If you are interested in getting a jump on using social media for your business or non-profit, I would strongly recommend The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users* by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick. The authors have put together a book that is part to-do list and part resource guide. This should be your quick start guide. READ MORE ( )

Social Media entered our cultural landscape when I was in medical school. Although I dabbled in Facebook at the time, its birth surpassed me. I have been catching up ever since then.

I have recently switched to Twitter and am happy with that change. I’d like to figure out how to use it, particularly for personal marketing and network, and this book teaches me how to do it better.

Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick are big names in the arena of social media. They’ve experimented with social media platforms extensively and have learned to “game” the system for the purposes of business. They share their wisdom in this book.

Of course, social media is a changing thing. This book was written five years ago, and the algorithms continue to change. Nonetheless, most of their advice still rings true to my experience. This book is packaged into 12 chapters and 123 digestible tips. Each tip is explored in a few paragraphs.

The audience of people who long to have a more expansive social-media presence should read this book. Of course, much of the landscape (and much of the gains) have already went to the early birds. Nonetheless, the new format is with us to stay. ( )

Packed with Content

Guy delivers on the promise in the title. Power tips for Power users. Much to absorb and use for increasing positive visibility of a business or organization. ( )

Guy Kawasaki has been in the forefront of effective promotion of products, services, and one's own skills and talents since his days as the Chief Evangelist for the Apple Macintosh, when personal computers were the exciting new toy and not an appliance we all carry in our pockets. Instead of being left behind by the rapidly changing world of online computing and social media, he has remained a leader, and has become of a great teacher of how to use the same skills and tools for your own benefit. If you have a social media presence--and it's getting harder and harder to function, especially as a working professional or entrepreneur, without one, you want to use these tools effectively.

Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick have between them mastered all the social media tools you'll want to use. This book is a short, clear, practical presentation of what Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google , and Pinterest are good for, and how you can use them. Social media platforms are also, of course, opportunities to make a fool of yourself before a public of a size almost unimaginable for the average person twenty years ago. There are also helpful pointers here on how to avoid doing that. This includes guidance on the ways the different platforms are different. What's acceptable on Facebook isn't what is acceptable on LinkedIn, or Twitter, or Pinterest. Go hashtag-happy on Pinterest, but be more restrained on Twitter, for instance. You'll find guidance on how to present yourself effectively, both to potential future employers and to peers.

I want to emphasize that this book is clear. You won't be left with useful-sounding platitudes but then find when you try to follow them that the specifics you need aren't there. The specifics are here, including visuals where that's helpful.

Highly recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

This is very practical and uncomplicated. I love how he says that you need to always be learning and never think you know it all. ( )