Cambridge Business Association
Socialnomics
Book

Socialnomics

How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business

Erik Qualman
Wiley, 2009
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Editorial Rating

7

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  • Applicable

Recommendation

From Facebook and Twitter to YouTube and Wikipedia, the social media are redefining human interaction and business. Online marketer and columnist Erik Qualman carefully assesses the social and commercial impacts of these online tools and uses that information to advise companies and businesspeople who want to benefit from them. He emphasizes that the social media democratize opportunity for anyone who has a great product or something worthwhile to say. Through colorful case studies and examples, Qualman shows how businesses have already profited from major social media trends and provides new strategies and tips. getAbstract suggests his detailed, clearly written analysis of social media trends to marketing and advertising professionals, and to anyone interested in how the social media are evolving and changing society.

Summary

Social Media on the Rise

Cyberspace is undergoing a sea change. Internet users are employing social media in revolutionary ways. This online development is affecting the offline world, changing how individuals interact and conduct business in an increasingly “people-driven economy.” Previously, marketing influenced a large part of consumer behavior. Now social media outlets matter most. They have become the “largest referral program in history,” and marketers who ignore them will find that their companies fall behind. To be successful, your firm must go beyond merely digitizing its product information and posting it online. Make social media the focus of your business activities.

Social media help people manage the vast amount of information on the internet. Rather than using a search engine, many people turn to Digg and other social bookmarking sites to find articles relevant to their interests, or they do research on Wikipedia. People also receive and distribute information – for example, about the best products to buy – through posts on their social networking websites, like Facebook and Twitter.

Traditionally, the public relied on print media, such as newspapers...

About the Author

Erik Qualman is the vice president of online marketing at EF Education, a private education firm. He is a columnist for the Search Engine Watch, a website, and for SES Magazine.

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