The Art of Social Media

I love sharing tips and tools to help small business owners, nonprofit organizations and government programs build their social media networks.  I want to share another great resource for anyone using social media: “The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users” by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick.

The Art of Social Media is filled with a practical and easy to use information. Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick have given us a map to social media, as it is right now. Whether you are new to social media or you are looking to fast-track your social media strategy to take it to the next level, you will find useful up-to-date and step-by-step guides, tips and tools in the  Art of Social Media.

I must confess, I absolutely love Peg Fitzpatrick. When I started using social media for business, long before I earned my credentials as a Social Media Strategist through the National Institute of Social Media, I was blessed to find Peg – everywhere! I have learned a great deal from Peg and through her interactions and presence on social media. First and foremost, she taught me to be myself, to share my spark on social media. Also,I am big fan of Guy Kawasaki and his books, particularly APE, What the Plus!, and Enchantment. 

So, when I heard that Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick were writing a book about social media you better believe I was over the moon! Reading the Art of Social Media was like sitting down with a mentor and getting the inside scoop. (Shhh – they gave us all of their secrets.)

Social media platforms and technology are constantly changing.  The tips and reasoning in the Art of Social Media for good brand creation, strong content curating, effective community management and, as they put it, ‘How to Avoid Looking Clueless’  will continue to serve you as social media evolves.

Here is what I liked about the book:

1. Peg’s and Guy’s personalities shine through – even though it is written in Guy’s voice, it is clear that they are a great team and have acquired this knowledge through experimentation and diligence. 
2. Links, tools, examples, details, and clear how-tos – value, value, value! This includes a list of apps at the end of the book.
3. Guy and Peg share the stage with many other social media evangelists and superstars which gives the reader a broader perspective and fantastic people and brand to follow.
4. Check lists and Calls to Action – I LOVE a good checklist and this book provided plenty of great checklists and calls to action to keep me busy for the next 6 months.
5. Chapter organization and and the index with links – I found that when I want to go back and review a topic the index is my go-to tool.

Along with this book, I recommend following Peg ‘everywhere’ – website, Twitter, Pinterest, G+, Facebook and Instagram.

The Art of Social Media is launching December 4th, 2014. To get your copy, visit Amazon or your favorite book seller. I would love to hear your thoughts on this book and other tips and tools for social media. If you have questions about social media, please share them in the comments and I get an answer for you.