The Caffeinated Blog

31 Must-Read Online Marketing and Social Media Books

One of my resolutions for 2009 was to read more.  Not that I don't read enough online, with my 40+ blog subscriptions; but I wanted to start reading more interesting books and then sharing the information I learned with all of you.  So, I've recently started reading Get Content. Get Customers by Newt Barrett and Joe Pulizzi, and I added the Reading List app to my LinkedIn profile in order to start the sharing my reading list with my network.

This got me to thinking about books that other online marketers, PR/communications specialists, and business owners have read and would recommend - so I asked them.  I posted the following question in various marketing and social media groups of which I'm a member on LinkedIn:

What marketing, communications, and social media books are you reading or do you recommend?

I've seen lots of books come out about online marketing and communications in a web 2.0 world, and I just wanted to get your recommendations. What books about this subject are you currently reading, or what would you recommend (for new or experienced marketers, or small business owners)?

The response was great - we're not talking hundreds of responses; but there were about 30 different people who recommended a total of 31 books that they deem must-read for marketers.

So, in no particular order (and grouped for your convenience), here are those 31 books:

General Online Marketing and Communications

Tribes by Seth Godin
Tuned In by Craig Stull, Phil Myers and David Meerman Scott
Rules to Break and Laws to Follow by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers
Join the Conversation by Joseph Jaffe
How to Say It: Marketing with New Media by Lena Claxton and Alison Woo
Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
Click Here to Order by Joel Comm
Web 2.0 and beyond: Understanding the new online business models, trends, and technologies by Tom Funk
Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz
Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions by Tim Ash
Web Analytics: An Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik
Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online by Andy Beal and Judy Strauss
BUY-OLOGY by Martin Lindstrom

Email Marketing

Sign Me Up: A Marketer's Guide to Email Newlsetters that Build Relationships and Boost Sales by by Matt Blumberg, Tami Forman, and Stephanie A. Miller
Email Marketing: An Hour a Day by Jeanniey Mullen, David Daniels, and David Gilmour
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers by Seth Godin

Social Media

The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott (this one was a particularly popular recommendation)
Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations by Clay Shirky
Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why it Matters by Bill Tancer
Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide by Amy Shuen
The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media by Paul Gillin
Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel
Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business by Jeff Howe
Marketing to the Social Web by Larry Weber
Wikinomics by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams
Social Media Marketing: An Hour A Day by Dave Evans

Content Marketing

Killer Web Content: Make the Sale, Deliver the Service, Build the Brand by Gerry McGovern
Get Content. Get Customers. by Newt Barrett and Joe Pulizzi

What books are on your must-read list?

Are We Playing Twitter Tit for Tat?

I've been noticing a phenomenon over recent months - something that was inevitable, but is alarming nevertheless.  I call it Twitter Tit for Tat, and I don't like it one bit.

I see people talk about using tools like Friend or Follow to "clean out their Twitter accounts" - unfollowing people who aren't following them.  I see people follow me, and then unfollow me within 24 hours if I haven't followed them back. 

I've seen lots of comparisons between networking and conversing on Twitter, and networking and conversing in an offline, "real life" setting - "If someone isn't listening to me in real life, I won't talk or listen to them; so why wouldn't it be the same thing with Twitter?"  That's a valid, logical point; but talking on Twitter is not actually the same as talking face-to-face. 

Really? Surely not!

I know, it seems like a "duh" sort of thing for me to say; but my point is that if we make this comparison, then we start playing the Twitter Tit for Tat game.  Twitter becomes less about sharing valuable information and more about collecting followers (which, unfortunately, it has already).  I follow you, you follow me.  You don't/unfollow me, I'll unfollow you.

I don't like playing that game.  Sure, I monitor unfollows; but mainly for my own improvement.  I look at what I said and how I can improve, then I look at each unfollow to determine the value that each person brings to the conversation.  If I still find value, I continue to follow.  I do not automatically unfollow anyone who doesn't follow me. 

