"Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day" by Dave Evans reviewed by Rob "CHiLLy" Williamson

For my e-Commerce book, I selected “Social Media Marketing: An Hour A Day” by Dave Evans. My primary reason for selection is that social media is really just coming of age in defining how a generation communicates, especially with the emergence of mobile apps. I feel that a profound understanding of the subject will be a vital key to success for small business, entrepreneurial-type CEOs. Specifically, I hoped to gain a working knowledge of specific tools and websites available.

Thus far, the book has not disappointed. This book is about how to properly use and manage the various tactics available via Social Media when developing a fully integrated marketing plan. It was written as a practical self-study guide that current marketers can use to master the fundamental paradox they now face: “giving up control” while “simultaneously gaining influence.”

This book seeks to expand on “a world without interruption” and “where the information needed to make an informed choice [is] readily available.” The author's goal is to provide accurate insight and experience as to how social media interacts within the classic ‘Purchase Funnel’ at the point of ‘Consideration’. Ultimately, the author attempts to answer his own philosophical question:

"If I couldn’t interrupt you, how would I reach you?”

Dave Evans is a social media guru who earned his reputation through marketing success in numerous capacities. In 1994, he founded Digital Voodoo, a “social media strategy and intelligence firm with expertise in marketing, advertising, and operations” that consults with companies to position their “brand, product, or service for success on the Social Web.” He has also has developed integrated communication strategies for clients such as: Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Southwest Airlines, AARP, the US Air Force, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Dial, the PGA, and Chili’s.

This book is designed for “marketers wanting to combine social media skills and expertise with their existing, established capabilities.” His basic assumption is that you’re a current marketer and already have an established marketing plan. Thus, the sheer amount of content can be a little overwhelming for MBA student with virtually no marketing experience. The format is essentially broken into four Parts with each part designed to take a month to complete:

• Part I: Foundation of Social Media
• Part II: Month 1: Prepare for Social Marketing
• Part III: Month 2: Social Media Channels
• Part IV: Month 3: Complete Your Plan

Months 1-3 are set up to complete one (1) hour of exercise each day during a five-day workweek, every week…for 3 months. It is also important to note that this is the approximate time of each ‘online exercise’ and DOES NOT include time to actually read [and fully digest] the book (393 pages of detailed and technical content). Most of the concepts covered depend on completing at least some of previous exercises so as to have a ‘working knowledge’ going forward, thus making it difficult to jump to various topics. However, the author claims you can start at any point you like given your level of experience..which is likely true, however it didn't apply to me.

- see my Review on Amazon.com (with the author's reply)

Someone completing the book in its entirety will undoubtedly be “rewarded with a plethora of online and social media tools at their disposal.” In contrast to current marketing efforts focused on traditional media that ‘interrupt’ the consumer in a one-way targeted messages directed by the marketer, this book does a fantastic job of emphasizing the growing role of Social Media in all aspects of business related communications. Particularly, it demonstrates how “the voice of the individual is again asserting its fundamental value, this time expressed through its role in building the collective conversation as it now occurs online."

This book is an excellent ‘how to’ guide for successfully developing and implementing an integrated Social Media marketing plan. “This book is about learning how to properly use the Social Web to your business advantage” and “effectively participate as a marketer” in the Web 2.0 era. While each chapter provides specific insight at particular phases of the social media marketing process, the following are the chapters I found most informative and useful:

• Chapter 4: Week 1: Web 2.0: The Social Web
-- Discussion on the various Social Laws (Sarnoff, Metcalfe, Reed) and how Social Media derives its value from the individual and the collective, not the mass.
-- Great resource for finding and using ‘social’ tools for the first time. Detailed lessons on how to appropriately access and use: Social Media Content, Blogs & Wikis, Multimedia, Microblogs & Tagging, RSS, and Social Networks, with the advantages/disadvantages of each.

• Chapter 7: Week 4: Influence and Measurement
-- Discussion on why the “Measurement of Influence” is critical to successful implementation and why “Influence-rather than control-is the central element at disposal in Social Web.”
-- Excellent lessons on: How do you ‘quantify’ a conversation and correctly apply Social Media influence.
-- Paves a foundation for tracking ‘influence’ and how essential those metrics are in determining ROI. Emphasizes the time it takes to gather appropriate quantitative metrics.

• Chapter 13: Week 1: Objectives, Metrics, and ROI
-- Discussion on why it is crucial to identify and clearly state objectives before deciding on elements/channels of Social Media. Essential to determine ‘what’ and ‘where’ to measure
 Content: the social conversations and artifacts themselves
 Relevance: the degree to which what being said matters
 Impact: the bottom line—a net benefit (or loss) as a direct measure of change in desired outcomes following exposure
-- Exceptional lessons on how the behavior of target audience is key to setting strategy and identifying metrics used in supporting and measuring success of campaign. Emphasis is on metrics collected near/within the purchase process link conversations to actual impact on conversions. This data helps establish ROI for social media program.


Conclusion: A brilliant book based on the subject matter alone...the content and level of instruction are absolutely fascinating! However, I quickly became disheartened when I realized I would not be able to fully complete the book in the time allotted. As a guidepost for the full-timer marketer, I highly recommend this book. As a full-time MBA student taking two classes and working full-time, just trying to find “an hour a day” is practically impossible and, thus, tempers my recommendation quite a bit. If this book were to be used by an MBA class, I would definitely recommend it as a primary-source textbook for use in a Social Media specific class.

BTW, Dave (the author) definitely gets the topics he discusses. He's very active in responding to comments on his book via Amazon as well as tweets (@evansdave). You can see his responses to me @pilotchilly!

LINKS:

**My FULL REVIEW of the book along with my OUTLINE of each of the chapters**

**My in-class powerpoint PRESENTATION and YouTube VIDEO**

Facebook: Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day

Readthis.com: Dave's website dedicated to his book--Chapter summaries as well as links to other books and resources

Dave Evans: Overview of Social Media:

1. Lesson 1: Beyond marketing, how is Social Media related to business?
2. Lesson 2: Is there a good starting point for connecting customers with a brand, product, or service?
3. Lesson 3: Social Media is built on passions, causes, and lifestyles.
4. Lesson 4: What is the social graph and how can marketer's leverage it.
5. Lesson 5: People say that Social Media marketing is not measureable.

Similar Books to consider either in-conjunction-with or in-lieu-of this book:

by the same author:

• Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement

recommended by the author:

• Web Analytics: An Hour A Day by Avinash Kaushik
• Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
• The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth by Fred Reichheld

'An Hour A Day' Series produced by Sybex:

• Twitter Markeing: An Hour A Day by Hollis Thomases
• Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day by Chris Treadaway
• YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour A Day by Greg Jarboe

Alternatives:

• The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success by Lon Safko