Paul Gillin is one of the leading voices in social media marketing. Social media marketing is transforming how authors, entrepreneurs, and corporations of all sizes communicate with their clients, customers, and prospects. Paul Gillin’s latest book, Secrets of Social Media Marketing, is increasingly emerging as the leading guide to implementing a social media marketing program.

Subtitled, How to use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business, Paul’s Secrets of Social Media Marketing goes beyond his previous book, The New Influencers: A Guide to the New Social Media. In his new book, he adds additional depth and implementation details which help authors, coaches, consultants, and entrepreneurs plan and implement a social media marketing program.

Paul introduces the various categories of social media marketing and profiles the major players in each category. Numerous case studies drive his home descriptions of the various available options.

Straight talk about blogging
You can get a feel for Paul Gillin’s style from his discussion of blogging in Chapter 6. He offers 8 Secrets of Success, which he refers to as his “STRAIGHT” rules:

1. Succinct. Keep blog posts short, less than 500 words. He also advises making your point quickly at top because your blog has to engage those who are skimming the beginnings of posts in RSS readers.
2. Transparent. Never try to fool readers, be open about your goals and intentions.
3. Responsive. Respond to all who comment on your blog. Keep the conversation going.
4. Accepting. Accept comments in the spirit of constructive criticism and respond accordingly.
5. Insightful. Give people a reason to read your blog, demonstrate your knowledge of your market and your industry. Readers better informed after reading your posts than when they arrived.
6. Genuine. Personalize your blog by using “I” and “we,” using anecdotes and stories to illustrate your points.
7. Humorous. Take “genuine” a step further by using humor with restraint, when appropriate.
8. Timely. Respond within 48 hours, maintain the momentum of the conversation with your community as well as individual commenters.

Paul Gillin’s blogs include his Social Media and Open Enterprise and his Newspaper Death Watch. Both chronicle the emergence of new types of communication and the rapid displacement of traditional media firms.

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Published & Profitable members can access an exclusive interview recorded this summer. Paul’s interview joins the more than 50 other author and publisher interview recordings and other resources that help authors plan, write, promote, and profit from a published book.

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