If I were reviewing Social Media Analytics by Marshall Sponder (@webmetricsguru) via the 140 character limit of Twitter, I'd probably sum it up like this:

A tad academic and dry, but FULL of resources, tools and case studies.

Many of the social media books out there focus on the marketing side of things. This book goes deeper into not just the WHY of analytics but also the HOW. I appreciated how deep it got, but I admit it's not really a page-turner. Instead, I can see it resting comfortably on my bookshelf - handy when I need a resource for specific tools and case studies. It's definitely more text book than parable.

Sponder sets out to really outline how all of us reviewing and examing social media results can get better, and perhaps more importantly, more relevant information from our data. His focus is squarely on ROI, not just for feel-good marketing terms like brand messaging but for what he sees as "social business." Getting real business results is what matters most to business leaders, so it's time to catch up with that idea.

(Some of the tools and brand names he tosses around may be foreign to those just starting off in this arena, so the copious and detailed endnotes with links can be extremely helpful.)

While Sponder clearly knows this topic inside and out, I appreciate that sprinkled throughout the book are nods to the evolution of this field. We don't know what's coming next, we can't really know, and these tools will continue to shift and grow. The book jacket promises in simple terms that you'll learn how to:

• Choose the best social media platforms for your needs
• Set up the right processes to achieve your goals
• Extract the hidden meaning from all the data you collect
• Quantify your results and determine ROI

My experience with this book is less linear. One of the most interesting chapters is on the challenges of international campaigns and metrics. As our small world becomes both more local and more global at once, few have offered real solutions for how to deal with this challenge. Sponder offers some unique wisdom on what is needed in this space. While consensus and clear goals are critical, language barriers are real when working with, you know, humans. Sponder invites a savvy translation firm to beef up on their technological skills and offer new services around this need. I'm anxious to see who heeds the call to action.

Overall, the book is well-organized and the case studies are immensely helpful. I especially appreciate the extremely detailed endnotes and index. As this book lives on on my bookshelf, I have a feeling those sections will be well-worn with time. For that reason, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a similar reference point on the topic of social media measurement. 

Photo credit: Influence People via Creative Commons license

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