The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web [Paperback]

In "New Community Rules" the author has created a handbook that is not only an excellent read, but also an excellent primer for any organization or enterpreneur trying to answer the question, "So what can this social media stuff do for me?"

In a methodical approach, covering all the bases of social media as it exists today, the author will walk you through the various aspects of social media marketing and how to use each of them to strengthen your company or brand. She teaches you the do's and don'ts of the social mediasphere -- and as many marketing folks know, the don'ts are probably one of the most valuable lessons you can ever learn. For example, don't use social media to try and push your products on people who haven't engaged with you -- it simply will not work.

The book itself was written for folks who probably haven't had much experience in the social media sphere. It not only walks you through the various offerings out there (from Facebook to Flickr; from Digg to Twitter) but also how each one of them is used -- and who uses them. It's important to note, and the author does a good job of this, that not every social media site is meant for every type of person or brand. Just like a focus group, you have to find the right environment for your social media efforts.

Anyone who is involved in marketing will find this book invaluable. The only drawback to it is that references to sites and such are very much based on what we know now, in 2009, to be true. No doubt in a few years the sites will have changed, but the principles behind social media marketing and interacting with your customers will still be the same.

I spend more than 20 hours a week immersed in various social media related activities so perhaps I'm not the target audience for this book. When I read books I'm looking for "secrets" which means something I haven't thought of - a new connection - a golden nugget that helps me see something from a different direction, or in a different way. I didn't find any in this book. In fact, I finished it a couple of weeks ago, and I can't, from memory, detail any specific part. That doesn't make it a bad or worthless book. It just means I've absorbed all of this info from other sources first. People who are looking to become involved in Social Media will find it useful because it does present a solid work on the topic. I'm trying to think of a book I've read in this space that is better, or more complete, and I can't, so if you're new to social marketing, and want a thorough overview of all aspects, buy this book. If you've already done a lot of reading on the topic, or actively participate, you can safely pass on it. The other point worth noting is that development on the internet is moving so very quickly today that for those who are inside and active, thoughts and ideas spread, and age, very quickly. If you're not yet involved in social media marketing, and you want to read one comprehensive overview, this is an excellent book. I gave it three starts instead of five because this is my review - a review of what the book offers someone with a medium to advanced level of experience in this area. If I were to rate it as I think someone new to social media marketing might, it probably would deserve a five star rating for the thoroughness of its coverage.

I have read a lot of books over the last year that aimed to be the "go to" source for understanding Social Media. Finally, one stands out. 'The New Community Rules' by Tamar Weinberg - probably the single most important book to read this year if you are involved in marketing your organization or cause on the web.

Practical, readable and accessible to those just getting starting out in this area, 'The New Community Rules' is sure to become the social media "bible". It starts off with a brief introduction to what social media is, follows with how to set goals, gets into the specifics of what to do, and finishes off with how to measure your results. Tools touched on include: blogs, microblogging, social networks, social bookmarking, social news, Q&A websites, photography, video, and podcasting. At the end, there is a nice 'Ultimate Social Media Etiquette Handbook' that spells out the dos and dont's of using some of the more popular social media sites.

Some points specifically stood out for me. First, Tamar makes it clear that you need to pick and choose which tools to focus on based on your goals and target community - something strangely absent from many other social media books. Then she goes further by spotlighting niche sites that cater to specific audiences, making the point that you can get a lot more exposure with a lot less effort if you use them. WiserEarth, for example, would fit into that category. Second, she goes into a lot of details on what she calls 'Informational Social Networks' like Wikipedia, Mahalo Answers, and Yahoo Answers which get a lot of traffic and can generate significant ongoing referrals. Finally, since I've never really been able to understand StumbleUpon, a social bookmarking service that we use to great effect at WiserEarth, it was a revelation to read the description in the book.

Besides this book, I recommend a number of other social media "must reads" for non-profits and activists:

* We Are Media - a community effort lead by Beth Kanter and NTEN to put together an online curriculum for nonprofits using social media. Since its a wiki and frequently updated it won't be obsolete like a book!
* Mobilizing Generation 2.0 by Ben Rigby - a nice summary of social media tools with specifically tailored strategies for the activist / nonprofit community.
* Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky - an oldy (in social media terms) but a goodie, this book is filled with great stories that illustrate the power of social media. Its a helpful frame for starting you web 2.0 exploration.