Have you ever wondered what social media does for those who use it?  I know that I have used it to make additional contacts and to find some freelance assignments.  I have, on many occasions, wondered about companies and their use of social media.  I think almost all corporations can use social media.  The problem is most do not know how to begin or what interaction with customers should be like.  Social media is not a one way street.

Enter Social Nation by Barry Libert.  If I were to teach a course on social media to businesses or freelancers, I would use Social Nation as the text book.  Libert is the founder and CEO of Mzinga.  Mzing provides social software that manages social interactions on behalf of 300 well-known companies.  Libert starts his book by talking about why social media is important.  He also goes over why social skills – just as if you were in the same room as a person – are important in the world of social media.  The first part of the book ends with an assessment of your personal skills, putting each person in one of eight categories.

The second part of Social Media has seven principles for building your social nation.  These principles, well common sense, are very important guidelines.  I have watched companies, and individuals, on social media ignore community and just spew out one statement or opinion over and over.  These entities and people are the ones that no one wants to continue to associate with as time goes on.  People want to be able to know that interactions, conversations – whether in person or on a computer – are important to whoever is at the other end.

The third part of Social Nation is a single chapter that includes how to get yourself started and pitfalls to avoid.  Getting started is an important part.  There are definitions so we all know what we are talking about.  It is sometimes hard to know exactly where to expend energy.   The pitfalls also help one know where to avoid expending energy.

All in all, if you are interested in social media, if you are responsible for a business’s social media, Social Nation is a MUST read.

I did receive a copy of Social Nation: How to harness the power of social media to attract customers, motivate employees & grow your business for review but the thoughts here are my own and were not influenced by the author or his agents.