In the digital age, being successful on social media has a profound impact on business, personal branding, and other areas. There are thousands of social media tips from thousands of voices out there and it’s easy to get lost in the ocean of advice.
If you’re looking for the best advice, it can be easy to get lost in all the noise.
Your first reaction might be to buy some books on the subject, but knowing what to choose from in the countless number of authors can leave you still looking for answers.
Don’t get me wrong. I have a few social media books on my bookshelf at home, but I was buying blind and some haven’t really helped me gain a better understanding of social media that I was hoping for.
The beauty of social media is that those who are mastering it are on most platforms and very often freely share what they have learned.
For example, I follow just about all of the people I consider social media experts on Twitter, especially the SMC Editorial Team, not just to gain morsels of advice they throw out from time to time, but to see their social media strategy in action.
This allows me to gain insight and knowledge from social media leaders while not taking a chance on books that may or may not help. However, a wise Twitter user once told me, if you like an artist or author’s work, be sure to tell them and invest in some of it.
I take the same approach to purchasing books on social media. Scott Levy, a man whom I have long followed and respected, recently published his first book, “Tweet Naked,” and I was happy to purchase it and let him know.
So to answer my question: Should you buy books on social media?
Yes, but use it as a way to learn from social media leaders you are familiar with. Also be sure to let them know because they will appreciate it and you will be able to generate some buzz for them and yourself.
Paul Tucker (@PaulAndTucker) is a communications coordinator for the Carpet and Rug Institute, the trade association for the carpet industry. Paul’s work at CRI includes managing their blog, maintaining the organization’s social media presence, and traveling to industry tradeshows.
