Sometimes, you sit down to read a book, and instantaneously you think, “Oh man. This person wrote a book that encapsulates everything I’ve been thinking about!”
Such was my experience when I sat down to read Social Media 4 Direct Marketers, by Debra Ellis (not an affiliate link). Debra honored me by giving me an opportunity to review this book, and let me tell you, it’s right up my alley.
Instead of telling you what I really liked about this book, which would basically just entail me reading it to you (I could do that but I’m going to need a fair amount of water to drink), I’m going to ask you some questions that you may be wondering about. The answers can all be found in this fine piece of work.
• Are you wondering if you really need to incorporate Social Media into your direct marketing efforts?
• Are you wondering which Social Media platforms you should use?
• Are you wondering how you would be able to tell if what you’re doing is working?
• Are you wondering if engaging in Social Media activity means that you have to abandon your bread and butter direct marketing expertise?
• Are you wondering how you can integrate your efforts so that wherever you are seen – online or in print, your campaign is cohesive and strong?
I thought you might have some of those questions on your mind. This book lays out the answers to these rather complicated questions in a manner that is easy to understand but that doesn’t make you feel like you are in Kindergarten. There are lots of supporting diagrams to help you see at a glance what you can glean from the information, and there are points where you feel ready to get up and start getting to work on everything Debra talks about.
With all of this being said, I am particularly delighted to be able to share with you that Ms. Ellis is not only brilliant, but she is also extremely generous. Currently I am working with a team of people on an initiative called #care4Japan. Debra is offering discounted pricing for anyone who donates via our website to the American Red Cross, and she is also letting us give away TEN copies of this extraordinary work between now and April 9, 2011.
As a woman who works for a B2B agency, the issue of how to straddle the “old” world of traditional marketing and the new world of Social Media is always on my mind. It’s probably on yours to varying levels, too. Check out this book if this is something you are working on now.