Book Review: Social Networking For Business Success
December 23, 2013
Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess
As a social media manager I was intrigued when offered the book, Social Networking for Business Success, for review. The book was written by an occasional guest blogger to Lipsticking, Hannah Morgan, and co-author Miriam Salpeter.
The book's 22 chapters and its bonus chapters walk both the novice social media maven in the making and the seasoned business professional through the social networks offering advice, ideas and ways to measure success. The book begins with information on starting your own business and leads the reader through the start-up phase, to understanding SEO, branding and ways to monitor your efforts.
One of the topics I find most important and it resonates with the clients I work with: How to choose the best social networks for your business -- hint, you don't need to be on all of them!
Also, ask anyone who is involved in social media and they will tell you that once you have mastered the nuances of a platform (whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn) chances are the rules have changed. To be successful in social media the business owner needs to be flexible and willing to not only change with the trends but to understand what those changes are. It's a daunting task.
As the authors point out, because of the ever-changing face of the economy and the realization of many that they will likely not get a job that they will stick with through decades and eventually retire from, many are taking the entrepreneurial route. Temporary and contract workers are becoming the norm, rather than the exception at many firms and that opens the doors to an enterprising individual with specialized skills.
The authors take the reader through the questions of: do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur to how do I let people know I am available to the nitty gritty of search engine optimization and keywords for your social media profiles, website and blog.
Whether you need to update your LinkedIn profiles, jump on social media as a first-timer, make a determination as to whether you even need a blog (some businesses might not!) to setting yourself apart in the noisy online world, the book offers practical advice, probing questions and provides insight that can set you on the right path.
I am always pleasantly surprised when I pick up a marketing or social media book and have some "ah-ha" moments and come across items I can implement in my own client work -- this book provided several.
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