Synopses & Reviews
The In-Your-Face, Results-Focused, No-“Kumbaya” Guide to Social Media for Business!
Detailed techniques for increasing sales, profits, market share, and efficiency
Specific solutions for brand-building, customer service, R&D, and reputation management Facts, statistics, real-world case studies, and rock-solid metrics Stop hiding from social media--or treating it as if it’s a playground. Start using it strategically. Identify specific, actionable goals. Apply business discipline and proven best practices. Stop fearing risks. Start mitigating them. Measure performance. Get results. You can. This book shows you how.
Jason Falls and Erik Deckers serve up practical social media techniques and metrics for building brands, strengthening awareness, improving service, optimizing R&D, driving better leads--and closing more sales.
“Conversations” and “communities” are wonderful, but they’re not enough. Get this book and get what you really want from social media: profits.
Think social media’s a passing fad? Too risky? Just a toy? Too soft and fuzzy? Not for your business? Wake up! It’s where your customers are. And it ain’t going away. Does that suck? No. It doesn’t. Do social media right, and all those great business buzzwords come true. Actionable. Measurable. And...wait for it...here comes the big one. Profitable. Damn profitable.
Want to know how to do it right? We’ll show you. And, yeah, we know how because we’ve done it. This is the bullshit-free, lie-free, fluff-free, blessedly non-New-Age real deal. You’re going to learn how to use social media to deliver absolutely killer customer service. How to R&D stuff people actually want. Develop scads of seriously qualified leads. You’ll figure out what you want. You know, the little things like profits, market share, loyalty, and brand power. You’ll figure out how to measure it. And then you’ll go get it.
One more thing. We know what scares you about social media. Screwing up (a.k.a., your mug on the front page of The Wall Street Journal). So we’ll tell you what to do so that won’t happen. Ever. No B.S. in this book. Just facts. Metrics. Best practices. Stuff to warm the hearts of your CFO, CEO, all your C-whatevers. And, yeah, you. So get your head out from under the pillow. Get your butt in gear. Let’s go make some money.
Review
"A book like this deserves a no bullshit testimonial: The social media world is so full of it, I really didn’t think anybody had the guts to put out a book like this on it. If someone tells you social media is crap, throw this book at them and demand they read it.”
--Scott Stratten, international bestselling author of UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging
“Jason and Erik don’t screw around with wishy-washy theories or starry-eyed notions. If you’re looking for sound advice on how to use social media to grow your business (and who isn’t?), this book is your guide.”
--David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of Real-Time Marketing and PR: How to Instantly Engage Your Market, Connect with Customers, and Create Products that Grow Your Business Now
"I've been famously quoted as saying, '99.5% of social media experts are clowns,' but watching Jason over the course of the last five years makes me feel pretty confident that he's in the other .5%."
--Gary Vaynerchuk, cofounder, VaynerMedia; author of The Thank You Economy
"Jason and Erik are the real deal. They blend heartfelt sincerity with technical know-how and experience. This book gives you a lot to chew on, and if you let it, gives you a serious step up on your competition."
--Chris Brogan, coauthor of Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
“Finally, a book that hits the topic of social media in a way that makes it real, practical, and important.”
--John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and the Referral Engine
"Social media marketing can drive real business results and No Bullshit Social Media delivers straight-talking guidance to help brands succeed."
--Peter Kim, chief strategy officer, Dachis Group
“Forget everything you thought you already knew about social media marketing. Chuck it. Start over. Then, turn to page 1 of Falls and Deckers’s No Bullshit Social Media guide and learn from the masters.”
--Todd Defren, principal, SHIFT Communications; blogger, PR-Squared
“Deckers and Falls crystallize the relevant aspects of social media marketing in an exciting and informal way. Not just for marketing types, No Bullshit Social Media is a must-read for anyone who has a passion to grow their business by learning how to listen and dialog with their customers.”
--Scott Applebee, vice president marketing, Travelpro International, Inc.
"Finally! A no-nonsense marketing book from guys deep within the social media trenches. This book is a must-read for any business that's struggling with social media marketing."
