Traditional advertising is being left in the dust thanks to the revolution of social media. In the book Digital Engagement by Harden and Heyman a shift from traditional marketing to a new, creative, on-demand centered fusion of social interactions between existing and new customers is revealed. This revolution has led to the biggest advertising outreach and campaign since the beginning of marketing. The book begins with the importance of businesses being a part of the social media phenomenon. This technology trend includes networking avenues such as facebook, twitter, and youtube. The new focus of Internet Marketing is on social system sites, wikis, virtual worlds, text advertising, mobile video and blogs that, in this day and age, will make or break your business. Harden and Heyman go into great detail on the types of electronic advertising available to enhance businesses and the steps that need to be followed in order to keep up with the current and changing internet applications. The main focus of this type of digital engagement is the newly experienced power of the average customer and their ability to have all their needs satisfied from pull technologies. The customer now has the luxury of deciding when they want to shop, what type of products they want to browse, and no salesmen trying to make a sale. Customer service through the web has far succeeded that of any brick and mortar store over the past five years.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because the language the authors used made it an easy-to- follow, personable business book. Harden and Heyman presented the facts in an effective manner and gave short, to-the-point examples of the types of social medias affecting the business world today. The authors also gave the impertinent steps/procedures necessary in understanding, exploring, and even succeeding in the economic market. For example, they use the term Public Relations 2.0 to assist in explaining the logic behind businessmen and women turning away from traditional forms of communication. The primary explanation is described through the following criteria: Convenience – Consumers are able to get information at anytime, on any screen, and on any mobile or stationary device when they want it. Relevance – Consumers can choose the information most interesting or applicable to their research through search and filter systems. By using RSS feeds, users can obtain the latest updates in a matter of seconds. Depth – Consumers can use different functions to go as in-depth and detailed as necessary and searches to amass quantities of information. Although I could easily relate and comprehend the information through the simplistic formatting of the book, I would have preferred a more in-depth description and analysis, especially concerning the alternate resources available for further reference.
The one area that Harden and Heyman discussed that really interested me was the section focused on viral videos. They gave tips on how to make a video go viral and successfully spread it across the web. The experts suggested making it short, avoiding outright ad formatting, making it shocking, and designing it for remixing. Though the section included valuable advice, I would have liked a bit more information on adapting the videos to a `company’s’ culture.
Overall, Harden and Heyman expressed the effects of social media on today’s marketing environment. They did a great job explaining the different terminologies associated with internet communication and successfully adapted the terminology to help in fully translate the impact this type of media is having on the business world. I will use the information from this book in every aspect of life, both personal and professional. I would recommend this book to people with and without business degrees wanting to learn more about web communication. The book, though overall beneficial, is a bit vague and general in some of its explanations. Harden and Heyman successfully inspire the reader and give them a new edge into the opening window of mass, global communication.
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