Niching Up by Chris Breyer - Book Review

Title: Niching Up; The Narrower the Market, the Bigger the Prize

Author: Chris Breyer

Publisher: LionCrest Publishing

Publication Date: October 24, 2022

Length: 133 Pages
 

About the Author
Chris Breyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, an SEO agency specializing in elite personal injury law firms.

Specialization Pays Off
Chris Breyer provides insights and guidance on the benefits of specialization and establishing authority within a chosen market. The author shares personal stories about his youth and how he established an award-winning SEO agency that specializes in personal injury law firms.

My Thoughts
A niche is defined as a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.

This book contains a great deal of knowledge about an important business concept. The author explains how you can demand higher fees if you specialize in a niche topic. 

"It was my goal in writing this book, to change the narrative on niching from being about scarcity to having an abundance mindset. Niching is not restrictive, it provides opportunity."

Mr. Breyer writes in a style that is pleasant to read and easy for a layman to understand. He emphasizes the importance of networking and giving/receiving referrals in building a successful business.  He believes that if build a reputation of excellence in a specific niche, you will have plenty of clients. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading experience.

Influencers are Made on Instagram

Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media

Author: Brittany Hennessy

Publisher: Citadel

Publication Date: July 31, 2018

Length: 256 








About the Author
Brittany Hennessy, the first-ever Director of Influencer Strategy and Talent Partnerships at Hearst Magazines Digital Media, casts celebrities and influencers for Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and other titles in campaigns for the world’s top fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands.

Influencers are Made on Instagram

"Since the majority of social branded content occurs on Instagram, this is where we are going to focus most of our energy. Of course, you can take some of these concepts and apply them to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat, but Instagram is the Coca-Cola of influencer marketing, and it isn't going anywhere."

Ms. Hennessy shares her expertise on influencer strategy and marketing in this book. She emphasizes that being unique is the only way to get ahead in the market today.
She believes that creating compelling content will create a bond between you and your audience. This allows you to create a community...which is different, and more important, than a following.

The author provides detailed instructions on how to create and post social media content. She also shares case studies and interviews that highlight Instagram superstars.

My Thoughts
This book offers inspiration, motivation and instruction to people who are seeking to up their game in the world of social media marketing. The author deals with influencers who make a full-time living partnering with businesses on social media. Many of theses influencers (mostly women) have thousands or even millions of followers on Instagram and have built loyal communities of potential customers for merchandise and services.

I was a late-comer to Instagram and only have a few hundred followers (Click here if you would like to help me out!) I am amazed at the tremendous success that ordinary women (not celebrities) have achieved on Instagram. This book provides insider information for growing your social media marketing presence. 
Ms. Hennessy emphasizes that the influencers that attract the attention of large businesses work very hard and make producing content for Instagram ( and other social media sites) their full-time job.

Influencer marketing is a fairly new concept and I recommend this book to all who are interested in learning more.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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Mark Schaefer Explains Social Media for Business

Social Media Explained: Untangling the World’s Most Misunderstood Business Trend, Revised and Expanded Second Edition

Author: Mark W. Schaefer

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Date of Publication: February 7, 2018

Length: 143 Pages


About the Author
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized speaker, educator, business consultant, and author who blogs at {grow} - one of the top marketing blogs of the world.

Social Media - An Unstoppable Force
Mark Schaefer believes the potential for marketing through social media platforms is a significant and unstoppable force.

The author explains that behind every social media marketing success story, you will find the following three elements:

1. Targeted connections +
2. Meaningful content +
3. Authentic Helpfulness = BUSINESS BENEFITS

This updated book offers business leaders solid strategies and case studies for implementing, managing and measuring a social media marketing program.


My Thoughts

Social media marketing requires more expertise in marketing than social media. Do not assign Tammy from the mail room to run your new social media effort because she's good at Facebook.

I had to smile when I read the above quote, but the author makes a very valid point. Social media offers platforms to promote and market your business. You are always marketing. 

How do you handle complaints and criticism on social media? 
"Deal with it. Adjust. Adapt. Get your house in order because the social web will make you miserable if you don't."
This book spells out exactly what you need to do to establish a successful social media marketing program for your business. I found the social media marketing case study in Chapter 11 extremely interesting and inspiring.

"Social Media explained" is recommended for social media newbies as well as experienced professionals. Mark Schaefer is a natural teacher and he EXPLAINS some advanced strategies and techniques in an understandable manner. I am confident you will find value in this book. Read the book and then go back and really study it. 