I'm not in the game of collecting followers for the sake of collecting followers.  That sort of practice completely misses the point of Twitter.  I encourage you to please STOP obsessing over your follower count and who's following who - and START thinking about quality over quantity.

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, January 23

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me, and I'm happy to finally get a new edition of Whole Lotta Link Love posted for you.  Lots to share, and I hope you find it valuable and useful!

1. First of all, I posted last week about a new campaign from Share Our Strength to end childhood hunger.  I think this is an important and worthwhile initiative, and it's really easy to support.  Just text SHARE to 20222 to donate $5.  Tweet it, Facebook it, tell all your friends - just please spread the word.
2. Speaking of texting, mobile technology and marketing is in a position to really explode - beyond just calling and texting.  David Finch talks about the potential of mobile technology at his blog.
3. With a brand new, tech-savvy president in office, Washington DC has the potential to become the new "IT" city of tech.  Washingtonian and social media consultant Debbie Weil talks about why.
4. You may have witnessed people at conferences and seminars furiously tapping on their laptops or mobile devices during a presentation, or you may have watched the blow-by-blows of various online and offline events on Twitter.  This is live tweeting, and Mayra Ruiz offers her tips for live tweeting over at the Marketing Misfit blog.
5. I previously talked about tools you can use to measure engagement on Twitter, and Hendry Lee offers even more ways to track Twitter clicks and conversions over the the TwiTip blog.
6. This is a really interesting post from Bamboo Forest at Write to Done about why posting less frequently could increase your blog's popularity.

I leave you with a pretty cool "morphing presidents" video, from George W. (the original) to Barack.  Have a great weekend!

Tweeting In President Obama

Photo Credit: primplan

Living in the Washington, DC area, I've been feeling the excitement build for weeks.  Now that Inauguration Day is upon us, it's reached a fever pitch - and I'm not even going anywhere near the huge crowds on the National Mall.  I'm experiencing it all through my social networks who are there amongst it all.

As I watch Barack and Michelle Obama climb into their fortified limo on CNN, I'm watching a barrage of tweets coming in from people who are on the Mall, next to the Washington Monument, on the Metro heading to Smithsonian station, etc.  I'm looking at the photos that people have posted on Flickr - and watching as the number of items in their Inauguration 2009 group album increase by the second.  I'm checking out the various websites offering live streaming video of the inauguration.

In the weeks following the election, there was a debate about how social media changed this election.  Some people thought it did, others weren't so sure; but you can't deny one thing - social media certainly has changed this inauguration.  So much has happened since the last inauguration in 2005, and now we don't don't have to rely on the news networks to watch this one - we can experience it through social media.

This inauguration is historic in so many ways - and we're all lucky enough to be a part of it, whether we're at home, sitting in an office, or in the crowds on the Mall.

Feed a Child - With Just a Text Message

I've been doing some outreach work this week on behalf of a really great organization called Share Our Strength - and it's been keeping me really busy (which is why I haven't been posting as much here this week or tweeting as much either).  But, that's a really good thing, and I'm happy to do it.

I want to tell you about Share Our Strength's new campaign, Operation No Kid Hungry, which launched on Monday.  This campaign responds to President-elect Obama's call to action to end childhood hunger by 2015.

They've done a pretty cool thing - they've partnered with AT&T to offer a couple of ways to donate to Operation No Kid Hungry:

1. Donate by text: Text "SHARE" to 20222 on your mobile device to donate $5. AT&T will match all text donations up to $100,000. Help us meet this challenge grant! Find out more here.
2. Hold a food drive: Beginning January 19th, a national day of community service, help feed those in need by holding your own community food drive.  Visit Strength.org to find a food bank and a list of the most needed nutritious foods.

There are also more ways you can help spread the word, including banners for your blog and social networking pages:
Badges & Banners
Share Our Strength on Twitter
Share Our Strength on Facebook

It's amazing what you can do to make a difference, and I'm honored to be helping Share Our Strength with their outreach efforts.

Please spread the word!

