I warn that it also leads to additional time researching social media. For instance, as I read Chapter 8 on Niche Innovators, I was introduced to many sites that I had never visited. After reading, I spent hours looking up the various networks mentioned and even became a user of StumbleUpon and ThisNext. Gillin also includes many resources for newsletters and reports that document trends in social media throughout the book, which are invaluable to readers active in social media marketing.
However, for those in the industry there are times when it becomes quite obvious that Gillin's background is not actually marketing, but rather that of an information technology journalist. While I believe his advice to "do something outrageous" to get viewership does work, it also completely ignores the corporate barriers within which the majority of today's marketers exist. On the other hand, his background also provides a unique perspective on certain topics such as podcasts, the mediums best suited for B2B, and media production.
The amount of metrics offered in analytics tools is daunting, and I appreciated the simple approach to metrics Gillin took in Chapter 15. He expresses the belief that metrics are truly dependent on your objective and should vary accordingly. He outlines metrics he values most and stresses, "it's better to understand a few indicators well than to have only a cursory knowledge of many." However, I would have benefited greatly from a little more discussion regarding tactics for tracking integrated campaigns. He introduces some large concepts like the use of tracking codes, unique landing page addresses, and analyzing visitor paths, but doesn't go in depth. I was left wanting more.
Secrets of Social Media Marketing closes by asking readers to "find the low-cost, low impact ideas that no one has ever tried and take a risk with them." Gillin sees only two unpardonable sins in the current environment: fear and inaction. After reading this book, you should have neither excuse and be willing to enthusiastically accept your social media mission.
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A Great "How-To", April 9, 2010
This review is from: Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! (Paperback)
Before picking up this read, I thought for sure I had known all there was to know about social media. Being a member of Generation Y, I supposed I just inherited a natural ability to utilize all social media platforms. Once I was immersed into a corporate environment and had to begin to apply my knowledge to the business setting, I realized all I thought I had known was wrong.
Gillin does an excellent job of organizing social media marketing from start to end. He first starts by explaining why there is a need for this new type of marketing and whether or not it is going to be worthwhile for your organization to make the investment. To myself, I viewed this method of marketing to be a cheaper way to reach your target audience. However, Gillin convinced me that while it is cheaper, it is also a matter of investing TIME and effort, which may or may not be viable.
Then, if you choose to read further, Gillin does an exquisite job of acknowledging the different tools and platforms an organization, or individual, can use to meet the desired objectives. Gillin instructs you to take initiative to set objectives first then find the most effective tools to use to achieve those objectives. A great table can be found on page 24, which lists appropriate tools for some example objectives. Then, he describes what to do to tap into social media to decide what platforms will work best- how to listen to and influence your target audience and then engage with the most effective target audience.
One of the highlights of this "how-to" is the lengths Gillin takes to describe the different platforms that are available and what to do once you are using them. He pays special attention to the key players in the field, and the platforms that are currently most effective. For those of you who have not yet immersed yourself into social media, you will now have a glossary of the top platforms and will be able to learn how to market your organization in the most effective way on the chosen platforms. From content, conversation, engaging, and measuring your success- Gillin describes it all. Gillin is sure not to forget to mention that technology is ever-changing. You have to prepare for this inevident change, and be able to adapt your social media marketing to the changes. What is "in" now is sure to be "out" very soon.
What makes this book different from the infinite amount of other books authors are scurrying to write before the next wave of "in" trends arise? This is a book ANYONE can read. You don't need to know a thing about the social media marketing phenomenon, and by the time you are through you will have a foundation knowledge to build off of. Even if you do know a thing about it, this book acts as a great guide to further your knowledge, especially with Gillin's various "secrets" layed out on the pages in bold to point out the key take away factors. If that's not enough to convince you, Gillin offers pop-up mini cases of organizations throughout the book, as well as website links to apply what he is writing to real-world situations.
As a marketing executive, and grad school student, I highly recommend this book to you.
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