Reviewers & Authors. An unsual relationship
Authors learn the most from book reviews even though they may make them nervous.The best ones serve as guide posts for the next book (or the next edition) and bring into focus what's working in the book and what may not be. Since my book was published at the tail end of October several reviews have been published (and more continue to). With each one, I learn something new that helps. Thank you to all those who are writing the reviews - they're not only helpful to your readers as the determine whether the book is worth buying but also to me, the author.
Here's a recent review from Deirdre Breakenridge who's also the co-author of "Putting the Public back into PR." I like because she mixes praise with honest feedback of where her opinion differs. Extremely helpful for me and hopefully for her readers as well. In fact, based on her review I'm mulling writing a post about the role of PR in social media. There are lots of different views on the subject needless to say! Here's an except of the review:
There are many reasons why I like Social Media Marketing For Dummies: The book never strays from teaching readers the best approach to Social Media Marketing or Social Influence Marketing (which are used interchangeably by the author).
Social Media Marketing for Dummies provides a broad overview but also digs into details. For example, one of my favorite parts of the book is Chapter 3, "Getting in the Social Influence Marketing Frame of Mind." This chapter breaks down the Social Media Marketing Funnel or the stages a consumer goes through during the purchasing process (Awareness, Consideration, Preference, Action and Loyalty) and how you can use social media marketing in each one of the stages to enhance the process.
Singh gives helpful hints or a "Tip" identified with a bulls eye icon and "Warning" messages, which are easily recognized with a bomb icon. These icons appear in every chapter. For example, with respect to establishing a social influence marketing voice (SIM Voice) in Chapter 5, he says as a Tip, "Sometimes the best way to discover whether you need a SIM voice is by scanning the conversations about your brand across the social web." And, he points out as a bomb icon Warning in the same chapter, "If you do offer discounts and special promotions, you must be prepared to redeem them."
Visit Deirdre's website to read the full book review. Also, check out her book "Putting the Public back in PR" It was a great read.
Follow me on Twitter (@shivsingh) for more insights on digital strategy and social media.
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