Social Media Marketing for Dummies

"Social Media is today the most important phenomena transforming the Internet." If you are a business owner, PR manager, Twintern or a Social Media Manager then this book is essential reading. Frankly if you have a product to sell and you have a website you can't afford not to read this insightful book. Shiv Singh explains how to reach expert influencers and how to avoid PR disasters. He introduces all the major players (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and then explains how you should launch a social influence marketing (SIM) campaign. What I liked most about this book is the fact that Shiv Singh introduces the reader to some very important websites. I wrote down over thirty sites that I need to investigate. As a business owner you will really want to take advantage of things like Google alerts. "Design your Web site as a hub verses a destination and your Web site will immediately become more valuable to your customers. Even though this may mean that you'll be pointing your consumers to external sites, they'll always treat yours as a starting point in the future." ~ pg. 157 Recently I've noticed how some catalog owners are promoting themselves through Twitter and Facebook. Shoppers expect more online engagement and want their voices heard. So every business should make SIM a priority because it is what the consumer expects. While this book briefly discusses mobile phones I will say that if a site forces you to give up your cell phone number before it will let you access information, that is a bit of a turn off. At one point Yahoo was requiring you to tell them your number before they would allow you to access your email account. I know people who stopped using Yahoo because of that requirement. There must be better ways to get someone's number! I at least want a choice. So read this book with things like that in mind. There are ways to encourage interest in your products and there are ways to make potential customers wary. The section in this book about "ten common mistakes" is very helpful. "Research shows that users are more likely to purchase products or services based on recommendations; friends and family are the most effective referrers." ~ pg. 205 While this book is a helpful overview, I'd also recommend: Facebook For Dummies Twitter For Dummies WordPress For Dummies ~The Rebecca Review

Great resource for marketers looking to incorporate social strategies and tactics but not sure where to begin. Covers a wide variety of topics which makes it helpful for anyone needing best practices and tips regardless of industry or market size. Well done Shiv!

"Social Media Marketing for Dummies" is the perfect antidote for any marketer who fears that "going social" is something that only consumers do. After reading this book you'll see why businesses large and small have every reason to embrace the social world, too, so long as they are willing to develop a more authentic social voice and become more responsive to consumers. In the tradition of the "For Dummies" series, Shiv Singh's book gives the marketer a gentle nudge into the social world with some practical tips on topics ranging from how to launch a social campaign to applying metrics. By the way, the "For Dummies" title is something of a misnomer. Shiv's insights are quite applicable for experts, too, an example being his chapter on building a Social Influence Marketing mobile campaign. I work closely with Shiv at Razorfish and am lucky to enjoy the benefit of his insights all the time.

I really enjoyed this book and found it both extremely thought provoking and practical. It has some smart insights, introduces a clear framework for understanding and approaching social media marketing and then explains the specifics of how to market on each of the social media platforms while recognizing that this is part of the marketing puzzle and not the whole one. It really seems like a one stop shop in terms of covering the basics, the more strategic concepts (including mobile social media) and the practicalities of what you can "buy" and "earn" across the social web. I definitely recommend this book to read. Its thoughtful, specific and actionable and not hype driven. The author obviously has a lot of experience in this space and it shows.

This is a great read, covering both the basics and advanced elements for Social Media Marketing. His deep academic, practical, and hands on understanding is unmatched. If you want your digital properties to be found, you must master this.