You probably know that I have recently returned from two conferences with a very long reading list. More important than the list and what is on it, is the conviction that I MUST be reading.  And while I would much rather curl up with a novel, I need to be reading things that educate and improve my abilities as a business owner and leader.

And you know how women are - we love to share. So I will be telling you about the things I am reading and if I think they were worthwhile reads or not.

The first book that I bought to read isn't on my list from the conferences at all; rather it is one that I became acquainted with through twitter by watching a video on YouTube that pretty accurately answers the question, "Why should I spend time on facebook and twitter." If you haven't already seen Erik Qualman's Social Media Revolution videos, then take 5 minutes and do it now, then come back and read the rest of what I have to say. I'll wait for you.

I've been using social media consistently for about a year and a half. In spite of that, I knew there were many things that I didn't understand about social media, and since others ask me how to use it and I am asked to give seminars about it, I thought that reading Qualman's book, "Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business" would be a good choice.

I was not disappointed. This is a book that explains why these tools evolved and why it is important that businesses start to look at them, use them and take advantage of the opportunities that they offer. While I have embraced Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, there was much I did not understand.  After reading this book I am absolutely convinced that I made the right decision when I started using social media to build my brand. For once, I seem to have been somewhat ahead of the crowd - particularly the part that is close to my age.

Not to be overlooked when you consider social media is its impact on older technologies, such as search engines and pay-per-click advertising. If you don't understand how social media is changing the way that people look for information, particularly product recommendations, you may find yourself marketing to an empty room, depending of course on how well the search engines adapt to change themselves.

Qualman uses lots of examples to illustrate how Generation Y and Z use their social networks to get information. There are also examples of companies who have used social media with success and others who have blundered. 

One quote that I will be using in the seminars I will be conducting (in fact, I'm giving one for the Red Cross today) is this - "Content and conversation will drive awareness, not advertsing." You need to engage with your network - listening and responding - not just talking at them. This is not like traditional marketing and you need to be thinking in different ways to take advantage of it.

Qualman's book is easy to read and each chapter pretty much stands on its own.  You can pick it up and put it down easily and not find yourself going back to see what was in the last chapter.  After reading the book, I will say that when I watched the video again while writing this post, several things caught my attention that I missed on earlier viewings.

Even though I think I am fairly savvy when it comes to social media, I am rethinking the things I am doing with the ideas in Qualman's book in mind. While I do a good job of engaging with my personal twitter account, I am not as good with the kitechgrp account.

If you don't want to buy the book, you can visit the socialnomics website where you can read Qualman's blog posts and view more videos. You can also follow equalman on twitter.

If you watched the video, read this post and still think that social media is a waste of time, I challenge you to read this book. If you read it and still believe you can ignore social media, call me and I will buy you lunch! I'd welcome the chance to challenge your beliefs in person. Unless you are one of my competitors - then I'm perfectly happy that you aren't using social media!