And now for something completely different… Book review!

So, you’ve decided to join the 21st century and address the influx of social media as it pertains to your business and your customers.  Congratulations!

Well, now what?

According to Forrester Researchers Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, you listen to the people, that’s what.  Their book, Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, provides a crash course in how to navigate the growing tide of networking sites and blogs, and how to use it to your advantage.

“Hey guys! Learning about online marketing can be fun!”

I’ll be totally honest: when I first got Groundswell, I had no idea what the groundswell was.  According to the book, the groundswell can be defined as “a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations (9).”  Sounds simple enough! Consumers can connect with each other more and more easily through social media, and now corporations need to figure out how to keep up.  So how are customers using their newfound power to interact and make changes?  How are corporations reacting?  What are the benefits and drawbacks for people on both sides of the equation?  Li and Bernoff provide case studies in every chapter to illustrate the groundswell in action, but the real value of this book is in the basic framework it sets forth for companies looking to find their way in the ever-changing social networking landscape.

The authors realize that technologies change much faster than a book could hope to keep up with, so they introduce a series of steps to approaching social media:  POST – people, objectives, strategy, then technology.  If you focus on the people first and your goals and plans next, the technology itself becomes a means to accomplish your objectives rather than the driving force behind your company’s actions.  In addition, Groundswell introduces the idea of the Social Technographics Profile, which encourages companies to understand their target audience and their social networking habits and trends.  Li and Bernoff don’t preach, they offer a plan of attack and provide concrete examples of groundswell techniques in action.  Their conversational tone makes this book accessible to newbies while its underlying principles and case studies make it a must-read for those in the business, according to…well, those in the business.

As this book ages, the examples will not stay fresh (hey, have you checked your MySpace page lately?); it’s the nature of the subject.  The approach to social networking from the perspective of a business and lessons from the case studies, though, can be applied to new technology and new situations.  It’s not a comprehensive guide to online marketing, but it is a great starting point.  Forrester’s groundswell blog gives readers a forum to put the book’s techniques into action by staying current, commenting, and interacting.

In what seems to be an exquisite example of poetic justice, Groundswell has garnered great acclaim from its namesake.  And how could it not?  This book encourages businesses to get involved and play toward the wants and needs of consumers who use the technology involved with the groundswell to create a voice for themselves.  The groundswell itself has been the biggest proponent of Groundswell, which frankly says a lot about its credibility.  Just check out the Amazon reviews to see the positive feedback from readers.

This book appeals to more than just fumbling marketing directors who feel out of touch with the Facebook generation.  Am I a businessperson?  No.  Am I trying to market to a consumer base?  Not so much.  Do I know how to use Facebook?  ::ahem::  I’ve been known to post on a wall occasionally.  But I enjoyed this book.  It was well written, well organized, and explained its theories and examples effectively.  I feel as though I have a much greater understanding of how customer opinion and involvement can help a company, and how a company can garner customer support using new and innovative techniques.  Personally, I loved the stories of customers creating positive change, like the eBags case study in which a company was able to learn of and correct a manufacturing problem due to customer reviews.  It’s reassuring to know that companies are beginning to understand that connecting with and pleasing their customer base is the best (the only, really) way to do good business.

Regardless of whether you like it or not, strategic use of social technologies and an understanding of your customer base will make you or it will break you.  So, what can we take from Li and Bernoff’s research, case studies, and observations?

Respect the groundswell.