Social Media

I’ve been on quite a business book reading kick this year. Mostly in an effort to better the practices with my own company, but also to learn about current technology trends to keep up with the "big guns". Every day we hear of more and more people using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. I’ve been trying to make sense of the current social media phenomenon. After several books I think I have it, and The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk is one book that outlines very clearly why all businesses need to participate in social media during this economy.

Most of the principles outlined in this book don’t have to be practiced with just social media tools. They can be put to use with traditional media tools as well. However, the individual and/or small business can have more of a voice by paying close attention to what Gary is saying and putting the techniques he describes to practice.

In Part V: How to Win in the Thank You Economy, the Quick Version Gary briefly summarizes the book. If you already have a successful business you can review the points below and decide for yourself what is useful. If you’re looking to find new strategies, I recommend purchasing the book to get the details. The information described in this easy 234 page read could change the way you approach your businesses marketing strategies and prove to give you a jump start on your companies future growth.

For the most part I enjoyed the book. Gary has a great personality that continues to shine and reaches out as an extension to his already well know videos on Wine Library TV and the Daily Grape websites.

Part V: How to Win in the Thank You Economy, the Quick Version

• Care – about your customers, about your employees, about your brand – with everything you’ve got.
• Erase any lines in the sand – don’t be afraid of what’s new or unfamiliar.
• Show up first to market whenever possible, early the rest of the time.
• Instill a culture of caring into your business by:
• Being self-aware
• Mentally committing to change
• Setting the tone through your words and actions
• Investing in your employees
• Hiring culturally compatible DNA, and spotting it within your existing team
• Being authentic – whether online or offline, say what you mean, and mean what you say
• Empowering your people to be forthright, creative and generous
• Remember that behind every B2B transaction, there is a C.
• Speak your customer’s language.
• Allow your customers to help you shape your brand or business, but never allow them to dictate the direction in which you take it.
• Build a sense of community around your brand.
• Arrange for traditional and social media to play Ping-Pong and extend every conversation.
• Direct all of your marketing initiatives toward the emotional center, and to the creative extremes.
• Approach social media initiatives with good intent, aiming for quality engagements, not quantity.
• Use shock and awe to blow your customer’s minds and get them talking.
• If you must use tactics, use “pull” tactics that remind consumers why they should care about your brand.
• If you’re too small, play like you’re big; if you’re big, play like you’re small.
• Create a sense of community around your business or your brand.
• Don’t be afraid to crawl before you run.

Amber Mac is a landmark in the tech-geek kingdom. As a host of popular TV shows and podcasts her knowledge of how social media operates is well respected. In June of 2010 Amber published her first book Power Friending with Penguin Group, Inc in their Portfolio division.

At first I was a little hesitant to read this book being that I already consider myself as a well-rounded and technically savvy designer. I was already a weekly listener of her popular podcast on the Twit.tv network known as net@night. I knew that she was very knowledgeable and had a great personality. The information she shared on a weekly basis was something I was already familiar with. But something told me to give it a read anyhow.

Shortly after picking up the book I knew it was worth the investment. Yes, some of the information was a repeat of what I already knew. But there is also plenty of information I was unaware of too. Plus, I now had it readily available on my desk at a moments notice.

Amber clearly outlines the short but important history of social media. This base of information gives even the newest of web gurus a clear understanding of how we arrived at where we are today. With clear descriptions of many tools available today and real-life examples it’s easy to understand why social media tools have changed the marketing landscape forever.

Outlines of how to execute your social meeting campaign, success stories (as well as failure stories), and what we can all expect in the future are all a part of this well written book. Simple illustrations, lists and message samples throughout the book help the more visual based person . . . like myself . . . understand the subject.

If you have any interest learning more about social media this is a must have book on your shelf. It’s well worth the $24.95 investment. Well done Amber! Keep up the good work.