“Social Media Engagement for Dummies” is a Smart Book


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social media engagement for dummiesIf you’re a fan of the “…for Dummies” books, then you will want to grab this one.

Social Media Engagement for Dummies is by Aliza Sherman and Danielle Elliott Smith. It was published by John Wiley & Sons  in June.  Social media isn’t new any more.  If you’ve been finding yourself spending lots of time on social media, but not reaping the benefits, then hunker down for this review.

Dig Into Social Media Engagement for Your Marketing Plan

With summer heading into its dog days, you know that it’s almost time for planning your marketing strategies for next year.  This is the ideal time to take a look at Social Media Engagement for Dummies.

I love these Dummies books for their pure simplicity and practicality. If you aren’t sure what to do or when to do it – just grab one of these puppies. You will be in action in under thirty minutes.

This is a hefty book with over 300 pages of powerful content to dig through.  That’s why I recommend starting with the table of contents.  Highlight the chapters you feel you want to focus on in your business.

There are six parts or sections to this book:

  1. The Basics of Social Media Engagement – if you still feel like you know about social media, but aren’t sure how to use it to get and keep customers, this is an important section to focus on.
  2. Exploring the Elements of Social Media Engagement – In this section, you’ll start with setting realistic goals and structuring your social media strategy.  I especially love the practical advice about how to tap into trending topics to start conversations and how to offer freebies and discounts.
  3. Examining the Basic Engagement Tools – This is a must-read section because it covers affordable time-saving tools that will help you leverage your time spent on social media.
  4. Engaging through Additional Social Channels – If you’ve heard about the power of Pinterest and Google+, but weren’t sure how it might help your business – this is where you want to put your attention.
  5. Leveraging Audio and Video for Engagement – You can no longer afford to ignore video or audio channels just because it seems complicated or you don’t like how you look or sound.  Get over it and get into this section.
  6. The Part of Tens – The book ends with ten social media mistakes to avoid. You also find 10 businesses that actually might look like yours – including how they are using social media to grow sales.

About the Authors

I have to say that one of the big reasons this book is so powerful is because it was written by small business owners. Aliza Sherman (@alizasherman) launched the first full-service Internet company, Cybergrrl. She also launched the first global Internet networking organization for women, Webgrrls International.  Danielle Elliott Smith (@DanielleSmithTV) is a digital correspondent, speaker, brand spokesperson and Founder of ExtraordinaryMommy.com.

While the authors have built successful businesses, you won’t find their head in the clouds or any really big thinking here.  It’s all practical advice that you can read in one minute and implement the next. And many times, that’s exactly what you need.

Why Get Another Social Media Book

When was the last time you purchased a social media strategy book?  If it’s been a year or two, you’ll want to get this update.

Here’s why.  Each of the major social media platforms have undergone massive updates.  Things have changed so much that your business will be behind the curve if you haven’t kept up.

Another reason to get this book is to help you choose and focus on the social media platforms that will work best for your business.

If you’ve been playing in every social media space, but not fully committing to one or two – you will want to read this book.  You might be missing out on opportunities by spreading yourself too thin.  Read this book from the context of choosing a platform or two where you can really get the most bang for the time and money spent and then focus on it.

Social Media Engagement for Dummies isn’t a book for beginners (although the name might make you think so).  It’s a book for smart business owners who are ready to put the social media marketing machine to work in getting and keeping profitable loyal customers.

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6 Comments ▼

Ivana Taylor Ivana Taylor is the Book Editor for Small Business Trends. She is responsible for directing the site’s book review program and manages the team of professional book reviewers. She also spearheads the annual Small Business Book Awards. Ivana publishes DIYMarketers, where she shares daily do-it-yourself marketing tips, and is co-author of "Excel for Marketing Managers."

6 Reactions
  1. There’s a whole world out there on the net, a whole audience out there I’d like to reach as an artist. I’m a baby when it comes to social media and all its strands. I wouldn’t mind investing in a book like that. I also love the Dummies series too. 🙂

  2. Ivana~

    I’m incredibly grateful for the review. Aliza and I invested so much energy, heart and what we hope is ‘wisdom’ from we know of this social media space we adore. Thank you for taking the time to explore it and see what we had to offer. You received from the book JUST what we hoped a reader would!

    • Daniella Smith:

      I am thinking of getting your book as study material for a new course I am creating on social media for small business owners and ad-hoc organizations.

  3. It’s about time that they release something like this. More and more businesses are becoming interested in Social Media but the problem is that they don’t know where to start and how to manage it. I think this book will help them answer all of their questions related to the topic knowing that all Dummies books are great resources for newbies on any topic.

  4. Ivana: You are writing great book reviews! Now I have to get this book for my new course on social media… 😉

  5. This is a book to keep. If you are regular in social media platforms and struggling with all those marketing efforts, this is a sure piece to grab. I would highly recommend this book to those who are blogging or having sites which needs effective social media marketing because social engagement is one of the key components of doing business these days. I have bought this book and believe me I am re-reading it.