The document summarizes the book "30 Days to Social Media Success" which provides a 30-day guide for small businesses and solo professionals to effectively use social media like Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn and Facebook to meet their business goals with limited time and resources. It discusses how to lay the foundation by aligning social media efforts with business objectives, and how to use different social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogs to promote business over 30 days. The book also covers how to tie social media marketing to other marketing activities for sustained success.

2. 30 DAYS TO SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS The 30 Day Results Guide To Making The Most Of Twitter, Blogging, LinkedIn, and Facebook AUTHORS: Gail Z. Martin PUBLISHER: Career Press DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2010 208 pages

3. FEATURES OF THE BOOK 30 Days to Social Media Success is targeted to small business owners, start-ups, nonprofits, consultants, coaches, authors, and other solo professionals who are looking to establish and strengthen their social media marketing with limited time and money.

4. THE BIG IDEA In 30 Days to Social Media Success , Gail Martin reveals how small businesses and solo professionals can reach their top business goals through the use of social media marketing.

5. INTRODUCTION The marketing opportunities for small business owners and solo professionals have never been better. It was not long ago that small and mid-sized companies lacked the same marketing resources available to major corporations. However, with the advent of social media marketing, smaller businesses now have a “free” and effective tool at their fingertips, accessible irrespective of company size or budget. Social media can promote start-ups and established companies alike, and does not favor any particular industry. Despite the rise of this exciting new medium, social media is still a largely misunderstood and underused resource.

6. DAYS 1-7: THE FOUNDATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS Underpinning the success of social media marketing is its alignment with the company’s business plan. The primary reason for poor marketing results in general is that many marketing efforts are not associated with a company’s top business goals and drivers of revenue; unless social media marketing is linked to what drives business at the company, these efforts are likely to fail.

7. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Headlines may highlight spectacular social media success stories where people made millions, but in most cases social media campaigns merely build on the success these individuals established elsewhere. In other words, these people entered social media with large opt-in e-mail lists, an established product line, speaking engagements, name recognition, or were among the first to use social media for business.

8. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Facebook. Facebook is like a “global business-networking luncheon” that is constantly in session. People are encouraged to make connections with strangers, and the ability to share multimedia information makes it far more valuable than a quick exchange of business cards. As with an event such as a luncheon, there is an etiquette that must be adhered to. There are two primary ways of demonstrating to strangers that they might be interested in one’s business or expertise: through friends of friends or via membership in a group.

9. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS LinkedIn. Unlike the more casual networking environment found on Facebook, LinkedIn resembles real life personal referrals. Its focus is on strengthening existing connections, and members cannot make invitations to strangers without an introduction.

10. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Twitter. The “cocktail party” of social media sites, Twitter is a blogging site where communications are limited to 140-character messages called Tweets. On Twitter, people acquire followers either by asking those they already know to follow them or by following others in the hope that they reciprocate. Finding people on Facebook or Twitter is a great way to stay in touch with people after meeting them at a business function. An addictive site for busy people, Twitter allows members to succinctly share useful content.

11. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Blogging. Now a major competitor of newspapers and magazines, blogs have become prolific in recent years. A blog is a special type of Webpage that can be easily updated, and there are many free blogging platforms available including Wordpress, Live Journal, and Blogger. Generally, an “active” blog is one that is updated about twice a week. Some sites disapprove of blatantly commercial blogs, so businesses should be careful to read the rules before investing time in setting up a blog that is against the terms and conditions.

12. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Squidoo. Unlike most social media sites, users of Squidoo can create an unlimited number of pages called “lenses.” Each lens focuses on the different expertise of individuals, who can offer their know-how on virtually anything. Its focus is on content, not friending or following, and it frowns upon lenses with an obvious sales emphasis.

13. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Social bookmarking. Social bookmarking sites are the online equivalent of dog-earing a page or leaving a sticky note to attract someone else’s attention to something useful or interesting. Popular social bookmarking sites include Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon, and they enable users to share links to content they find interesting.

14. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS YouTube and Flickr. Consumers today expect a “multimedia experience” when they go on the Web, and videos and photos make sites more interesting, personal, and variable for viewers. The “granddaddy” of video-sharing sites, YouTube makes it easy to upload and share videos and find and comment on those of others. Flickr, a photo-sharing site, can help add interest to a site despite their rules against uploading logos, product photos, ads, or other obviously commercial content.

15. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Forums, Chats, and Threads. Just as people like to get to know a local business owner before they buy something from them, people interacting online like to know someone is a “good Net neighbor” before doing business with them. One way to show oneself as a credible person is through the forums, chats, and discussion threads pertaining to one’s industry or topics surrounding it. Most sites devoted to a specific interest or topic will require membership to avoid spam.

16. DAYS 8-21: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE BUSINESS Interest and Industry Sites. Most organizations now have an online community for their members such as alumni organizations, chambers of commerce, industry clubs, and trade associations, and these are yet another way to meet prospects and find collaborators. Start with a profile that includes a picture; the product or service offered and the problem solved; and a career overview that shows credibility without reading like a résumé. Filling in any areas available for hobby information or interests may attract others, serve as great ice-breakers, and add some personality.

17. DAYS 22-30: TYING SOCIAL MEDIA TO ALL MARKETING ACTIONS FOR SUSTAINED SUCCESS Once business goals have been identified and a social media strategy put in motion that supports them, businesses must tie these goals to their other marketing actions. It is important for the brand a company projects through social media to be the same as the one it is projecting elsewhere. Branding is a combination of five factors that make a business memorable, distinctive, and irresistible to clients.

18. CONCLUSION After 30 days of building a social media platform, readers will have a foundation for getting results from social media all year long. Maintaining the momentum and continuing the habit of devoting 30 minutes a day to social media will help users reap the full rewards. Those who are genuinely interested in being a part of the sites they join and seek to make them valuable for other members will see a return on their investment.

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