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 

FYI ~ I borrowed a digital copy of this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Thank you for reading this book review. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Building Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age - A Book Review

KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age

Author: Mark W. Schaefer

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Publication Date: February 6, 2017

Pages: 257 Pages



About the Author
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant who blogs at {grow} — one of the top five marketing blogs of the world.

Being Known is not the Same as Being Famous

"Being known is not the same as being famous. It's not about having millions of fans and red carpet appearances. Being known is about having the proper authority, reputation, and audience to realize your potential and achieve your goals...whatever they may be."

 Mr. Schaefer believes that everyone has a chance to be known. He provides case studies of dozens of people who started out being unknown and used content to establish a digital presence that propelled their dreams.

Consistency is the key to being known. Nearly every person in the case studies said that consistency is the most important element in the journey to be known. 

The formula for success isn't just finding a passion or even a niche. You must find the magical combination of PLACE (A sustainable interest and what you want to be known for) and SPACE (an uncontested or under occupied niche with enough people to matter.)

This book provides solid guidelines for going from unknown to known in a digital world.

My Thoughts

This is a very motivational book. The author is a delightful storyteller and adds touches of humor to the many case studies that are used to illustrate the techniques needed to build your personal brand.

There are stories about bloggers who share there passion using the written word. There are YouTubers who share their musical talent or artistic skills with videos. There are podcasters who produce internet-based radio shows. There are designers, artists and photographers who share visual images on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Consistency and endurance are the common denominators of all the success stories highlighted in this book. 

If you want to be known, read this book and then get started sharing your content and building an audience using social media. Being known can open doors of opportunity in your personal and professional life. 

I like everything about this book...it inspires, motivates and educates. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I borrowed this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Do you have a passion that you would like to be known for? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. 

Book Review: Keynote Mastery by Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Title: Keynote Mastery: The Personal Journey of a Professional Speaker

Author: Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Publication Date: January 6, 2016

Length: 284 Pages



About The Author
Patrick Schwerdtfeger (@schwerdtfeger on Twitter) is a leading authority on global business trends including demographics, big data and the social media revolution. He is a keynote speaker who has headlined events for conferences all over the world.

The Show Must Go On!
Mr. Schwerdtfeger writes about his life journey as a professional speaker. He is brutally honest about the challenges of self-employment and his personal struggles to survive.

However, he has a dream and his determination, perseverance and tenacity lead to a degree of success that many speakers never achieve.

This is a memoir that offers inspiration and motivation to all who aspire to be a professional speaker. The author shares many "insider secrets" that he has learned from being a speaker for the past seven years. 


My Thoughts
When I listen to a keynote speaker, I expect to be informed, inspired and entertained. I have never had the opportunity to hear the author speak, however, I listened to Mr. Schwerdtfeger's Tedx speech on YouTube and was very impressed.

These are the things I especially liked about this book:

1. The transparent look at the author's life. Mr. Schwerdtfeger posted his credit card balances all along his seven year journey to become a successful keynote speaker. He did not candy-coat his life or make it appear to be something that it is not.

2. The easy-to-read flow of the narrative. The author wrote in a very engaging manner and I felt like I was traveling right along with him on the many journeys that he wrote about.

3. The sensitive manner the author dealt with his mother's mental illness and his father's chronic illness. I am sure this was very difficult to describe, but it was part of the journey and described in an admirable way.

4. Information the author shared about professional speaking. He goes into detail about the structure of a keynote speech. The author was especially open about the financial challenges that he faced and how he handled them.

5. The author's marketing strategies. Mr. Schwerdtfeger's business success depends on how well he markets himself. He has come up with some very creative marketing techniques that should benefit other self-employed entrepreneurs.

What I didn't like about this book:

1. Chapter 61 - "Book marketing sucks." There is a discussion on the trials and tribulations of book marketing in this chapter. The author discusses "pay to play" programs and other ways to get your book noticed for a price. It seems like book marketing would be a piece of cake after all the experience the author has in promoting his speaking career. The chapter is just too negative for my tastes.

2. Chapter 62 and 63 - "The Keynote Mastery Program" and "The Speaker Syndicate".  These chapters promote two programs that the author is selling to professional speakers. I think these chapters could have been cut down to a one page "teaser" that encouraged speakers to contact the author for more information.

MY RATING: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Book Review: Crowdfunding - Put the Fun Into Funding and Get the Money You Need by Zynnia Jezek

One Word Book Review: ENTHUSIASM

 Crowdfunding: Put the Fun Into Funding And Get The Money You Need: How A Little Girl Raised Over $7k In Four Days On IndieGoGo (Distinct Press Young Entrepreneurs Series)

Author: Zynnia Jezek

Publisher: Distinct Press

Publication Date: December 27, 2014

Print Length: 130 Pages

An 11-Year-Old Girl With A Big Dream
Zynnia Jezek, at the age of 11-years-old, designed a successful crowd funding campaign on IndieGoGo to provide funds for a trip from Florida to the Awesomeness Fest in Hawaii. This event is billed as the ultimate transformational experience for entrepreneurs. Zynnia believed this could be a life-changing event for she and her familly.

