The following article is a guest post by Christine Connor.
Many marketers agree that social media forms one of the most important and powerful components of any successful marketing strategy. That being said, it is far from the easiest proverbial ‘nut’ to crack and those really looking to be successful would do well to invest in the help of a seasoned mentor. There is a staggering amount of help out there and some vital lessons to learn, requiring no more than a little time spent in the company of the right literature. Needless to say, one on one advice is far from the most affordable commodity, making a good read the best and most accessible option by far.
Of course, it has to be pointed out that in the world of SEO and marketing, the best practices today might be entirely useless tomorrow, therefore the following rundown of some of the best books currently doing the rounds are indeed worthy of their status, though only if used in the current state of play:
Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day
A firm favorite among professional and amateur circles alike, this is certainly a contender for the very best of the bunch by anybody’s reckoning. Where most other books of a similar nature concentrate on the things that are run personally, such as the advantages of using social media instead of blogging for example, this is much more focused and concentrated on actual social media tactics. Indeed, the only real complaint with the book is that fact that it doesn’t really live up to its title – as the hour a day in question is not actually spent with the book, but practicing what the book teaches.
The Social Media Bible
On optimistic title if ever there was one, this particular book might not fully live up to its claims for being a full on bible on the subject but is still a truly excellent choice for a comprehensive introduction to the concept and integral elements of social media optimization. Essentially, the main reason for casting doubt on the title is the fact that the book might be a little too broad based to live up to its claims.
The author spends some time talking about the history of the internet and introduces a number of elements and subjects that are not essentially related to the subject of social media. For example, the CMS Joomla is brought up which is not entirely relevant to the central theme, at least if the reader is more concerned with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and so on. Regardless however, the strategies and suggestions included are enormously helpful and show the reader exactly what to do, rather that simply telling them what they might wish to do.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR
This is by far one of the top choices doing the rounds at the moment, offering a broad and comprehensive view on the internet and the way in which it has revolutionized the way in which the world does business. The social media inclusion is hugely helpful and has some great ideas, though the one criticism would have to be the fact that the specific ideas on how to make social media work are afforded modest detail. As an introduction to the subject however, a truly excellent choice.
Inbound Marketing
The simple and straightforward reason this book makes the shortlist is that a good deal of focus is put on one of the most important tools at the reader’s disposal – which is blogging. The book explains in simple and easily digestible terms how to begin a blog and the ways in which it can be useful to a business, though offers limited coverage of the other areas of social media.
Marketing to the Social Web
Those looking for a good introduction to the world of social media should certainly consider this book an essential purchase, which serves as a basic guide to the fundamentals for anybody new to the subject. Of course, details are a little sketchy when it comes to the complicated specifics, but as a first-timer’s guide to the business,
there really is none better.
This guest post was written by Christine Connor, who writes about marketing and social media for Upack.