Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities

by Jenny Li Fowler

Organizations and institutions focused on community building have a built-in group of ambassadors who embrace their message and vision. Social media managers have a unique opportunity to lean into this loyalty by creating a social presence informed by this digital engagement.

In Organic Social Media , Jenny Li Fowler outlines the important steps that social media managers need to take to enhance an organization's broader growth objectives. Fowler breaks down the important questions to help readers determine the best platforms to invest in, how they can streamline the approval process and other essential strategic steps to create an organic following on social platforms.

Organic Social Media explains how to elevate the key growth objectives of a brand by creating or recreating its online presence. Early chapters walk readers through the planning phase, the process of strategic goal setting, platform selection, resource management and content discovery. Later chapters focus on executing these established plans and offer a strategic way to build a content calendar and track the success of social. With this book, social media managers will future-proof the online presence of any organization.

Genres: Business

232 pages, Paperback

Published December 26, 2023

Reviews

[Emory Beer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for my social media marketing class. It was very helpful for someone who wants to start knowing the world of social media. From topics to how to plan content strategy to your own mental health and setting boundaries. A very nformational piece for wanting to know how to the lay ground work behind social media brand accounts.

[Mo Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

A back-to-basics primer for those who find themselves engaging with social media as part of their jobs. A lot of this book felt too basic for me, but I appreciated the perspectives about when social media isn’t the answer to a problem.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and I learned a lot from this short read (even thought it took me forever to get through)!

[Kelsey (kelseysbookrecs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for beginner and intermediate social pros!

[Tim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Li Fowler's book, "Organic Social Media – Building Flourishing Online Communities," provides readers with invaluable insights into the intricacies of creating and nurturing online communities. Through her extensive experience and expertise, Fowler introduces the concept of the 6Ms: mission, message, management, medium, metrics, and monitoring. Delving into each aspect, she meticulously lays out a roadmap for building thriving digital communities, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, audience-centric content creation, and continual engagement beyond just posting. With her engaging voice and practical approach, Fowler demystifies the enigmatic algorithms and offers readers actionable strategies to cultivate meaningful online connections.

Fowler's book not only serves as a comprehensive guide for social media enthusiasts and professionals but also as a testament to her profound understanding of the digital landscape. Through her conversational tone and wealth of knowledge, she underscores the significance of aligning one's online presence with a clear mission and message while employing effective management techniques. By emphasizing the importance of metrics and monitoring, Fowler equips readers with the tools to adapt and evolve their strategies in response to the ever-changing digital landscape.

[Jane Halpern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Jenny's book because, like her, I'm in communications and am often asked to "just" write a viral post; "just" launch a video series; "just" raise money using social media--without, of course, any budget, clear message, defined audience, or dedicated resources to make any of these things happen. For years, I've been frustrated by these requests and stymied by how to diplomatically explain what social media really is, what it's good for, and what would constitute reasonable organizational goals.

"Organic Social Media" gave me the tools not only to frame those conversations with my supervisors, but persuade them to invest real resources into the accounts and tactics we saw concrete benefits from, and stopping wasting time and resources on the tactics that didn't make sense for us. The book is full of really carefully thought-out scripts that you can use to slow down panicky or ill-thought-out strategies; to clarify new kinds of media for non-digital natives; to help translate what's possible in social media *for people who don't use it*. That's this book's true strength--it's a guide to building social media literacy as you manage *upwards* in your organization. And if that sounds like something you need (hi there, literally everyone else in communications!) this book is for you.

[Matthew Bernard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written, offers redundant and irrelevant information about the topic. Over explains unhelpful/unrelated subjects and doesnt offer any analysis or helpful content. I would only recommend this to someone who has no familiarity with the concept of social media, and even the internet, otherwise you will find this book pandering and lacking relevance or valuable insights into social media management. Really disappointed all the way around.

[Jillian Cote]

“As a social media director my job involves creativity, strategy, staying on top of an ever-changing medium, brand management, communication, marketing, storytelling, educating….

but some days I just feel like my job is to feed the beast.”

Read for work & Jenny… you get me! Social media takes a lot of effort for little external reward, but the creativity and community building makes it worthwhile.

Blog insight coming soon!

[Scott Goodacre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good introduction to managing organic social media accounts. I didn’t take a lot of new things from it, but it reinforced my own approach and teachings which was great to see.

If you’re new to social media management then I’d recommend the book. If you’ve been doing it a few years you likely won’t find anything you haven’t figured out yourself by now.

[Christina Garnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical and well-written exploration of organic social and how to foster engagement and connection. Jenny understands what it takes to do social media well at the highest level and breaks down her knowledge in actionable nuggets that will improve the work of social media managers.

Would recommend this for all current and future social media pros.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good information but I would have liked to see more about different social media platforms and how algorithms work. I think the emphasis on having a cohesive message would be helpful to small businesses owners. Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this work for my honest review.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great intro to social and a good book to read if you work in social media.

[Ellie | meepsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was insightful into organic social media and how to grow without being focused on money and ads. I will definitely be implementing some of the things I’ve learned.

There were some small editing and formatting errors, I would probably recommend the paperback rather than the ebook due to the format.

A big thank you to Netgally, Jenny and Kogan page for the E-ARC.