Engage!: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web

by Brian Solis, Ashton Kutcher (Foreword)

The ultimate guide to branding and building your business in the era of the Social Web--revised and updated with a Foreword by Ashton Kutcher Engage! thoroughly examines the social media landscape and how to effectively use social media to succeed in business--one network and one tool at a time. It leads you through the detailed and specific steps required for conceptualizing, implementing, managing, and measuring a social media program. The result is the ability to increase visibility, build communities of loyal brand enthusiasts, and increase profits.

Covering everything you need to know about social media marketing and the rise of the new social consumer, Engage! shows you how to create effective strategies based on proven examples and earn buy-in from your marketing teams. Even better, you'll learn how to measure success and ROI.


Introduces you to the psychology, behavior, and influence of the new social consumer Shows how to define and measure the success of your social media campaigns for the short and long term Features an inspiring Foreword by actor Ashton Kutcher, who has more than 5 million followers on Twitter Revised paperback edition brings the book completely up to date to stay ahead of the lightning fast world of social media Today, no business can afford to ignore the social media revolution. If you're not using social media to reach out to your customers and the people who influence them, who is?

Genres: Business, Social Media, Nonfiction, Technology, Communication, Social, How To

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Brian Solis is principal at Altimeter Group, a research firm focused on disruptive technology. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing, and culture. Solis is also globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. His new book, What's the Future of Business (WTF), explores the landscape of connected consumerism and how business and customer relationships unfold and flourish in four distinct moments of truth. His previous book, The End of Business as Usual, explores the emergence of Generation-C, a new generation of customers and employees and how businesses must adapt to reach them. Prior to End of Business, Solis released Engage, which is regarded as the industry reference guide for businesses to market, sell and service in the social web.

Reviews

[Blog on Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like the de rigueur necessity of having a website a decade ago, it has become increasingly apparent that any company looking to establish a direct connection with their consumers now needs to have a social marketing strategy as well. Yet, with a daily growing array of platforms and tools now available to accomplish such goals, the choices and strategies needed to achieve such relationships can often seem overwhelming at best.

With a surfeit of so-called social marketing ‘experts’ now in the marketplace, how can a brand be sure they are getting the best advice and a full understanding of the expanding number of options available to accomplish this mission? Enter Brian Solis. In recent years, Solis has emerged as one of the foremost experts on social marketing. His new book, ‘Engage! The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate and Measure Success in the New Web,’ offers a truly comprehensive guide to managing a company’s online brand awareness and customer interaction that is second to none.

Solis opens the kimono on everything from establishing a company’s initial messaging goals and approach to a deep dig into the tools and platforms currently available to facilitate and evaluate the success of an effective social media campaign. While admitting various brands have different needs, Solis lays out his program like a college curriculum offering fourteen chapters that create the rubric for ‘The New Media University: 101 to MBA.’

‘Engage’ reveals the best practices for establishing brand identity, reputation, rules of engagement and feedback, both through carefully planned corporate planning as well as through the use of tools ranging from social networks, widgets, feeds and more designed to facilitate the best messaging systems, listening devices and conversational workflows. Solis provides access to a broad array of resources, some so new that they aren’t actually even in full operation yet when we tested their websites!

At the end of the day, Solis appears to cover every single aspect of social marketing and while the book eventually gets into some very heady stuff regarding feedback metrics, charting and tracking programs, it is clear that this book goes further than any volume we have yet to see on this subject. Whether most companies can keep up with the extensive options Solis presents has yet to be seen. Of course, this new medium is far from a static state and therefore there are clearly more platforms and tools just around the corner (Gowalla, anyone?) For that Solis offers a website to carry on from here. Well done!

[Natali · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are few people with as much enthusiasm and passion for social media as Brian Solis. He is smart, sincere, and dedicated. There is a lot to learn from him. That said, I skimmed most of this book because it was kind of a Social Media 101 textbook. I use these tools and already see the value. I read the book for a shot of enthusiasm to keep at it but I didn't need to read it studiously. I would recommend it be read studiously by small business owners looking to learn how to start implementing social media.