Online Video Primer Part 2: Tools You Need

Today's guest post is from Adam Helweh of Secret Sushi Creative.  It's the second in a series of posts Adam is contributing about online video.

It has been a couple weeks since part 1 in this 4 part series about online video for business. I explained huge number of users who reply on online video to educate, entertain, and potentially sell them on your service or product in a way that static images could never achieve. In this article we will cover some of the tools, devices, and software you can use to capture your online video, edit it, and get it online.

Using Facebook for Business: What I've Learned and Resources to Help You

According to a study released this week by interactive marketing agency Rosetta, 59% of 100 top retailers are now using Facebook.  I think that's pretty impressive, and goes to show that Facebook can be used as part of a well-targeted social media strategy. 

I've recently started learning the in's and out's of Facebook fan pages, and you may be thinking about how you might be able to leverage one for your business.  Here's what I've learned so far:

• The most effective Facebook fan pages are updated on a regular basis with new content. 
• If there's actually evidence that the page administrator is visiting regularly and interacting with the community, via discussions and what not, the more engaged fans will be (check out the Wall on Dell's page).
• Facebook pages work best when their less about "me me me" and more about "you you you" (in other words, the customer).  Best Buy does a good job of this with interactive apps that offer value to the fans (like the Cozi and Tripr apps).

These are the main, overarching lessons I've learned about using Facebook for marketing and community building.  There are lots of more technical things that I'm learning little by little, and I'd like to share a few resources that I've been referencing:

• Nick O'Neill's All Facebook blog keeps you up-to-date on the latest with Facebook, offering news, opinion, insight, and analysis.
• Justin Smith's Inside Facebook blog has Facebook tips especially for developers and marketers.
• Mari Smith's Why Facebook? blog also has excellent advice for Facebook marketers and business users.

I also scoured Amazon for some books that were about using Facebook for business, including developing apps for Facebook pages:

I hope at least one of these resources will help you in some way as you build your Facebook presence.  If 59% of top retailers can do it, so can you!

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, January 9th

Happy (belated) New Year, Caffeinated readers!  I'm hoping that 2009 has started off well for you, and you've been as busy as I have - socially, personally, professionally, or any other -ally!

Lots of great links to share with you today, so let's dig right in, shall we?

• First of all, my friend Danny Brown is hosting a blog carnival, called Social Media Goes Gonzo.  It's going to be published on Tuesday, January 13th, and if you want to submit a post, you have until 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time TODAY to do so.
• If you want to start using press releases as part of your marketing strategy, but are having a difficult time coming up with ideas, then look no further than the Vertical Measures blog.  They've done the work for you with this list of 20 press release ideas for your business.
• Speaking of ideas - you may be looking for some as you embark on a new social media marketing strategy this year.  Take a page from the airlines and check out how they're using social media.
• If you're a non-profit wondering how Facebook can benefit your organization's outreach efforts, take a look at this great Facebook discussion over at Beth Kanter's blog.
• Considering hiring a social media agency or consultant.  Beth Harte and Geoff Livingston came up with 25 signs of a strong SM agency or consultant.
• I was having a difficult time last week finding resources about using Slideshare for marketing - until a friend from LinkedIn (Gary Esposito) sent me this post from SocialSEO.  It's about 9 months old, but it still gives some excellent advice (which is why I wanted to share it with you).  Thanks Gary!

Have a great weekend, and stay warm (if you aren't already)!

Are You Cross-Promoting Your Social Media Pages?

So, you've started posting on your blog (or have been posting for some time), and you've set up the Twitter account, the Facebook profile (and fan page), the LinkedIn profile, the Slideshare page, and even started a Squidoo lens.  Time to start watching the reader, followers, and connections start rolling in.

Not quite.  Do people even know you're on all of these sites?  Further more, do your various network friends know you have a blog?

A social media strategy consisting of all these pages set up on all of these sites is a fragmented strategy - and cross-promotion is the glue with which you can put all the pieces together. 

Cross-promotion in social media is not difficult at all.  Many social media sites have developed easy ways for you to promote your presence on other sites through links, apps, and plugins.  They've provided you with the tools - all you have to do is use them.

