Martin Koss – thinking out loud…

With so many authors sharing their knowledge and experiences, 17 zillion blogs about blogging and everyone and their dog sharing opinions – who should you listen to? Well, for me, Chris Brogan stands head and shoulders above most and Social Media 101 is a great place to start.

Social Media 101

Social Media 101 came along a few months ago and, as Chris states, himself, it is largely based on things he has blogged about over many years but it contains everything a new ‘social media’ newbie should know about – and dozens of great ideas and ‘steps’ that an intermediate and experienced bloggist should know about too.

There’s something for social media users in Social Media 101 and for anyone questioning Chris’ ‘giving’ – stop questioning. CB gives and he talks a lot about ‘giving to receive‘ and he is a clear demonstration that “it works“.

I have learned more from Social Media 101 than from any other single source – and (I think) you could too. For the sake of a tenner (or thereabout – cheaper in the US and the iTunes version is a few quid more) and a few hours – either the hand-held paper version or the iTunes /Audible version – its worth every penny.

It really is about as close to some 1-1 with CB that most of us could ever get. Could you afford 6 hours and 19 minutes of Chris Brogan – I couldn’t – but now I have it.

What it says on Amazon (.co.uk) about Social Media 101

100 ways to tap into social media for a more profitable business

In Social Media 101, social media expert and blogger Chris Brogan presents the best practices for growing the value of your social media and social networking marketing efforts….

You′ll learn how to cultivate profitable online relationships, develop your brand, and drive meaningful business. Brogan shows you how to build an effective blog or website for your business, monitor your online reputation and what people are saying about your business online, and create new content to share with your customers… (etc)

What Chris explains is how he does it.

Now how valuable is that? To get an insight into how someone who has spent the best part of 10 years near the top of the blogosphere and who works with many of the top money makers in social media – he knows what he’s talking about and everything he says is pretty much ‘spot on’.

I’m gonna guess that this little book will make you think and it will have you rushing to your blog and thinking “oh dear – look how many things I’m doing wrong”… But it is so much more than blogging. Social Media 101 is a complete walk-through of all things social including all types of media, all types of promotional channels, with oodles of great thought provoking ideas.

Chris gives; he walks us through doing what he does, and we should be listening.

From the back cover of Social Media 101:

From the bestselling author of Trust Agents

Your competitors are using social media platforms like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to reach their customers in order to grow their businesses and profits—are you?

With Social Media 101, you can quickly bring your business up to speed on the most effective social media marketing strategies. In this one–stop guide based on years of research, longtime blogger and bestselling author Chris Brogan compiles all the tactics and tools you need to get up and running with social media while avoiding the pitfalls. The short, powerful chapters can be read all together or as needed, and are packed with real–world examples of companies′ and individuals′ right steps and missteps.

“Chris offers clever insights and is always at the front of the learning curve.“—Ferg Devins Chief Public Affairs Officer, Molson Coors Canada

“Everything you wanted to know about social media but were afraid to ask—from the guy who put the human touch back into social media.“—Jennifer Cisney Kodak Chief Blogger and Social Media Manager.

Did Social Media 101 make it onto my recommend list?

Yep. You bet. Right up there with Trust Agents, Crush it, and more…

Amazon.co.uk links:
Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust

I’m off to order the paper version now so I can use the many great lists as reference points – and – so I can go through it like a maniac with a highlighter pen! Check out some of these (many) lists of great ideas:

- Chapter 17: Five Starter Moves for Introducing Social Media into Your Organization
- Chapter 27: A Sample Blogging Work Flow
- Chapter 29: Blogging Tips
- Chapter 32: 50 Blog Topics Marketers Could Write for Their Companies
- Chapter 65: 100 Personal Branding Tactics Using Social Media
- Chapter 74: 50 Ways Marketers Can Use Social Media to Improve Their Marketing, and
- Chapter 77: 50 Steps to Establish a Consistent Social Media Presence

It’s all there… Everything you MUST know about Social Media… By someone who knows.

As Chris states, Social Media 101 includes many things he has blogged about over 10+ years but it contains so much more than that. You could spend days reading each and every post at ChrisBrogan.com but I highly recommend this book – even if it’s the only book you buy this year – or ever – about Social Media and how to reach out in our global community.

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