Product Description

Praise for Marketing to the Social Web

"Weber understands that the world is going digital and that competitive advantage will accrue to those who understand the transformation. CEOs should heed this transformation and learn from Weber′s insights how to navigate this new landscape to fully maximize their business opportunities."
–Mark Fuller, Chairman, Monitor Group

"Consumers are using technology to grab power from companies, the media, and the government. Marketing to the Social Web succinctly outlines how institutions can survive and win in this chaotic new world, and lays out the revised rules of engagement–ignore them at your peril."
–George F. Colony, CEO, Forrester Research, Inc.

"Larry has brought pragmatic and useful recommendations to help brand builders manage the complexity of social interaction in a digital age. I was pleased to read a book that actually suggests how to do something with social networks, instead of just ponder them."
–David Kenny, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Digitas Inc.

"Where′s the allure of social 2.0? Brands can talk . . . customers talk louder! Digital influence has arrived."
–Jeff Taylor, CEO, Eons and Founder of Monster.com

"Larry Weber provides a simple and effective roadmap of the new customer information highway. Marketing to the Social Web is a valuable tool that will give everyone the confidence and know–how to compete in this fast–growing marketplace of ideas."
–Steve Harris, Vice President, Global Communications, General Motors Corporation

"As all lines and boundaries are washed away by the Web, Weber describes how to become part of the sea versus the sand."
–Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman, One Laptop per Child

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #239484 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
"…outstanding book…an intelligent, accessible guide to a new world." (The Marketer; Chartered Institute of Marketing, October 2007)

Review
"…outstanding book…an intelligent, accessible guide to a new world." (The Marketer; Chartered Institute of Marketing, October 2007)

"...provides new ways to find and communicate with customers, rather than at them." (LRP, October 2008)

From the Inside Flap

The future of marketing is a two–way street, not a one–way message.

Marketers must look to the Web for new ways to find and communicate with customers, rather than at them. From MySpace and YouTube to blogs, social media on the Internet is the most promising new way to reach customers.

Marketing to the Social Web helps marketers and their companies understand how to engage customers, build customer communities, and maximize profits in a time of marketing confusion. Author and social media guru Larry Weber describes newly available tools and platforms, and shows readers how to apply them to see immediate results and growth.

In order to use the Internet to its full marketing potential, executives must open their minds to new possibilities, embrace social change, and rethink best practices. Rather than broadcast messages to audiences, savvy marketers will participate in, organize, and encourage social networks to which people want to belong, striking up a dialog with and between customers. Networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and even Flickr are the perfect forums for this new dialog; Marketing to the Social Web shows you how to tap into it.

Today, marketing is exploding with possibilities and complexities as it reaches out into new forms, media, and models. Marketing to the Social Web presents an exceptional opportunity to use these new tools and models to reach new markets, even in today′s fragmented media environment.

Customer Reviews

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! However, within a few pages author Larry Weber introduces the one thing missing from most of these refrains: hard data. He provides statistics that document precisely how the marketing landscape is changing, then goes on to analyze what this information means for business. Almost as refreshing, Weber is careful to point out where information does not exist, often calling for new metrics or a software tool that will give statistical substance to the visceral understanding of Web-savvy marketers. Weber reviews case studies that demonstrate approaches that have worked, as well as some glorious and instructive failures. He builds on these to develop a set of principles and tactics readers can use to develop a realistic strategy for online marketing. getAbstract recommends his book to established businesses that wish to get into online marketing and to all would-be Internet entrepreneurs.

Does what it says on the tin
Many of the leading books like The Cluetrain Manifesto have a tone and viewpoint that is at best preachy towards marketers and at worst downright hostile. Marketing and the libertarian belief system at the centre of the web community from the EFF to the blogosphere seem to be diametrically opposed. Its kind of like that Bill Hicks sketch that starts off `marketers kill themselves'.

Marketing to the Social Web - How digital customer communities build your business by Larry Weber is less of a lecture berating marketers and more like a discussion over beer and pretzels. Weber contextualises the online environment and explains where marketers should get involved, including strategies for successful participation. The book is written in an accessible manner and made excellent reading on the tube.

Another Book for the Establishment
This book although it has some good content, is too tedious to get through. I lost interest halfway through, as there is too much generic padding which could have been improved with better editing. Good title but unfortunately that is not enough.