New Rules and New Ideas
From Amazon
This is a well-developed book with some new ideas that many will find interesting. It does go a bit more in-depth into blogging than some may prefer, but I found it helpful. I particularly enjoyed the section on "Second Life" - although it may not be appropriate for all (especially for those with limited time to spend on marketing and public relations) it is still very interesting. Overall a good book with good tips!
Clear Concise Common Sense!
From Amazon
This book is a must read for anyone that has anything to do with websites, creating and publishing their own content. This book has served as a guide to educate and get collaboration from everyone in my firm about our current websites structure and model. The marketing concepts are common sense and easy to follow. With out a doubt one of the best books I have read.
Not What I was Looking For, But Still Valuable
From Amazon
This book about web marketing wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it's still a good resource for those who are tired of the old ways of marketing and PR. The author says that the old ways no longer work. I believe he's right about that. When I see an ad on TV, I usually ignore it. Or when there's a commercial, I flip through the channels or get up and do something else. The new ways are focused on the web, and this is the book that'll teach how to do it.
The chapter about blogging alone is worth the price of the book. I had already learned about blogging from other online marketing books. So this information wasn't new to me. I know other people pay attention to blogs. I wrote a post about publishing and included a link to Dan Poynter's website (the Godfather of Self-publishing), and he himself posted a comment on it.
The author is especially right about viral videos. You never know if a video will go viral or not. But from what I've seen, viral videos are complete flukes. (Remember Numa Numa). Most viral videos are on YouTube. I know from experience that putting ads on YouTube results in negative ratings. Nobody goes to YouTube to be sold something; they're looking for entertainment.
Brandon Simpson
As with Life so with Blogging: It's About Showing Up
From Amazon
As with life so with blogging: it's about showing up.
Create a blog; fill it with solid, credible content; and make it accessible--and visitors will come. Consumers will come. The curious will come. Reporters, researchers, and writers will come. Be authentic, consistent, and persistent, and you will succeed as a blogger and as a merchant. You will sell your product--merchandise, an idea, a conversation, what have you--because they will come.
The same holds true if you create a podcast, website, or online video instead of or in addition to a blog.
All of this applies whether you are a businessperson, a non-profit organization, or an artist. The Web is replacing old school marketing via press releases, press conferences, press kits.... In fact, the press is largely out of the marketing picture nowadays.
Why? People turn to the Web for information about everything. Everthing. Cars. School. Real Estate. God. Making yourself highly visible in this electronic marketplace of merchandise and ideas is essential to success, no matter what your game is.
Such is the premise of David Meerman Scott's new book The New Rules of Marketing & PR.
Scott's first bit of advice is to create a solid, credible Web presence. Do well whatever it is you do. Excercise "thought leadership" in this way. Do whatever that is with the consumer in mind because one of the key "new rules" is that we can communicate directly with consumers rather than indirectly through news media.
This offers a tremendous advantage because we have complete control over the content, presentation, and distribution of our messages. This leads to another key new rule: do everything with the consumer in mind. Writing a press release? Write to the consumer and post it on the Web. Writing a new blog post? Write in terms your reader will understand. Creating a video? Present images that are relevant to your audience.
With your audience in mind, consider making a range of media available online--forums, wikis, and downloadable print documents, for examples, in addition to video, podcasts, and text.
A key step to making all of this stuff work is to step out and visit other blogs and forums online and to participate in them by commenting on the works of others and inviting others as guests on your own blog. The social media are called that because they are about two-way communication. As you do so, you create a Web persona that consumers will associate with your product. In this age of virtual reality, your best tool is your authentic voice.
Scott's book breaks apart the old idea of bloggers and other surfers as oddball loners living in complete isolation. Instead, the book suggests a vibrant, interactive community of people who care about ideas and about using those ideas to improve products and information.
Another of Scott's premises is that people search the Web for the information you want. Your audience comes to you for what they want; you needn't interrup them and persuade them that you have a good product.
If you're new to blogging or intimidated by the idea of living an electronic life, then Scott's book is a must. His anecdotes and vignettes of online marketing successes make the concept understandable. His very readable book it concludes with very doable how-to information.
If you're newer than new to the world of blogging, I suggest reading The Blog Ahead by R. Scott Hall. It is a very readable history of the blogosphere.
A roadmap for reaching your buyers directly
From Amazon
The premise of David Meerman Scott's book is that there are new rules to follow if organizations are going to reach their buyers directly. What is neat about the book is that these new rules are organized in a cohesive roadmap for those who wish to understand how to adapt and what to do. On a personal note, it is great to see the advocacy of buyer personas in this book. As someone who has been involved with personas for nearly 10 years as a creator and strategist for persona development, it is refreshing to see this type of advocacy. The message of using buyer personas for tapping into your buyers directly and at a deeper level is one that most readers will get. I recommend this book wholeheartedly for anyone who is either puzzled about how to adapt to the new "online" world or is seeking creative new ways to reach their customers.