Summer holidays are fast approaching. It is good time to catch up on your reading. While you maybe picking out the newest paperback thriller or loading your Kindle with the classics, you may want to add a business title to your summer reading.
The choices are vast regarding business reads and many are very good. I thought I’d share with you some business books I’ve read. I have these books on my book shelve (and Kindle) around social media and marketing you might find helpful. These books may not be hot off the presses; however, they are well-written books and their positions are evergreen. You will find them helpful for your business in understanding social media and making it work for you.
Let it be noted that I haven’t ranked these titles and it is a random order. All of these books are available in print and eBook format.
The five social media books you need to have in your library are:
- The Social Media Strategist: Build a Successful Program from the Inside Out by Christopher Barger (McGraw-Hill, 2012.) This book will help you understand social media from someone who has build social media programs from the ground up for Fortune 500 companies. Barger takes you through how to build effective programs and what they pitfalls are for organizations.
- Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts in Your Organization by Olivier Blanchard (Que, 2011) Building a social media program is important; measuring your social media efforts is vital. Blanchard breaks down how to build return on investment into your social media programs. Without measureable outcomes, how can you prove your efforts are worth it for your business?
- Fiercely Loyal: Unlocking the DNA of Wildly Successful Communities by Sarah Robinson (Hayfield Publishing, 2012.) How do you build loyal communities online that can help build your organization? Robinson outlines the DNA of great communities and shares how you can build those communities in a no nonsense manner.
- Influence Marketing: How to Create, Manage, and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing, by Danny Brown and Sam Fiorella (Que, 2013.) Brown and Fiorella cut through all the hype about what is influence marketing and explain influence marketing through data, case studies, and product recommendation. They give you actionable ways to engage influencers in your communities.
- Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Hater, Trolls, Bullies, and Other Jerks by Andrea Weckerle (Que, 2013.) Uncivil behavior has become commonplace in the digital age. How do we cope with this very negative behavior? Weckerle helps individuals and organizations overcome the haters and trolls with a 30-day action plan to help you restore civility in your corner of the digital world.
Now I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my book, Social Media Crisis Communications: Preparing for, Preventing, and Surviving a Public Relations #FAIL (Que, 2013.) Every business needs to be prepared to manage a crisis. And how you communicate during a crisis will often define the outcome. I share with you how to build a crisis communications plan with social media integrated into it.
You maybe wondering what business books I’m reading over the summer? I’ve two books in my bag to read currently:
Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is about Help not Hype, by Jay Baer (Penguin, 2014)
Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age by Gini Dietrich (Que, 2014)
So feed your brain as your body is resting during summer holidays. Happy reading!
This column was originally published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on Sunday, June 29, 2014 and nationally distributed to over 300 media outlets through the Tribune Content Agency.