--Michael A. Stelzner, CEO, SocialMediaExaminer.com; author of Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition
“I punched the wall with enthusiasm after reading this book! No joke. This is the best bare-knuckled approach to social media marketing I have ever read. Erik and Jason tell it to you straight. Every CEO, entrepreneur, and business professional should read this book and spit out the BS!”
--Kyle Lacy, author of Branding Yourself and Twitter Marketing for Dummies
“Pop! Finally a book that bursts the hype balloon around social media and delivers a real recipe for how to use it to actually build your business. Falls and Deckers call out the fools and phonies and pull no punches while doing so. This book delivers clear-headed, no-nonsense, proven advice that you'll gobble up like candy--especially if you're a doubter about the whole social media craze.”
--Jay Baer, coauthor of The Now Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter, and More Social
“Jason Falls and Erik Deckers waste no words getting right to what works and what doesn't. You couldn't find two more qualified people to deliver the clear story on how social media can grow your business--using the speed and reach of the Internet to make real relationships. Buy this book now!”
--Liz Strauss, brand strategist, community builder, founder of SOBCon
"Ripping off a Band-Aid never feels good, but that is exactly what Falls and Deckers do as they cut right to the point and tell you exactly how your company needs to approach social media if it wants to be successful. No kissing your boo-boo in this book!"
--C.C. Chapman, coauthor of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
“Stop. Put this book down! Step away from the book. Honestly, we’d prefer that you not read this book. We’re quite happy to continue to run laps around your business, and the last thing we need is for you to start trying to satisfy your customers by applying what you’ll learn here.”
--Joe Sorge, entrepreneur, small business owner, burgerwhisperer, coauthor of #TwitterWorks: Restaurant 2.0 Edition: How social media built a restaurant, a pizza truck and thousands of relationships
“No Bullshit Social Media advances and distills Jason and Erik’s unique and thought-provoking insights about why, and how, we should use what they so simply demonstrate is the most powerful marketing tool available to businesses today--social media.”
--Kevin Taylor, aka @telecomtails; former president, Chartered Institute of Public Relations; founder, Robertson Taylor PR; European lead for Global Results Communications
"Many business leaders are still trying to understand the value of social media communication. Falls and Deckers take the key questions and challenges head on, back them up with examples, and spare you the frustrating jargon and hyperbole. If you're an executive trying to get your arms around social or need your boss to better understand, this book is the place to start."
--Amber Naslund, VP Social Strategy, Radian6; coauthor of The Now Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter, and More Social
“Kick-ass straight-talk about how social media has emerged core to businesses' bottom line success. A must-read, with no holds barred.”
--Stacy DeBroff, CEO and founder, Mom Central Consulting
"This is a book I'm excited about. Not just because it sounds straightforward (that ‘No Bullshit’ thing!), but because it is. Social media isn't all Rainbow Brite, snuggly puppies, and big group hugs. It's real. It's actionable. It works. So what are you waiting for?"
--Ann Handley, chief content officer, MarketingProfs; coauthor of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
"Jason and Erik offer something often in painfully short supply in the social media world: business sense. No kumbaya, no fluffy talk about engagement or conversation, just real advice crafted with business needs and a bottom line in mind."
--Christopher Barger, senior vice president of global programs, Voce Connect
“‘Yes you can!,’ President Obama’s slogan from his first presidential election campaign, is an apt label to apply to Jason Falls and Erik Deckers’s treatment of social media and its dynamic place in business and marketing. Falls and Deckers pepper their book with credible case studies to illustrate the compelling differences social media marketing can make to any business, large or small. No Bullshit Social Media offers you actionable insights that will help you believe that you, too, can realize benefits that social media marketing can bring to your business.”
--Neville Hobson, ABC (Association of Business Communicators); copresenter, the For Immediate Release podcast series
“Jason Falls and Erik Deckers continue to deliver ‘Pristine and Straight Arrow Insights’ into social media marketing. Their book No Bullshit Social Media is just that: no B.S. This book is common sense from cover to cover!”
