This is a guest post from Andrew Macarthy, author of 500 Social Media Marketing Tips. This is the first in a series of posts about social media books, where I invite the author to share something about themselves and why they wrote the book, and what in the book might be of particular interest to association or nonprofit audiences.
Maddie’s Take: This book “does exactly what it says on the tin” (as they used to say when I lived in London). For me, as someone who spends most of her time thinking about the theory and the big picture of it all, and working with organizations on the people and process side of things rather than the nitty gritty implementation side, sometimes it’s really nice to just have a handy manual to look something up in. Also, we know how fast things change in the land of social, so I love the way Andrew keeps the content fresh and update the book on a monthly basis. Ah, the beauty of e-books.
Verdict (Buy, Borrow, Skim, Pass?): Buy.
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Like so many thousands of people in today’s troubled economic climate, I did not have a happy new start to the year 2012. After months of uncertainty, I was laid off from my job as an instructional designer for a global communications company. To compound my sorry situation, I suffered from a neck injury at the same time, making it impossible for me to leave the house, let alone look for another job. I needed some income, and fast…
Having been a web-based journalist and blogger in the past, the meteoric rise of social media had interested me for a long time and I was fascinated by the marketing potential of sites like Facebook and Twitter. But while great swathes of companies hopped on the social media bandwagon, it was apparent that a great majority of them were not utilising these new platforms as best they could to engage with their customers, spread brand awareness, and eventually increase sales.
I decided to write and publish a resource to help, conscious of the fact that many business owners do not have the time nor inclination to read 500-page manuals with great long paragraphs packed to the rafters with complicated marketing speak. My aim was to craft a book that anyone in business could dip in and out of at leisure and pick up a nugget or two of valuable information – stuff that would make a positive difference to their social media strategy – every time they did so. After a couple of months of research and writing, the result was 500 Social Media Marketing Tips, a guide to social media for business, covering all of the web’s biggest players, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, and more.
While the verbiage of 500 Social Media Marketing Tips is focussed towards businesses with products and services to sell, the overwhelming majority of advice within its pages can easily be adapted and applied to associations and non-profits who are looking for ways to bolster the professionalism and effectiveness of their social media efforts, whichever of the popular sites you use and whatever your goals may be. For example, the Facebook chapter explains how best to optimize the look and feel of your page, engage with customers effectively, and bolster your reach, while the Twitter section includes information about finding and building relationships with individuals and organizations passionate about your cause. With over a dozen chapters, I am almost positive that you will find plenty of beneficial tricks and techniques!
As a bonus to readers, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips is revised and updated at the beginning of every month to make sure that you never miss out or fall behind on the latest social media knowledge and trends – sign up to my newsletter to be notified when the update is ready to download. To accompany the book, I also produce free step-by-step video tutorials covering all kinds of social media marketing methods. There are over 100 lessons available on my YouTube channel to date, and I normally add a couple of new ones a week, so be sure to head on over to take a look and subscribe. Here’s an example:
As 2012 fast comes to a close, I can safely say that the year is ending much better than it began. To my amazement, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips has gone on to sell thousands of copies, often sits at #1 in Amazon’s Web Marketing chart, and provides income enough to support me while my neck continues to heal. Dozens of customers have contacted me to let me know how much they have enjoyed the book, and I cannot tell you how proud it makes me feel to know that I am helping people get to grips with the often-confusing world of social media, and in making the most of the opportunities it provides.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Maddie Grant at Socialfish for giving me the opportunity to write about 500 Social Media Marketing Tips, and if you decide to pick up a copy, I very much hope that it can benefit your organization in the way that it has helped many others so far.