The problem was, they did not have the money needed to make the trip.

Zynnia and her sister created an IndieGoGo campaingn called "4 Day Awesomeness Fest Test" and made $6, 475.

This book tells exactly what Zynnia did to make her dream come true.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the enthusiasm and excitement depicted in this ebook. The young author/entrepreneur describes a real-life behind the scenes look at a successful  IndieGoGo campaign.  

This is not a primer or resource guide for designing a crowd funding campaign. It is a memoir of one girl's experience and how it changed her life.

The author provides screen shots of a series of PowerPoint slides that were used to promote and publicize this campaign. These slides were designed by Zynnia's sister and are quite creative. I think viewing these promotional slides make this book a relevant selection for anyone thinking about running a crowd funding campaign.

The editing and formatting are rough in places, but the content is informative and impressive. Kudos to Zynnia for a great effort. She proves that most anything is possible with determination and a little help from family and friends.

I predict this young lady has a very bright future!

My Rating: 4 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this digital book with my Kindle Unlimited membership on Amazon.Com.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Things A Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone

Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind

Author: Biz Stone

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Date: April 1, 2014

Length: 237 Pages



About The Author
Biz Stone was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1974. For the past decade, Stone has been developing large scale projects that facilitate the open exchange of information. He is the Co-founder of Twitter and advisor to several technology startups.

The Beginnings of Twitter
How did Biz Stone and his associates come up with the idea for Twitter?

Biz Stone shares many fascinating behind-the-scenes happenings that tell how Twitter started and how it grew to  become a world-wide platform for posting messages of 140 characters or less.

Mr. Stone started out as a blogger and graphic designer. He was the heart behind the Twitter team and used his skills to communicate with users and grow the business.

Biz Stone tells about how he was responsible for all the customer service communications when the Twitter servers went down. It was up to him to contact users and let them know that the problems were being addressed by the Twitter engineers.

He explains how Twitter made it's public debut at the South by Southwest Conference in 2007. Large TV monitors were set up in the halls and people could read the tweets as they moved from room to room.

Twitter fans will be captivated by the stories behind the little blue bird.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the candid and open style that Mr. Stone used in this book. He pretty much tells it all. There are no huge scandals or earth-shattering secrets, but you come away from this book feeling like you have known Biz for his entire life.

He tells about his childhood and how his family was "dirt poor" and were frequently down-sizing to more affordable homes. He tells about his high school years when he realized that he just didn't have time to do homework so he instigated a "no homework policy" and he convinced his teachers to just grade him on work he did in class.

I think the most impressive part of this story is end.  Mr. and Mrs. Stone have not let their financial success change them. They have given generous amounts of money to charities and continue to do so.

This is an inspirational book that will have readers tweeting for joy. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.

Book Review: YouTube Marketing Power by Jason G. Miles

YouTube Marketing Power: How to Use Video to Find More Prospects, Launch Your Products, and Reach a Massive Audience

Author:  Jason G. Miles

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Date: December 10, 2013

Length: 257 Pages



About The Author
Jason G. Miles is the author of Pinterest Power, Craft Business Power and Instagram Power. Co-founder and marketer at Liberty Jane Clothing, he serves as vice-president for advancement at Northwest University, where he is responsible for enrollment marketing, branding, alumni relations, and fund-raising.

YouTube has Reinvented the Video Production and Distribution Scene
Mr. Miles has extensive experience marketing with YouTube.  He uses YouTube to market his family's small business and he is on the marketing team at a Christian university.

The following topics are explored in this book:

• Why YouTube is a huge opportunity for businesses.
• Why companies frequently fail at YouTube marketing.
• Some effective styles of video making.
• How to get your videos done quickly and easily.
• How marketers are creating massive followings on YouTube.
• How you can advertise on YouTube to drive traffic to your site.
• How to monetize your YouTube videos.

This book uses research, case studies and interviews to present valuable information on using YouTube as a marketing tool.

My Thoughts
I chose this book because I am a YouTube FANATIC! I started a lifestyle channel on YouTube in 2007 as an online journal to document the places we visited and the activities we were involved in. This channel now has 460 videos and over 1 million views!

