Book Review: Twitter Your Business by Mark Shaw

This month’s review comes from Alicia at AbsolutePA– many thanks Alicia!  If you have a book which you’d like to review, please email us the review (200-400 words) to info@societyofvirtualassistants.co.uk

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you will know I’m a big fan of Twitter as a marketing tool. Last year it accounted for 25% of my new business and nearly 60% of website traffic to Absolute PA.

When I heard that UK Twitter expert, Mark Shaw, was writing a book on the subject I was immediately interested. It was in the very early stages of the book’s inception that he got in touch and asked if I would be a case study. I didn’t hesitate – it was an honour to be asked and a great opportunity to tell my story about my Twitter success!

That was late 2010 and Twitter Your Business has now been successfully launched.

Review

First of all, it’s not like many of the how-to social networking guides available. Twitter Your Business is an e-book (you read it from your computer) which is completely appropriate considering the topic. With social media being a fluid, ever-evolving landscape, Twitter Your Business has already got the advantage over its printed competitors. Any time Twitter make changes to the platform or brings in new functionality the guide can be updated to reflect those changes, keeping the content fresh and always up-to-the-minute. 10/10.

The content of the book is written in an uncomplicated, easy to read way. Mark explains every function of Twitter that a new user needs to know.  From the step-by-step process of opening an account, understanding the different types of tweets, the all important Twitter terminology, and trends like #FollowFriday. The book doesn’t only explain the how and what of using Twitter to market your business, Mark explains the why’s too, providing valuable insight for a new user. The unwritten rules are clearly explained so you no longer need to wonder ‘Shall I, shan’t I? ‘ as your mouse hovers over the tweet button.

Twitter Your Business answers those questions that most new users always ask – What shall I tweet about? How long should I spend on Twitter? How do I find people to follow and attract followers? It also provides recommendations on third party tools and mobile applications to help you manage your Twitter strategy, and how to measure your success. There are real life case studies weaved in to the content demonstrating the experiences of small businesses using the social networking platform (Absolute PA is featured on page 49 :)). There’s even a quick quiz to check that your new found knowledge is sinking in!

This is a great book for the small business user thinking about adding Twitter to their marketing, or for anyone who has signed up but hasn’t achieved the success they expected, nor got the time to figure it all out. This book will save you hours of research and get you tweeting like a pro – an easy read packed with valuable content.

Publisher: Harriman House

Price: £10.00

Length: 75 pages

Buy the book:  http://www.absolutepa.com/TwitterYourBiz

Product Description

Making an impact, 140 characters at a time.

Twitter is not ‘a get rich quickly tool’. You will achieve very little by just  having an account. It takes time, effort and commitment to stand a  chance of success on Twitter. However, if you are prepared to spend some  time on Twitter each day finding people and conversations where you can add value, then things may well happen for you.

The real value of Twitter is in the ability to search for real people talking about real stuff, right now and in real time. This offers individuals, businesses, brands the real opportunity to stop talking at customers and start talking with customers. A subtle but huge difference.

Table of Contents

Introduction

My story

Twitter etiquette

Signing up with Twitter

Tweeting

The 5 different types of tweets

How to use an @reply or @mention

Deleting and editing a tweet

Favourites

Adding a URL to your message

Adding a photo to your tweet

A quick quiz

What to tweet about

How much time to spend on Twitter

How to find people to follow

Should I follow everyone who follows me?

Is it rude not to follow someone back?

Creating a list

Blocking users on Twitter

How to stop following someone

Attracting followers

The #hashtag and trends

The search facility: Twitter’s greatest asset

How businesses should use Twitter

Should other people tweet on your behalf

Top dos, don’ts and best practises

Twitter tools

Answers to the quiz

Measuring the results

Final word

More about the author