[Jim Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brian Solis is a true expert at social media. The advice and insights he offers through his streams (twitter et al) are invaluable.

All that being said, this book was a real disappointment. It went over and gave the same advice as pretty much every generic piece of information about social media. I was looking forward to hearing about some hidden gems and unfortunately there weren't many.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very skeptical of this book, but not until I started reading the introductory pages. It felt like the author wanted you to join a cult to embrace social media, now! (complete with multiple “Engage or Die” graphics) I was prepared for this to be a very LONG journey through a lot of puffery. But once past this introductory hype the book was a complete, and welcome, deviation from that notion. Well though out and immensely insightful.

The first few chapters really introduce you to what social media is, and isn’t.
“The secret to successfully navigating the new landscape of marketing and service is understanding that socialized media is about anthropology, sociology, and ethnography and less about technology and social tools that captivate and connect everyone today.” Social media usually results in a few names that come to your mind (Facebook, Twitter, etc.); just the tip of the iceberg. The more important question is what outlets are important to your brand and business. Understanding this one can observe the cultures and navigate to the appropriate person.

I hadn’t really though about it, so I was surprised to learn that Nielsen has now ranked member communities and blogs #4 as the most popular online activity AHEAD of email. (Searches #1, general portals/communities #2, File storage #3). Another interesting study said that only 16 percent of online consumers who read corporate blogs admitted to trusting them. This is attributed to corporate propaganda, and a blog with out a strategy only contributes to this distrust for your brand.

After this general introduction the book transitions into a type of “university class” structure where it delves into building – and further exploring – social media. From wigits to content distribution, the book does get into a lot of detail, but none of which seems overwhelming.

Chapter 12 was the most pertinent for what I was looking for regarding establishing an online presence and defining the brand persona. It was not by far the most detailed, but it shouldn’t have been. This was a book on social media application, not branding.

From here the book graduated you to more insight into where social media is and where it is going. I found this interesting so I’ll include a few key takeaways. Now and in the future, information will be finding you. Power is shifting from tightly controlled publishers, broadcasters, and corporations. Yet with this power, if it is to be used to better human life remember that this virtual information space is not a world unto itself, but merely a supplement to life. (“How many of our most joyful memories have been created in front of screen?). It is the goal for business to tap into these opportunities to “earn awareness and more importantly, build relationships with those who share affinities for the information products, and services they represent.”

Now it gets into the topics of how to listen to customers via social media. This introduced the “conversation prism” concept referenced throughout the rest of the book. It goes into more detail on classification of social media sites. The author’s theory is that it is more important to look at the groups. Given the rapid change social media sites, some may not be there next year and new ones will be; don’t just look at the usual suspects. This prism can be used to “discover social news and conversations that are relevant to defining and positing the sentiments, perceptions, and resonance of the brand in the Social Web. It is the cornerstone of the bigger discussion as to where, why and how to engage. The purpose of the prism is to inspire action and research that leads to earned relevance.” This sift from top down broadcasting (press releases, trade journals) to embrace the consumer directly is a good blue print to shorten the gap between brand, personification, and the ability to listen and respond to input through adaptation of product and services. Interesting, every social network has a search box, but those results are often not included in from the monitoring services of web data!

Next we move on to what the demographics of a social network look like. A 2008 study said that 1% of are creators, 9% are editors/intermittent contributors, and 90% are an audience. From there it gets into the real details of developing a Social Media Plan Outline (page 277). Another tid bid, Whole food has more than 50 twitter accounts based on product topic!

So what does social media mean and why is social media important? Looking at a 2003 loyalty and profitability study found that not all loyal customers are profitable, and not all profitable customers are loyal. The author claims that the social customer is, becoming more prominent and influential than ever before. But it also discusses more tangible ways to measure ROI on social media from companies. (See page 328 for list of possible measurements).

• Best buy measure the ROI of its internal “Blue Shirts Nation” community in terms of lower turnover rates.
• The National Association of Manufactures measures the ROI of its blog in terms of greater access to the halls of Capital Hill
• Dell measures the success of its IdeaStorm community both in terms of lower support costs and the number of new ideas generated.
• Seaworld reached out to roller-coaster enthusiast with its social media program and measured ROI in terms of lower out reach costs as well as tickets sold.

