Engage: A Deep Dive Into The Social Media World Of Today

I’ll readily admit I’d never heard of Brian Solis when I received a copy of his new book, Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web. But I suppose when Ashton Kutcher writes the foreword to your book, like he did here, you can do what Solis does and describe yourself as “one of the most prominent thought leaders in social media” as well as a “digital analyst and visionary.”

I’ve read enough marketing and new media books to know that when something is considered a “complete guide,” it won’t be considered complete in, say, a year or two from now. But Engage is an impressive book; it’s a deep dive into all the ways that social media is being used by brands, companies and organizations right now. There’s an extensive “toolbox” of categories, instruments, and sites that serve the major components of social media. There are discussions of how to find influencers, the “rules of engagement,” ways to measure effectiveness, and the promises and perils of the whole thing. Quite a number of topics are addressed in the book and that’s no easy feat.
Be warned: if you’re looking for how social media integrates into a more traditional marketing plan, this isn’t your best bet. And Solis is a passionate advocate of social media, so you’re also not going to get a pros-and-cons debate about to what degree brands should use social media (which is still something many clients are still wondering). But if you have a client who’s very left-brained and analytical, or if you’re looking for a very methodical trip through the world of social media as it stands in 2010, Engage is a great place to start.
Special thanks to John Wiley & Sons who provided me a copy for review.