I've been quite remiss in keeping up with my book reviews. Lots of wonderful authors and publishers have sent me books that I HAVE actually read. But then I haven't gotten around to writing the review. Bad Kate.
So ... without further ado, here are some that I've read through in the first half of the summer (shh - Sept is NOT 6 days away):
YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts by Alan Lastufka and Michael W. Dean
If you're determined to become an online video star, or, want to have your marketing video seen by more than your mom and your boss, then you should definitely check out this book. Authors Lastufka and Dean cover the gamut from shooting video for online distribution to sharing it on YouTube to getting involved with the community. Now that YouTube is relaunching its channel design, some of the specifics in the book may not be 100% applicable, but there are still some excellent take-aways. I really enjoyed this book - found it an easy read and chock-full of good stuff.
The only thing I could do with a little less of is the frequent reminders that the guys who wrote it are YouTube stars. They tend to repeat that every chapter. I get it. You rock. That's why I'm reading your book. (I'm also reading it because Sara sent me a review copy. Thanks, Sara.)
MySpace Marketing: Creating a Social Network to Boom Your Business by Sean Percival
I have a really hard time taking MySpace seriously. Whether it's my age or, well, ok, let's face facts - it's my age. Yes, I admit it, I'm a bit of a fuddy duddy. So when Pearson Education asked me to take a look at a MySpace book (published under their Que imprint), I was skeptical. But Sean Percival has done a good job making the case for (some) marketers to use MySpace (and which marketers might actually want to steer clear) and how to fit into that community.
Easy read. Insightful. Covers a range of topics from who to friend to how to edit your page. Might be a little much for marketing types from national/international corporate brands - but regional businesses who want to grow their audience, particularly those who have a connection with music, definitely worth checking out. (Disclosure: I got an advance copy of this book and provided an inside-cover blurb.)
Side note: This is a theme in recent books I've read that I'm quite thrilled with ... authors emphasizing the importance of understanding the pre-existing community on any platform and then going in with an eye to adding value and being PART of the community rather than just dropping little advertising turds and skeedaddling. Good job, authors!
The FaceBook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Sell, Market and Innovate by Clara Shih
I love this book. If you want to understand how, as a business person, you can use Facebook - go get this book. Clara Shih is smart and savvy and really ties Facebook into real-life sales cycles and business processes. I'm not surprised, Shih created the "Faceconnector application which integrates Facebook and SalesForce CRM. But still - excellent job. And if you're a NEW sales person - just landed your first job out of school, or are transitioning to a new industry, check this book out as well. There is some good intro "how to be a top sales person and not a jackass" info in here that you will appreciate.
Many thanks to Lisa Brown from Pearson Education for setting me up with a review copy.
The Truth About Search Engine Optimization by Rebecca Lieb
I've acquired my expertise in search engine marketing through various "catch as catch can" methods. A conference here, a great blog post there - and lots of experimentation. But I feel that it is still a little tricky to try to explain why search is important to a senior marketing executive who has never had to experiment with it. Rebecca Lieb has written a breezy, high-level book, geared towards senior marketers who know that they need to "get on it" but aren't sure what they should know .. and if their SEO consultant is hoodwinking them or now (HOW MUCH is that invoice?!?).
I found The Truth about SEO easy to read and that it covered all the areas that you would have questions about in search - from A to Z. I wouldn't hand this book to your SEO analyst as an attempt to bring them up to speed on the latest and greatest from the search engines, but it will do the trick for senior staff who need a context to have a productive conversation with those analysts. (Lisa set me up with a review copy on this one too.)
Website Optimization: Speed, Search Engine & Conversion Rate Secrets by Andrew B. King
Now THIS is the book I would hand the SEO analyst. This is my absolute favourite book on search. Or, more accurately, how a bunch of different factors on your website impact your site's search engine optimization. Andrew King has done a superb job bringing together the technical world and the marketing world - giving enough of both to make it a valuable resource for two different roles, but being clear about when a marketer can stop reading (the Javascript chapter, for example) if they want. It's clear, handy and actionable with several great examples. It's always the first book I recommend to clients and colleagues, big and small who say "I need a good book on search."
Thanks to Andrew for sending me a review copy.
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