--Ramon De Leon, social media visionary and international speaker, Domino’s Pizza Chicago
“In an era when everyone from kids to grandparents has mastered social media, too many business people are still asking, ‘Do I dare?’ This no-B.S. read says loudly and clearly, ‘Hell, yes!’ It’s a smart, succinct combo of why to and how that persuasively pounds home its social-media premise: ‘You better play, or you’re gonna pay.’”
--Bruce Hetrick, president and CEO, Hetrick Communications
"Enough of the excuses! No more saying that you don't ‘get’ social media or that you're too old/out of date/not geeky enough to use today's tools to market your business. Get off your butt, buy this book, and start growing! 'Nuff said."
--Sarah "Intellagirl" Smith-Robbins, PhD, Director of Emerging Technologies, Kelley Executive Partners at Indiana University; Marketing faculty, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
"Social media has changed the rules of how products and services are marketed, forever! In this book, Jason and Erik throw stone-cold facts at the reader and force you to open up to new forms of ROI."
--Arjen Strijker, founder, Somesso.com
Synopsis
This is the first no-holds-barred, no B.S., no Kumbaya guide to social media marketing for business. It's the perfect book for every decision-maker who's ready to move beyond soft platitudes about social media conversations, and achieve results: measurable improvements in sales, profitability, efficiency, and brand value. Top social media marketing consultants Jason Fells and Eric Decker take a relentlessly practical business value of social marketing, focusing on business drivers and effective metrics. They systematically address common executive objections to social media, offer realistic guidance on reducing its risks, and present up-to-date statistics and case studies demonstrating its business value. You will find the expert help you need to apply social media to drive business, achieve quantifiable improvements in brand value, deliver superior customer service, improve R and D, strengthen corporate reputation and customer communication, and much more.
Synopsis
The In-Your-Face, Results-Focused, No- Kumbaya Guide to Social Media for Business
Detailed techniques for increasing sales, profits, market share, and efficiency
Specific solutions for brand-building, customer service, R&D, and reputation management Facts, statistics, real-world case studies, and rock-solid metrics Stop hiding from social media--or treating it as if it s a playground. Start using it strategically. Identify specific, actionable goals. Apply business discipline and proven best practices. Stop fearing risks. Start mitigating them. Measure performance. Get results. You can. This book shows you how.
Jason Falls and Erik Deckers serve up practical social media techniques and metrics for building brands, strengthening awareness, improving service, optimizing R&D, driving better leads--and closing more sales.
Conversations and communities are wonderful, but they re not enough. Get this book and get what you really want from social media:
profits.
Think social media s a passing fad? Too risky? Just a toy? Too soft and fuzzy? Not for your business? Wake up It s where your customers are. And it ain t going away. Does that suck? No. It doesn t. Do social media
right, and all those great business buzzwords come true.
Actionable. Measurable. And...wait for it...here comes the big one.
Profitable. Damn profitable.
Want to know how to do it right? We ll show you. And, yeah, we know how because we ve
done it. This is the bullshit-free, lie-free, fluff-free, blessedly non-New-Age real deal. You re going to learn how to use social media to deliver absolutely killer customer service. How to R&D stuff people actually want. Develop scads of seriously qualified leads. You ll figure out what you want. You know, the little things like profits, market share, loyalty, and brand power. You ll figure out how to measure it. And then you ll
go get it.
One more thing. We know what scares you about social media. Screwing up (a.k.a., your mug on the front page of
The Wall Street Journal). So we ll tell you what to do so that won t happen. Ever. No B.S. in this book. Just facts. Metrics. Best practices. Stuff to warm the hearts of your CFO, CEO, all your C-whatevers. And, yeah, you. So get your head out from under the pillow. Get your butt in gear.
Let s go make some money. "
About the Author
Jason Falls is a consultant, speaker, strategist, and thinker in the world of digital marketing and social media. He is the owner of Social Media Explorer, a social media consulting service, as well as Exploring Social Media, a learning community. He works with corporate clients, developing and managing their social media and PR strategies. He is a highly sought-after speaker, traveling around the country to speak to various trade associations, conferences, and corporate groups.
