Get Your Social Media Moving by Reading Going Social


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I was having a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine who is an expert in developing online content and courses.

She told me that her daily routine included spending about an hour each morning going through and analyzing what a variety of experts in her field were doing in their respective businesses.

She said:

“You can’t consider yourself a professional in your space unless you know what everyone is doing.”

She went on to say that she subscribes to everything and does her best to participate and review their content so that she can track what’s working and what isn’t working.

Jeremy Goldman’s Going Social Gives a Front-Line Perspective

When I first received the review copy of Going Social: Excite Customers, Generate Buzz, and Energize Your Brand with the Power of Social Media, I have to admit that the words “Not another social media book!” crossed my mind.  That’s when my friend’s words came back to me – you can’t consider yourself a professional unless you watch and learn from everything that’s going on.

After reviewing what seems like dozens of social media books, I can honestly say that I’ve picked up something from each of them – a new tip or perspective or strategy.  There is something to be said for getting into the weeds of social media and Jeremy Goldman (@jeremarketer) does just that.

Here is how Jeremy describes what sets his book apart from the others:

“Unlike many books covering social media engagement, this one is written by someone who has spent the better part of the last decade on the social marketing front lines.  Many social media books are written by theorists and from authors from giant consulting firms…I’ve managed e-commerce presence and the customer service and online PR functions.”

Jeremy Goldman is a recognized expert in social marketing and communications.  He’s managed major brands such as Kiehl’s, TEMPTU, and Jurlique.  He is currently the AVP of Interactive and Social Media for iluminage inc., a Unilever subsidiary he helped found.

Going Social is Loaded With Case Studies

If you are responsible for managing social media for an organization or you are using social media as part of your own marketing strategy, then Going Social is a book that qualifies as ready you must read as a professional in the world of online marketing.  It’s loaded with case studies and front line experiences that you won’t find in too many other social media books.

Here is an example:

JamaicansMusic.com is featured in a case study about how to focus on a specific niche.  Lots of marketing books tell you that you should focus on a niche and some books will show you how big familiar brands focused on a niche, but Going Social is featuring a brand you may not have heard of – JamaicansMusic.com and how that little site used social media marketing to engage in a conversation with their audience to drive traffic to their site.

Personally, I like these kinds of examples because they show how a no-name business and a non-celebrity business  owner can use social media to drive customers to their sites and stores.

My Experience of Going Social

The double-edged sword of Goldman’s book is that in presenting how small businesses like yours have used social media tools to grow traffic and sales and drive new customers to their sites, you’ll still be left to your own devices as to how you’re going to actually put any of these items into practice.

Let me show you what I mean – let’s go back to our JamaicansMusic.com example.

In this case study, Goldman tells the story of JamicansMusic founder Alex Morrisey who started the site as a hobby for himself in college.  But then he noticed that he was getting lots of traffic (How can I do that?) and decided to start engaging his visitors using social media by “asking them questions about what they wanted on the site.”  Now you might think, “That is an awesome idea!” But you will be left to your own devices as to how to do that successfully.

You might read this as a criticism of the book and it’s really not at all.  I really want to be clear about how the author delivers the content and how the case studies are structured.   You will get lots of creative ideas about how other business owners attracted customers using social media, but you will have to create your own to-do list and follow through.

At the end of each chapter, however, there are links to more information and details for that chapter that you can follow.

Going Social Adds to Your Toolbox of Social Media Tricks

Overall, I’d say that Going Social is a book you have to own if social media marketing is part of your strategy.

It’s loaded with practical information and lots and lots of ideas from down-to-earth brands that you can easily take on as part of your strategy.

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4 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."

4 Reactions
  1. Ivana: Being a social media evangelist, I have to keep up to date and stay in the loop what is happening in the social media world. I mostly do that by reading books, listening to podcasts and participating in online conversations and meetups like Social Media Club.

    Thanks for highlighting another interesting book on social media! 🙂

  2. Great post, Ivana. I’m all about social media and I’m always looking for good resources on how to improve my results with it. Thanks for sharing another great resources for us to check out!

    Ti