If you want to promote yourself and your book today, you have to use social media. That’s good advice, except it’s long on the big picture and short on the details. So you’ve probably thought about buying a book to help you figure it all out. Remember that all books about social media suffer from two flaws.
Books about using social media are out of date the instant that they’re written. That’s not the author’s fault, it’s just the way things are. They often recommend software that doesn’t exist any longer or web sites that have changed emphasis.
Books about social media reflect one person’s experience. That’s not the author’s fault, either. There’s simply not enough research or “best practice” information out there.
Don’t purchase a book on social media unless you’re willing to do the grunt work of testing procedures and adapting recommendations to your own, unique situation. That’s not easy.
Before you buy any book, do a little research to make a wise decision about whether the book is right for you. Check out the writing style and content. Read the reviews.
A good place to begin your quest is with Michael Hyatt’s book, Platform. It’s superbly written with lots of practical details and lists. I particularly like the simple framework he uses to describe how different social media work.
Bottom Line
All books about social media will contain material that is out of date or and ideas that won’t work in your specific situation. That just means that you have to test and adapt a little more than usual.