How social media works changes almost every year. It is difficult to say if 2015 will be the year of Instagram or if Google Plus will take the lead over Facebook.
I agree that reading influencers' blogs helps the most to understand which way the things are going, however, a good book provides you in-depth information and resources in one place.
Some of the books in this list share step-by-step information you need to reach your social media goals. The authors also share their experience and the lessons that they learned during their experiments with using different strategies.
Here's a list of social media related books I think you should read if you are just starting out in these specific areas of social media marketing.
The leading professional network is the place where you want to do your business networking. But how does that work in the virtual world? In How To Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+100 Rule for Turning Your Business Network into Profits, Judy Robinett shares strategies for building relationships with high-value individuals and becoming a network hub by solving their problems. The book is an excellent resource if you think networking isn't your thing as it will help you overcome your inhibitions and leverage the power of LinkedIn.
Facebook currently leads as a referrer to various web sites. You really can't afford not to be on Facebook. Although declining, the closes competitor is far behind in number or subscribers. Other than Google Ads, Facebook is definitely the platform you will want to roll out your ad campaigns. With Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertizing, you will learn how things work on Facebook. You will learn how reaching out and attracting the right audience is different on Facebook than on other networks. The authors share advance tips and tricks of digital advertising and for the beginners, they explain the basic terms and concepts of digital advertising.
YouTube
With a billion visitors each month and rising each month, you will want to be on this network. And yes, it is a social media network. However, YouTube is very different from other social networks. It needs a different strategy and a completely different type of content. You cannot just share a link and expect people to click it. In YouTube Marketing Power: How to Use Videos to Find More Prospects, Launch Your Products, and Reach a Massive Audience, Jason Miles explains how the audiovisual medium can increase your brand presence and drive traffic to your web site. He shares the different types of video content that you can produce and showcases his business success on YouTube as a case study, covering each step of the process.
The popularity of social networks first brought the users and was followed eagerly by businesses to reach these users. Using the old world techniques of marketing and advertising, however, does not work in the virtual WOM dominated community. Author Scott Levy, stresses this point in his book Tweet Naked: A Bare-All Social Media Strategy for Boosting Your Brand and Your Business. He explains that showing the human side and 'connecting' with your audience is the most important ingredient of the potent social media mix. The book talks about everything from how to adopt and build a persona based on your brand and the strategy your brand must adopt based on your products and business.
Social Selling
Knowledge of social media networks, how they work, and their features are important. However, the core skill is still marketing and sales. In The Art of Social Selling, Shannon Belew addresses this key skill. She points out the changing Sales landscape and how traditional selling methods no longer help organizations meet their targets. She looks at all the major social media networks solely from the Sales point-of-view and talks about best practices for each of these networks.
These 5 social media books cover the gamut of the top three social networks, and also talk about combining social media with good old sales. Get these books as a reference and you will definitely see positive results in your social media campaigns in 2015.
Have you read any of these books? Which one seems the most valuable to you? Please leave a comment and join the discussion.