I was hoping to learn some new nuggets of wisdom to improve my YouTube Channel and I was not disappointed. Mr. Miles presented information that is helpful for the individual or small business users as well as large organizations.

I really liked the interviews that he used in this book. I was especially impressed with the social media director at Bishop T.D. Jakes' church in Dallas, Texas.
This interview explained why it is important to create "Playlists" on your channel. A Playlist organizes your videos into different subject categories so that people can find the videos they are interested in without having to browse through your entire collection.

I was also very interested in the contests that Mr. Miles created on YouTube to build a following on their Liberty Jane Clothing channel. This book provides many tips to use in developing contests that will attract hundreds of participants.

Mr. Miles emphasizes that YouTube is a social media platform and it should be used to engage with viewers. This is an effective way to gain subscribers and keep viewers coming back for more.

This book provides information that you can use to make your video marketing plan work for you. The information is up-to-date, practical and creative. I highly recommend this book to YouTube newbies as well as experienced marketers.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.

I will post a copy of this review on Amazon. If you believe it is helpful in helping you make a decision to read this book, please give me a positive vote. Thank you!

Book Review: What Happens in Vegas Stays On YouTube by Erik Qualman

What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube

Author:  Erik Qualman

Publisher: Equalman Studio

Date: January 1, 2014

Length: 194 pages



About The Author
Erik Qualman is an MBA Professor at the Hult International Business School. He is the author of Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business and Digital Leader: The 5 Keys to Success & Influence.

Privacy is Dead
The author shares 36 essential rules to help you preserve your most important asset... your reputation. Whether you are a teacher, politician, CEO, soccer mom, coach or pastor...you must understand the new rules of today's transparent society.

Social media sites have exploded in popularity. Here are several of "The New Rules of Reputation" listed in this book:

Rule #2: Live as though your mother is watching.
Rule #8: Be FLAWsome
Rule #11: Complain = Digital Pain
Rule #16: The three second rule
Rule #32: Be a Baker not an Eater

There are numerous case studies about individuals and companies who have used good judgment and bad judgment in posting photos, videos and comments on social media sites.

There is a chapter on "digital stamps" - "a permanent collection and culmination of your digital footprints and digital shadows". Your digital stamp matters 5 seconds from now, 5 years from now, 50 years from now and 500 years from now.

This book was funded by a very successful Kickstarter campaign.

My Thoughts
This is a timely subject and something that everyone should be thinking about. People will judge you by what you post...you must decide how you want to be known.

Your "digital stamp" will be with you for the rest of your life. Young people like to post pictures of parties and good times but future job recruiters may not be impressed.

The author did a good job researching this subject and presenting the material in a very understandable manner. I think "reputation management" will be a growing topic of concern for individuals, non-profits and businesses in the years to come.

I love the list of "Must Reads" the author included at the end of the book. These books will inspire and educate readers on the subjects of social media, marketing and life.

Now is the time to think about the digital stamp you are creating. This book is well worth your time.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Finding the Core of Your Story by Jordan Smith

Finding the Core of Your Story: How to strengthen and sell your story in one essential sentence

Author: Jordan Smith

Publisher: Balter Press

Date: December 9, 2012



About The Author
Jordan Smith is a storyteller who generally works in the realm of film, though he often branches out into other forms of narrative fiction. He's always picking stories apart to see what makes them tick.

Pitch Your Story Quickly and Compellingly With a Logline
What is a "logline"?

A logline is a way to break your story down to it's lowest common denominator.

Can you tell me what your story is about in ONE sentence?

Mr. Smith believes that if you don't know what your story is about in a single sentence, you run the risk of meandering your story into places where it doesn't belong.

This book provides two logline templates and tells exactly how to use them. There are many examples and exercises that will help you develop a logline for your own story. The author shares his secrets for making unique loglines that will have people anxious to read your story or watch your film.

My Thoughts
This book will be very helpful to writers of all kinds. Actually, the concepts in this book can be used in a wider context than just writing stories and plays.

Many people use the term "elevator pitch" when using a short description to get to the core of a business or service.

Summarizing is an important skill in getting your message out to as many people as possible. The logline should present a summary in such a way that will make the listener want to learn more.

This book will help you communicate your message in a more efficient and productive manner. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author.

Do you have a logline for your story? Would you like to make it better? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: What NOT To Do In Your Photography Business by Chris Darbonne

What NOT To Do In Your Photography Business

Author: Chris Darbonne

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Date: March 25, 2013




About The Author
Chris Darbonne quit her job working for an automotive company to open a photography studio. Her honest and conversational writing style may give you some insight into a retail photography studio. Learn what she did wrong, and also all the things she did right. Chris discusses things to be prepared for as well as techniques that worked.

