Book Review: Marketing to the Social Web
From Facebook and YouTube to blogs and Twitter-ing, social media on the Internet is the most promising new way to reach customers.
Marketing to the Social Web, Second Edition helps marketers and their companies understand how to engage customers, build customer communities, and maximize profits in a time of marketing confusion.
Marketers must look to the Web for new ways of finding customers and communicating with them, rather than at them.
Rather than broadcast messages to audiences, savvy marketers should encourage participation in social networks to which people want to belong, where dialogue with customers, and between customers, can flourish in Networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and even Flickr are the perfect forums for this dialog; this book shows you how to tap into this new media.
In addition to the tools and tactics that made Marketing to the Social Web a critical hit among marketers, this second edition includes three entirely new chapters that cover recent changes in the field.
These new chapters describe how Facebook will monetize its business and one day surpass Google; how companies can measure the influence and effectiveness of their social media campaigns; and how marketing to mobile social media will grow into an effective practice in the near future.
Marketing must reach out into new forms, media, and models. Marketing to the Social Web, Second Edition presents an exceptional opportunity to use these new tools and models to reach new markets, even in today’s fragmented media environment.
Review by The Marketer; Chartered Institute of Marketing, October 2007
“…outstanding book…an intelligent, accessible guide to a new world.”
Larry Weber has spent the last three decades building global communications companies, including Weber Shandwick Worldwide and the W2 Group. He is also the founder and Chairman of the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, the nation’s largest interactive advocate association.
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Executive Summary:
The book would be more appropriately entitled: “An introduction to Web 2.0″ There is very little marketing advice, and the information in this book might have been cutting edge in 2002-3 but in 2008, it would only appeal to beginners, or non-tech oriented people. If you don’t know what a “Blog” is, then this book is for you. If you do know what a blog is, I would go elsewhere.
Full Review:
I have read about a dozen books on marketing/advertising/community building on the web. Perhaps I didn’t realize the scope of this book. First, if you are reading a review for what this book is about, you are probably more technologically advanced than anything this book has to offer…(IE: The “Social Web” as he puts it, Or Web 2.0, can affect hearts and minds. For example, you are reading this review before purchasing this book for some insight.)
To me it seemed as if the book was written for very large company’s marketers who are 60+ years of age and are not familiar with the internet, or at best don’t think there has been any evolution of the internet in the past 14+ years since it has gone commercial. I don’t mean to be rude, but this book really seemed like something that would have had an impact and would have been interesting in about 2001. The fact that this book was written and released in the last year honestly amazed me, as I was certain that it was just re-released based on the material.
To be slightly more specific, the book concentrates heavily on not trying to hurt the ego’s of marketers who have not been keeping up with the Internet by saying “Some of your old marketing knowledge is still useful.” a bit too often. While true, it just seemed a bit overboard. Another quick example of the target market is that the book took about 4-5 pages in describing what a blog is. This is all well and good for an “Intro” book, but it is indicitive of the audience this book was meant for. I found this book too generic to be useful. It lacked specifics, strong case examples, adequate statistics, etc. If you are 60+ years of age and really aren’t aware of what social communities are, or message boards, or online reviews of products (Oh the irony), I would recommend this book. Also, if you don’t believe that having an online voice is relevant in today’s global market, and are looking for a strong case to show you why it is, I would recommend this book. If you have ever participated on a message board, read a blog, posted/read an online review, etc…this book won’t tell you anything that you don’t already know.
However, if you are looking for effective ways to market to the “Social Web” AKA Web 2.0 by the rest of the world, go elsewhere. This book is too generic to be useful IMHO. I gave this book two stars instead of one because it was well written, and unlike EVERY other marketing book I have ever read, it didn’t remind you to go to the author’s website every other page (In fact, I don’t even remember him naming his website in the book, which is to be applauded, as you can tell this info was legitimately designed to help the reader, not just another marketing tool by the author as many marketing books are). Also if you do want a BEGINNERS’ book to what Web 2.0 is, this would be tough to beat. The author puts everything in non-techie terms, and is very thorough at explaining some of the core/basic concepts of Web 2.0.
BOTTOM LINE:
The people who could best be helped with a book like this are intelligent people who don’t keep up with technology, but know the basics. I found this more as an introduction to what Web 2.0 was than a “How to” book which is what I believed the book to be about based on the title.
If you are looking for valuable “How to market to the Social Web” info, this book will GREATLY disappoint you.
In Marketing to the Social Web, Larry Weber provides an effective framework to further the understanding of the customer engagement process on the social web. This book will help many companies better appreciate that the command and control mode of communication has been rendered obsolete by social networks and that customers are more and more dictating the terms or engagement in terms of time, place and frequency. However, I would have liked a deeper look at how one converts social conversations and relationships in leads and revenue!
4.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT INFO
Marketing to the Social Web is the best book on using social media for marketing and customer relations which I have read to date.
If you are perplexed by the light speed evolution of marketing on the Web, this book is for you. The author is has been deeply involved in the Web since the beginning of time, on both the technical and business fronts. Thus,Weber paints a very clear picture of how social media evolved, what it looks like, how businesses should use it, and where it is going. The book provides a lot of detail and advice to help marketing professionals understand things like-
The differences between traditional and new media.
How to engage customers in real conversations.
How to target customers in the social Web.
How to implement social marketing strategies.
What mistakes to avoid in social marketing (based on case study examples.)
How to vibrant customer communities.
Blogging.
Weber’s practical advice for marketers is spot on, but what really struck me is the conceptual framework he provides. He sees the social Web as an integrated whole, which is very important. You can’t understand how to effectively use the pieces of the social Web – blogs, microsites, social network sites, etc. – until you see how all the pieces fit together.
Weber’s model of the marketing department of the future is fascinating. For starters, he envisions the CMO having a director of paid media and a director of unpaid media. This in itself is a great concept that will help companies prevent the stovepiping of individual social Web initiatives and ensure new media and old media programs are likewise integrated. Right now, old reporting structures are making it difficult for companies tap into the power of new marketing tools at their fingertips.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wisdom for Results
This work is hard-hitting and market smart.
We have already been using social media as part of our customer outreach at the company I founded and run.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for beginners and traditional marketers alike!!
This is the first book on social media that I had the opportunity to read and I must tell you it was an absolute pleasure. I read each and every word with relish.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Marketing to the Social Web a good book not great
Marketing to the Social Web, by Larry Weber.
I decided to read this book because I wanted to get a better understanding of marketing on the social web.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Social Media Marketing
I read this book as an additional learning resource to a social media marketing course that I’m currently taking.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Looking To Get Your Arms Around Social Media And Why It Is A Must
Cort, Carey, social media student
LOOKING TO GET YOUR ARMS AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHY IT IS A MUST
“Marketing to the Social Web” by Larry Weber is a 10.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great specific knowledge about a nascent industry
“Marketing to the Social Web” by Larry Weber is a brief, though comprehensive look at the new applications of marketing on today’s internet.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read for people working with Web 2.0
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in marketing and web 2.0 as a whole. Weber offers some great urls to visit and great examples to help support his ideas.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Marketing to the Social Web and it I can’t get it on the Kindle!!
this is laughable. These guys have the balls to publish a book about marketing to the social web and yet they have not released a Kindle version!!!!????
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marketing guide for online communities
At first glance, this is yet another cover of a familiar tune: Get online because it is the next big thing! Hurry, hurry!
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