Erik Deckers is the co-owner and vice president of creative services of Professional Blog Service, a ghost blogging and social media agency. His company works with both small businesses and large corporations. Erik has been blogging since 1997, and he speaks widely on social media topics for personal branding, business, crisis communication, and citizen journalism. He is also a newspaper columnist and award-winning playwright.
Table of Contents
Introduction .. . . . 1
Part I: Social Media Is for Hippies. Social Media Marketing Is for Business.
Chapter 1: Ignore the Hype. Believe the Facts. 9
Social Media and the Hype Cycle 11
The Problem with What Social Media Purists Preach 15
But Asking About ROI Is Asking the Wrong Question 16
Seven Things Social Media Marketing Can Do for Your Business 19
1. Enhance Branding and Awareness 19
2. Protect Brand Reputation 20
3. Enhance Public Relations 21
4. Build Community 21
5. Enhance Customer Service 22
6. Facilitate Research and Development 23
7. Drive Leads and Sales 23
When You Add “Marketing,” It’s About Business 24
Endnotes 25
Chapter 2: It’s Not Them; It’s You! 27
Today’s Consumer Is Different.You’re Still the Same Old Dinosaur 29
You Never Controlled Your Message 31
If Social Media Can Help Overthrow a Government, What Will It Do to a Company? 32
It’s Not About Being on Social; It’s About Being Social 34
If You Don’t Trust Your Employees, You Hired the Wrong People 36
Don’t Blame It on IT, Compliance, or Legal 38
Social Media Doesn’t Violate Company Policy. People Violate Company Policy 39
So What Can You Do with Social Media? 40
The Ball Is in Your Court 41
Endnotes 42
Chapter 3: Your Competition May Have Already Kicked Your Ass 43
Your Audience Doesn’t Trust You Anymore, Anyway 45
Go Ahead, Buy an Ad 47
But We’re a B2B Company; We Don’t Count 48
Destroy Your Printer 49
The Shipping Industry Goes Social 50
But It Doesn’t Have to Be That Complicated 50
Do You Want to Be Greg Tackett or His Competition? 51
Endnotes 52
Chapter 4: Here’s the Secret: There Is No Damn Secret! 55
Social Media Marketing Is Not About Technology, It’s About Communication 56
Tools Change; the Need for Messaging Won’t 57
Social Media Is Not an Advertising Medium, but Social Platforms Can Be 58
This Ain’t “Rocket Surgery” 61
Starting in Social Media Is Like Asking an Investor for Money 61
Social Media Marketing Is About Planning and Measuring 64
Five Mind-Set Shifts That Make Successful Social Media Marketing Managers (and One Caveat) 65
Part II: How Social Media Marketing Really Works
Chapter 5: Make Some Noise: Social Media Marketing Aids in Branding and Awareness 71
Your Brand Is What the Community Says It Is 73
Traditional Marketing and Its Metrics Have Lied to You for Years 77
Why We Can’t Measure Traditional Marketing and PR 78
Why We Can Measure Social Media 79
Compare Costs Between Social Media and Traditional Media 81
What Traditional Marketing Costs 82
What Social Media Marketing Costs 83
The 500 Million Water Coolers Are Now One Big One 84
Putting Metrics Around Branding and Awareness 86
Endnotes 89
Chapter 6: It’s Your House: Social Media Marketing Protects Your Reputation 91
What Is “Crisis Communication”? 95
You Just Can’t Wait for Traditional Media to Catch Up or Get It Right 96
When You Don’t Listen or Respond, You Get Chi-Chi’d 98
Six Steps for Dealing with Detractors 100
But It’s Not Always About the Negative 101
Protecting Your Reputation Has a Technology Side, Too 102
Putting Metrics Around Protecting Your Reputation 104
Endnotes 107
Chapter 7: Relating to Your Public: Social Media Marketing and Public Relations 109
Public Relations Is Not Only About the Mainstream Media Anymore 112
Journalists Are Using Social Media, Too 115
