You know all those social media gurus you see everywhere? Round them all up and ask them to raise their hands if they’ve had a major publisher publish their 300+ page book on social media. I’d bet 99.99% of them don’t have a 2 page book published. Liana Evans does, though, and it’s a social media marketing book I’ve just finished reading, so I’m going to share my thoughts on it here. The name of the book is Social Media Marketing : Strategies for Engaging in Facebook, Twitter & Other Social Media. If you just want to see the standard description, including a list of the topics it includes, as well as a peek inside the book, then just check out its Amazon page. For my own personal take on it, read on.

The Bottom Line First

Let’s cut right to the chase. The best part about this book is that it is a VERY comprehensive look at social media marketing today. The worst part about this book is that it might be a little too comprehensive. It’s a long read. Granted, it’s packed with information, but if I had to find fault with any part of it, it’s that it could probably be cut down just a bit. That aside, there’s plenty of social media marketing guidance here for any company in any industry.

The one thing I noticed is that Li doesn’t just share the *shoulds* – those things companies *should* do when working their social media strategies. She also shares many of the things that *shouldn’t* be done. There are so many misconceptions about what makes up a social marketing plan that businesses are very often tripping and making huge mis-steps instead of successfully implementing the plans. But until someone points out the things that shouldn’t be done, it’s very easy to do all the wrong things with all the best intentions.

The Book’s Audience

Who is this book really for? Although anyone with a business – online or offline – can benefit from the book, it seems to be aimed at companies rather than individual entrepreneurs. Li shares lots of information on handling employee buy-in to the strategies, as well as how to deal with all the matters of who does what, and who says what, out in the social realm. There are lots of issues that companies have to consider when they have employees who participate in social media every day – even if it’s only from a personal perspective. Liana does a good job of covering all those issues.

Of course, one-person companies like myself don’t have those problems. Many of you may not either. In that way, this book covers a bit more than we need, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get tons of great information from the book. We just aren’t it’s ideal target market. Everyone with a business would benefit from this book, certainly, but especially companies bigger than small mom and pop shops will get the most value from it. If you’re not ready to take on this much information, then I suggest starting your small business internet marketing with learning a few basics. Once you’ve accomplished those steps, you may be ready for this book.

The Bottom Line, Revisited

If you’re unsure how to implement a social media strategy for your business, you should probably read this comprehensive book. On the other hand, even if you *think* you know how you should implement your social media plan, you should also read this book. You might be surprised at all the new insights you hadn’t thought of before.

Want To Win A Copy Of The Book?

I have a brand new copy of Li’s book to give away, so let’s have a little contest! I promise it will be very easy to enter.

How To Enter – This Way

In the comments below, tell us all about your favorite social site – other than Digg, Delicious, Facebook and Twitter. Digg, Delicious, Facebook and Twitter WON’T count. I’m hoping we can come up with some lesser known but still useful social sites that we should be aware of. Social sites can include any of the following: Social News (like Digg), Social Networks (like Facebook), Social Bookmarking (like Delicious), or Social Streams (like Twitter).

How To Enter – Or This Way

Or, in the comments below, tell me which post on my site you like best (and why) and enter the URL of the post within the comment, so others can check it out too.

The Content Ends On …

On August 13th, 2010, (Friday the 13th in fact), sometime around noon CST, I’ll put all the entries into a virtual hat (my random php script), shake them around (run the script), and pick the winner. I’ll notify the winner by email. The winner can give me a mailing address to ship the book to, and I’ll get it sent via USPS asap.

UPDATE – THE WINNER IS…

Ok, the contest has ended, and the winner was easy to choose because there was only one entry! Woot! Stephanie Suesan Smith, I’ll be getting in touch with you to find out where to send the book. CONGRATULATIONS!