Here are a few social media cross-promotion ideas to help you get started:

• Promotion on your blog.  This should be a no-brainer.  Make it easy for your blog readers to connect with you on other social media sites by providing visible links directly to your various profiles (Follow Me on Twitter, Connect With Me on LinkedIn, etc.).  Many sites have ready-made badges you can use for this purpose.
• Promotion on Facebook.  Facebook has a variety of apps so you can plug in your blog feed, Twitter stream, Slideshare presentations, and Flickr photos to your profile or business page.  Even easier than that, you can add a Posted Items box to your profile page with links to your blog and other social media pages (like your Twitter page and your Squidoo lens).
• Promotion on LinkedIn.  Again, apps save the day!  Add your blog feed, Twitter feed, and Slideshare presentations to your LinkedIn profile using LinkedIn applications.
• Promotion on Squidoo.  If you have a Squidoo lens, there are endless ways you can add links to your website, blog, and other social media profiles.  You can also add modules for your videos, photos, and Slideshare presentations.  Soon (according to Squidoo), you'll be able to connect your lens with your Facebook page via Facebook Connect.

I'm sure there are a hundred different ways to cross-promote your social media pages, especially from other sites not mentioned here (FriendFeed, Plaxo, Ning communities).  These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg - and I'm sure you'll come up with way more!

Is it OK to Hire Ghost Bloggers?

You may think it sounds a little bit like writers who blog about the paranormal.  No, not quite; but to some people, ghost blogging is just as scary.

I've been reading quite a lot lately about ghost blogging, which is the practice of hiring someone to write your blog posts for you.  Some think it's OK, some think it's absolutely dispicable.  As someone who has written "ghost-posts" for a couple of clients, I see no problem with it; however, I think there's definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

Why Would You Want to Hire a Ghost Blogger?

Many owners smaller companies see a definite value in blogging and want to start a company blog as a way to engage visitors; but they don't have the resources to write blog posts internally. There may be a lack of time on the part of the CEO (who may be the only employee), a lack of writing skills within the organization, or a lack of dedicated employees who can do that (or the money to hire one full-time).  This is where many business owners turn to outside marketing consultants, social media/content strategists, or freelance writers to develop blog content for them.

Do's and Dont's of Ghost Blogging

If you're considering hiring someone to write your blog posts for you, there are a few things you need to think about and heed to:

• Don't forget your strategy first.  Blogging sounds like a great idea; but don't dive headlong into it without a blogging strategy.  This will help you figure out the what, when, who, why, and how of your blog, and determine if you'll need to hire a ghost blogger in the first place.
• Don't remove yourself from the process.  You may not have the time to write the posts yourself; but you still need to be right in the thick of things.
• Do collaborate heavily with your consultant/strategist/freelancer.  It's your blog, not their's - so you control what gets published.  Get involved by suggesting topics or brainstorming ideas, and acting as the editor-in-chief of your blog.
• Don't let anything get posted without your consent.  Again, you need to act as the editor-in-chief.  Your consultant should be providing you with drafts of your blog posts, and you should be reading them and providing feedback until you're satisfied with the content.  Then and only then does it get published.
• Do consider timing.  One of the ways blog posts are different from typical articles is that they are published a lot quicker (many times on-the-fly).  Pay attention to what is going on in your space and act quickly to get a blog post up.  In cases like these, it may even be to your benefit to write the post yourself and run it by your consultant for tweaks - this will save time and allow you to get a post up a lot quicker.
• Don't let the voice of your blog vary wildly.  It's important for your blog to have a consistent voice and style, which is why 1) you need to be heavily involved in how the posts are written, and 2) you should have one person writing them (not several).
• Do consider hiring a full-time content manager.  End of the day, an investment in someone who is dedicated fully to writing and managing your company's online content and building a community around that content is worthwhile. 

What is your opinion on ghost blogging - cool or not cool?  Have you ever hired someone to write your blog posts, or been a ghost blogger yourself?