Social Media Lets PR Skip the Gatekeepers and Editors 116
Quit Waiting for Traditional Media to Catch Up 117
Avoiding the Filter of the Traditional Media 118
The New Media Relations Landscape 119
Crisis Communication Starts Months Before You Have a Crisis 122
Dealing with Detractors 123
Putting Metrics Around Public Relations 125
Endnotes 127
Chapter 8: The Kumbaya Effect: Social Media Marketing Builds Community 129
Understanding Different Types of Communities 133
There’s More to Building Community Than Just Making Friends 135
Measuring Community 136
You Can Even Build Community Around Scissors! 138
But What If Our Competition Shows Up in Our Community? 140
Okay, So How Do You Do This and How Much Will It Cost? 142
Endnotes 145
Chapter 9: It’s About Them: Social Media Marketing Drives Customer Service 147
Why Do You Want to Hear from Your Customers? 150
Putting Your People Where Your Mouth Is 151
You Can’t Help Everyone 152
You’re Not the “Jackass Whisperer” 153
Sometimes It’s Just Two Little Words 155
Putting Metrics Around Customer Service 157
Measuring Customer Service Savings 159
Endnotes 161
Chapter 10: Get Smarter: Social Media Marketing Drives Research and Development 163
Collaboration Is the New Black 164
Collaborating with Customers Breeds Customers 165
Let’s Collaborate About Scissors...Yes, Scissors 166
Papa’s R&D Is in the House 168
Measuring Research and Development 169
It’s Adding R&D to Your R&D 171
But We’re a Small Business;We Don’t Do R&D 172
How to Plan For Research and Development 175
Endnotes 177
Chapter 11: It’s All About the Benjamins: Social Media Marketing Drives Sales 179
Nothing’s Wrong with Advertising 182
Advertising Is Outbound. Social Media Is Inbound 183
Case Studies in Social Media Marketing for Sales 184
The PIs and the KPIs 185
Putting Metrics Around Sales 187
We Know What It Can Do; Now How Do We Do It? 190
Endnotes 191
Part III: Get Off Your Ass, Would Ya!
Chapter 12: Remedy Your Fears with Sound Policy 193
Why Do We Need a Social Media Policy? 195
The Question of Ownership 198
What Can Employees Do at Home? 199
Telecommuting Is Not the Same as Personal Networking 200
What Should a Social Media Policy Include 200
What Should You Do About Privileged Information and Avoiding Giving Advice? 204
Trust Employees, but Not Everyone Should Speak for the Company 205
Who Should Enforce It? 205
Let’s Be Clear on the Responsibility 207
What If People Spend Too Much Time on Social Media? 208
Endnotes 209
Chapter 13: Assign Responsibility and Be Accountable 211
The Question of Ownership 212
A Quick Review of the Pros and Cons 213
Marketing 213
Sales 214
Public Relations 214
Customer Service 215
Who Should Not Be in Charge 215
The Ideal Setup 216
Social Media Management Is for Senior Staff, Not Interns 217
Who Are the Ideal Social Media Practitioners? 218
What If Your Employee Becomes a Social Media Rock Star? 219
The Models of Social Media Management 221
Hold Your Team Accountable 223
Chapter 14: This Is NOT a Sandbox. It’s a Business. 225
You Know What It Can Do, Now Decide What You Want It to Do 226
Done Is Better Than Perfect 228
Turn Your Plan into Action 229
Planning for the Unexpected 231
Sometimes You Can’t Do It Alone 233
Endnotes 236
Chapter 15: Being Social 237
Being a Social Business Makes Customers Proud to Wear Your Badge 238
Social Media Marketing Is More Than Just Business 239
Five Kickstarters to Change a Traditional Mind-Set 241
Kickstarter No. 1--Hear, Then Listen 242
Kickstarter No. 2--Share, Then Solve 243
Kickstarter No. 3--Launch, Then Learn 243
Kickstarter No. 4--Trust, Then Adjust 244
Kickstarter No. 5--Give, Then Get 244
In the End, It’s a Business 245
Endnotes 247
Index 249