In conclusion, not only was this a great read, but I would put it up there with some other great business books. True to the secondary title, this book truly was “a complete guide for brands and businesses to build, cultivate, and measure success in the new web.” Or maybe I just had a few too many sips of the Koolaid and support the “Engage or Die!” introduction mantra.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would say this book is more like a Social Media 101, not so much for the folks whom are already implementing their social media efforts and looking to scale it. More of a beginner's guide. Another more direct and practical book I recently came across is the book DotComSecrets which reveals the simple hacks to double your social and overall traffic and sales and the author is currently sending a review copy for free at http://bit.ly/free-book-dotcom

[Todd Benschneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read but the content once revolutionary is now considered common knowledge, maybe find a more recent book on eBrand management

[Patricia Kahill]

The book that directed my social media marketing career. Always referring back to it as a guide for my work.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit, I skimmed the majority of this book, and that's after taking several months off between starting and finishing it. I felt that the last third did a great job of discussing influencer marketing, engagement, etc., and there were some good nuggets in the beginning as well. These all required a moderate to advanced knowledge of social media, in my opinion. So I was confused that the middle of the book was made up of intro level social media information. I understand the author needed to make sure everyone was on the same page, but I think his content would be better served if this backgrounder information was put in an appendix and the bulk of the book focused on expanding the engagement/influencer ideas.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not going to lie – Brian Solis let me down. He’s a well-respected social media marketer, and I’d heard good things about his book, but I just can’t bring myself to rate it as highly as the books that were released by some of his contemporaries.

The sad fact is that Engage! has aged much more than many other social media marketing books, perhaps because Solis placed too much importance on specific social networks – sure, he does agree that the message is more important than the medium, and some of his lessons in planning and deployment are well worth reading, but his work makes for tedious reading and, to be honest, he doesn’t say anything which hasn’t been said before.

And that’s not to mention the typos – there are a shocking amount of mistakes scattered throughout the pages, more than you see in some self-published works. If you’re the sort of person who isn’t bothered by that then it might not be such a problem, but each time I spotted one it stopped me in my tracks.

In all honesty, though, it’s still a good book – it just pales in comparison to some of the other social media marketing books that are out there, some of which were written earlier and yet have stood up to the test of time. There are lessons to be learned and diagrams to be studied, but you’ll find nothing here that you can���t find online or written about elsewhere, with more aplomb.

Which is a shame, because Solis is a highly competent marketer and a great thinker and doer – he’s just more of a marketer than a writer, and that’s okay. Either way, good marketers seek inspiration everywhere, and when you’ve read everything else you can find then you should read this too.

[W.G.T. Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

With telecom companies dropping prices and giving better speeds, we see the internet penetration going up on a daily basis. Hence we see more and more companies joining into the social media platforms and gathering fans or followers. But is that enough? What about the engagement?

Brian Solis, a digital analyst and prominent author of new media, comes up with a comprehensive 400 page book that is an essential guide for any team that is handling a brand on social media platforms. In the 25 chapters included, he breaks the content into 6 core areas which focus from starting out to being on top of the game.

He makes it very clear from the very start: ‘Engage or Die!’ and takes us through the shift from traditional media to the online interaction. The first chapters highlight the concept of building a bridge between the brand and its customers.

For a full review of this book, get a copy of 'Marketer Pulse' magazine (June 2011 issue, pg 50) http://www.marketer.lk/2011/06/engage...

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is always looking to stay on top of social media trends and find information to support the value of these tools, I was thoroughly impressed with Brian Solis' explanations, examples, etc. Solis, a leader in digital media, offered excellent advice for those just starting out in using social media in business. He also provided practical information for companies that are already using it extensively. The greatest value of this book, I believe, is the blunt reasoning — and supporting data — to help people like me convince the C-Suite that social media is vital for businesses today.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Solis said it best at a recent social media conference: "There is no such thing as a social media 'expert;' we are all learning this together." This is a textbook for all things social media... Brian takes a step-by-step approach to educating the reader about the social networks, the rules of engagement, and the metrics with which to measure your results. Although it tends to be somewhat "dry" like a textbook, it is an excellent guide for businesses who are ready to venture into the social media space.

