The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success

Praise for The Social Media Bible "The social media phenomenon is still ramping up, and this book provides useful and timely business advice." — Vint Cerf , Father Of The Internet "Social media and customer care are rapidly coming together. The Social Media Bible is a must–read for any professional who wants to stay on top of this rapidly changing topic. From the basics to long–term social media strategy, this is the only resource book to have on your desk." — Scott Ross , Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, NCO Group, INC. "Lon Safko and The Social Media Bible address the key questions—Why should I take part in social media? How should I take part? How do I reap the greatest benefits?—while also providing the push to take the next step." — Jeff Hagen , Director, Consumer Services, General Mills "Lon Safko is a serial technologist who really understands social media and is also blessed with the gift of being a great communicator. His book deftly takes you from ′Social Media 101′ all the way to PhD status in a format that is easy to browse, informative, and powerful." — Tom Asher , Director, Consumer Relations, North America, Levi Strauss & Co. "Effectively harnessing the power of social media is a top priority in corporate America. The Social Media Bible , with its informative and tactical approach, provides an easy–to–follow road map for how to do social media right." — Todd Simon , Senior Vice President, Omaha Steaks The Social Media Bible, Third Edition delivers the most comprehensive single resource available for marketing in the social media universe. This newly revised Third Edition offers technology updates to the iPad, apps, Foursquare, and other geotargeted networks. New case studies demonstrate how businesses have successfully implemented these strategies, using the newest social media tools. This new edition delivers: Updates and changes to Google′s search engine algorithms More information on plug–ins, widgets, apps, and integration Updates on Twitter and Yammer and new information on Google+ The latest in mobile marketing

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii INTRODUCTION xi PART I Tactics and Tools CHAPTER 1 What Is Social Media? 3 CHAPTER 2 Say Hello to Social Networking 25 CHAPTER 3 It’s Not Your Father’s E–Mail 61 CHAPTER 4 The World of Web Pages 85 CHAPTER 5 The Internet Forum 117 CHAPTER 6 The Ubiquitous Blog 141 CHAPTER 7 The Wisdom of the Wiki 167 CHAPTER 8 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words (Photo Sharing) 187 CHAPTER 9 Talking about the Podcast (Audio Create) 207 CHAPTER 10 Got Audio? (Audio Sharing) 233 CHAPTER 11 Watch Out for Vlogs (Video Create) 253 CHAPTER 12 Got Video? (Video Sharing) 273 CHAPTER 13 Thumbs Up for Microblogging 289 CHAPTER 14 Live from Anywhere—It’s Livecasting 317 CHAPTER 15 Virtual Worlds—Real Impact 339 CHAPTER 16 Gaming the System: Virtual Gaming 371 CHAPTER 17 RSS—Really Simple Syndication Made Simple 397 CHAPTER 18 Spotlight on Search (Search Engine Optimization) 411 CHAPTER 19 Marketing Yourself (Search Engine Marketing) 441 CHAPTER 20 The Formidable Fourth Screen (Mobile) 457 CHAPTER 21 Let the Conversation Begin (Interpersonal) 487 PART II Strategy: The Five Steps to Social Media Success CHAPTER 22 Analyze Your Existing Media 539 CHAPTER 23 The Social Media Trinity 551 CHAPTER 24 Integrate Strategies 565 CHAPTER 25 Identify Resources 577 CHAPTER 26 Implement and Measurement 589 INDEX 601

Lon Safko is a marketing consultant with more than twenty–five years of experience in speaking, marketing, sales, strategic partnering, and e–commerce. He has founded fourteen successful companies, including Paper Models, Inc., holds three U.S. patents for 3D Internet advertising, has eighteen inventions in the Smithsonian Institution, and privately coaches companies on harnessing social media, marketing, and innovative thinking to create higher productivity and profits.