Twitter Marketing for Dummies, by Kyle Lacy
True social media guru Kyle Lacy was kind enough to send me his new book, Twitter Marketing for Dummies, to review. This is the summary overview, the first installment in a series where I talk about said book and post some of the most interesting excerpts. Enjoy!
When I hear “Twitter” and “marketing” in the same sentence, I’m automatically on-guard. Anybody who’s been on Twitter for any length of time at all has seen the so-called “Twitter gurus” and “social media mavens” who spew countless links and virtually no original content, confusing prolificity with productivity. Automated linkrolls and “get rich/get followers/buy stuff” posts do not an effective Twitter account make.
Kyle Lacy is not in that camp. Taking his own advice, his Twitter page includes helpful tips, interesting links (but not too many), posts of his friends’ comments, and personal updates in good ratios. He also links to posts from his blog, which is a great read. It has advice on how to make the most of social media, general business advice, observations on the evolution of marketing, and more.
In spite of what one might assume by the title, Twitter Marketing for Dummies is not a simple “Twitter 101” book. Yes, it includes the absolute basics, such as giving step-by-step instructions for how to create an account, but it goes far beyond that.
With the casual, conversational style familiar to all Dummies books and his lighthearted asides, Kyle guides the reader through numerous aspects of using Twitter for business. He discusses the difference between old-school marketing and the new age of social media, and the fact that the former broadcast advertising model is being replaced by targeted networking which reaches and forms relationships with individuals specifically interested in your offerings.
After that the book goes into how to create a marketing plan — including the usual critical aspects and how to integrate those into your Web promotion. It continues on to time management and productivity issues, using Twitter specifically for sales and customer service, and many other aspects of using the service for the greatest benefit.
Overall, I found Twitter Marketing for Dummies to be an enjoyable, helpful reference. My copy will be highlighted, dog-eared, and referred-to often.