[Sam Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Solis give a comprehensive assessment of social media. He starts with the big picture and drills down to the detailed while touching on marketing along the way. I don't consider this book to be an easy read, you have to really want to read about this subject. His style of using multiple, redundant, descriptive adjectives to make his points gets old pretty fast, but other than that his writing style is pretty okay.

[destanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm tempted to give this a high review, just because some of these sentences are worthy of David Foster Wallace. For example: "The doctrines that we examine and propose are in fact representative of best-of-breed ideals and methods unearthed and mashed-up from existing and extinct tactics to renew, edify, mature and hone our proficiencies, conviction, knowledge and experience." But it takes away from the humor knowing that the author wasn't trying to be funny.

[Libby Baker Sweiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is full of great information. It is not an easy read. I'm sure that was not the intent of the author. I am used to reading and writing and reading blogs. I need a book that moves a bit faster. So, I dragged my feet on this one.

I certainly agree with Solis that engaging is the name of the game in Social Media and try to do so every day with my person accounts, business account and on behalf of my clients.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, I read the non-revised edition, but this was the closest version that they had listed. As a result, I will say this book lays the foundation for a solid future in Social Media. Don't assume that Social Media is a simple fix. After reading this book, I've realized that most businesses hoping to cash in fast into social media were doing it wrong. You don't cash in fast, you cash in the right way or it's the highway.

[Aubrey]

Found this book mentioned here:

http://www.techipedia.com/2010/social...

Didn't notice until later that Ashton Kutcher had written the foreword----might re-think reading it but I guess we'll see.

[Luciano Palma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about socialmedia and digital marketing.
Brian Solis talks about the impact of new digital media in a very complete way: from concepts to measurement tools, from intelligent reflections to working framework proposals.
A must read for anyone that intends to "Engage" with customers in the XXI Century.

[Henk van der Duim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy reading this book, although there is some valueable information in it. But that is buried somewhere in the book. It basically takes the fun away from social media.

Social Media is not that complicated, so why make it so?

The End of Business As Usual was a much more enjoyable book!

[Audra]

I started reading this book in Sept 2010 and didn't get very far because of all the other books I had received from the library around the same time I received this book so I'm starting over as of today.

[Justin Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to read this book twice and never got past the first 50-75 pages. It would be a good read for someone that knows nothing about social media or digital marketing, but try a more advanced read if you are in the industry.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not an easy read by any means. It's almost textbook style. But that is not a bad thing. I learned A LOT, highlighted A LOT, took A LOT of notes, and use it as a constant reference for my business. Excellent read for entrepreneurs who do it all themselves!

[Koen Verbrugge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Solis is a great influencer, turning intuitive inisghts into marketable concepts like no other. That being said, you'll find more of those gems through his evolution podcast series than you will by reading this book.

[Adam Jeske · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sat on my shelf for a while, so it's already showing its age.

However, Solis makes good points about:

-the rise of new media,
-what organizations need to be doing today,
-transparency,
-learning cultures,
-some helpful planning documents, and
-metrics.

[Yana Petrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful guide for everyone interested in social media, online reputation management and community management. Anyway, it's not your book if you're an experienced professional in these fields and want to learn something new.

[Tushar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book for anyone who is looking for a digital media start up. Brilliant. The numbers and actions may differ cos of the updated websites and interfaces, the basic intention and idea remains the same.

[Vittorio Veltroni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usual mumbo jumbo of a tech savant. they really don't get that the entire world is not made of device addicted, compulsive sharers and gadget freaks.
a disappointing second step from his previous books.

[Tanner Maluchnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go to http://lifedestiny.net/book-review-en... for my review

[David]

Excellent insights into the social media universe and how it is changing the work of public relations and marketing

[Sayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is now a permanent part of my library of reference books.