Social Media Marketing :The Next Generation of Business Engagement
Praise for Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement
“Social media has become a primary tool for higher levels of fan engagement, directly driving lead generation through interaction and content sharing that is especially relevant to media companies. Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement deconstructs the tools and techniques, showing you how to apply social technology to your business.”
This book is, first and foremost, an acknowledgement to the collective contri- butions of professionals, business executives, organizational leaders and an entire “social media” industry that has dedicated itself to delivering on the opportunities that the Social Web offers: the opportunity to understand, first-hand, what markets are saying, the opportunity to identify specific influencers and to quantify the impact that social media has as a result on markets and the businesses and organizations that serve them, and the opportunity to learn faster, to adapt more quickly, and to build and bring to market the next generation of globally acceptable, sustainable goods and services.
Following the founding principles of the Web, I’ve built on shared knowledge: There is barely a page that is 100 percent “mine.” Instead, this book is my point of view and my insights—shaped by my experiences largely in business—in the context of a growing, collective body of knowledge that is itself available to all via the Social Web. For the professionals whose names appear inside I am indebted: It is my hope that I have likewise contributed.
In particular, I’d like to acknowledge Starbucks and Dell, both of whom I am passionate about and whose products I buy. Their work in redefining their own
business processes—driven by marketplace realities that emerged through the Social Web—which they have then shared openly so that others may benefit stands as tes- tament to what can be accomplished when customers and their points-of-view and willingness to collaborate toward the betterment of the brands they love are fully recognized. As well, an acknowledgement to my friends at SAS Institute, Lithium Technologies, Alterian, and each of the professional services and consulting firms I often work with.
On that note, a special acknowledgement for the people I have had the pleasure of working with around the world: For Sunil Agarwal, Gaurav Mishra and my col- leagues at 2020Media and 2020Social in New Delhi and across India, for the experi- ences gained with Austin’s Z3 Partners, FG SQUARED and Social Web Strategies, Marco Roncaglio and the Philips’ Consumer Business Units in Amsterdam, Johni Fisher and the Looppa team in Buenos Aires, Ian Giles and Thindata in Toronto, and Clara Nelson with the American Marketing Association my sincere appreciation: You have shaped my understanding of social media as it applies to business and cause- related marketing on a global scale. And of course, Austin, Texas—to Jim Butler, Gary Kissiah, John Harms, Hugh Forrest and the staff of SXSW Interactive, and to Hal Josephson and San Francisco’s Multimedia Development Group, who inspired me in 1994 to have Austin declared—by charter—as friendly to the emerging Internet technologies that would come to define both cites.
For the book itself, I’d like to acknowledge technical editor Jake McKee and the team at Ant’s Eye View for their effort in reviewing, correcting, suggesting and extending my initial drafts, and Susan Bratton, who upon return from Africa provided the Foreword along with a lot of inspiration and industry connections—
starting in 2003—through ad:tech. As well, to Hilary Powers, an outstanding devel- opmental editor who agreed to work with me a second time! Finally, to the entire team at Wiley | Sybex: Willem Knibbe, Pete Gaughan, Liz Britten and Dassi Zeidel, and Connor O’Brien. I am thankful and appreciative for each of you.
Social technology has been, for me, a truly collaborative learning experience. As you read this book you’ll find dozens of references to the people who are helping to take the founding concepts of the Web and bring them to strategically sound, quantitatively expressed tactical implementations that create genuine, long-term competitive advan- tage. Take the time to explore their work and their points of view as you strengthen your own understanding of Web 2.0. For they are the experts: I am simply the narrator.