What Went Wrong?
Some research states that up to 50% of all small businesses fail. Chris Darbonne shares her experience of opening a retail photography studio that no longer exists. This book details the lessons that she learned.

The author is very candid about the mistakes that she made in her business. The first chapter tells about an aggressive saleswoman who sold Ms. Darbonne an advertisement at a movie theater. The price of the ad was thirteen thousand dollars for the ad to run for eight months. YIKES! The author learned that it was not wise to make hasty decisions when it comes to purchasing advertising. Ditto for aggressive Yellow Pages sales reps.

Ms. Dabonne also shares "What I Did Right" in her business. One decision that  was "right" was hiring two photographers from the College of Creative Studies. These assistants were very helpful in building the business and offering a wide variety of products. However, the author regrets the fact that she did not do a better job training the assistants to handle telephone inquiries about her services and pricing.

Would Ms. Darbonne do it again? Her answer is YES! She is happy having gone on this adventure and is OK with where she is now.

My Thoughts
I have read quite a few books about how to succeed in business. I enjoyed reading this honest appraisal of mistakes that led to the closing of this business.

The author is very upbeat about the lessons she learned in this adventure. I think this book would be an interesting read for any aspiring photographer AND anyone thinking about starting a small business.

The lessons is this book are very clear. HAVE A PLAN AND PROCEED SLOWLY. The author states that she is no longer taking pictures. That is a shame. I hope she will eventually regroup and start again...a little older and a little wiser.

My Rating: 4 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered a digital copy of this ebook from Amazon.Com during a free promotion. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Book Review: The $100 Startup By Chris Guillebeau

The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

Author: Chris Guillebeau

 

Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.

 

Date: May 8, 2012 

 

 

About The Author

Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup and other books. Chris travels the world and writes for a small army of remarkable people at ChrisGuillebeau.com.

Follow Your Passion and Create a New Future
How much money do you need to start a business?

Chris Guillebeau believes that borrowing money to start a business is now completely optional. The quest for personal freedom lies in the pursuit of value for others. The author advises entrepreneurs "to focus on the point of convergence between what you love to do and what other people are willing to pay for".

This book is about people who start their own microbusinesses without investment, without employees, and often without much of an idea of what they're doing. They almost never have a formal business plan and they often don't have a plan at all except to "try this out and see what happens." The new entrepreneurs think carefully about all the skills they have that could be helpful to others and then take action.

My Thoughts
This book has been on my "want" list for several months so I was very pleased when I found a digital copy at the public library. I have read both favorable and unfavorable reviews of the book so I was anxious to read it myself.

Many of the "unexpected entrepreneurs" in this book lost a job or left a job and were forced to start a small business from scratch to pay their bills. They say "necessity is the mother of invention" and that was definitely the case in many of the stories in this book. These people have turned their passion into profit while creating a more meaningful life for themselves.

The primary lesson that I learned from this book is the importance of mindset. You really have to be determined, persistent and dedicated to making your business work. That means your entire life must revolve around this business 24/7. The case studies in this book are NOT get-rich-quick schemes. The owners of these small businesses had to work very hard to achieve success. The startup cost might be $100 but the amount of work, sacrifice and perseverance that is required is tremendous. I am afraid the author makes it look a bit too easy.

This book offers inspiration for readers who have lots of passion but little money to invest in a startup.

My Rating: 4 Stars Out Of 5

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Book Review: Pinterest Savvy by Melissa Taylor

Pinterest Savvy: How I Got 1 Million+ Followers (Strategies, Plans, and Tips to Grow Your Business with Pinterest)

Author: Melissa Taylor

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date: January 29, 2013



About The Author 
A mother of two girls, a freelance writer and blogger, and an award-winning educator, Melissa Taylor holds a Master's Degree in Global Education, with expertise in early childhood and elementary education and a focus on literacy and play. She has taught all subjects for the elementary grades and preschool.

Pinterest For Business and Fun
Have you considered the benefits Pinterest offers your brand, your business, your blog, or even your personal coolness factor?

Here are some facts that might impress you;

• Pinterest is the FASTEST growing social media network.
• Pinterest has 23 million users.
• The Pinterest referral traffic beats Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.

Melissa Taylor uses Pinterest as an online bulletin board and filing system. She has created boards for her business and personal interests and saved links to webpages that she wants to keep. 

You pin interesting photographs or graphics that represent the content you want to save.

What do you pin? Here are some of the author's favorite things to pin;

• Learning ideas for kids
• Recipes
• Crafts and DIY projects
• Children's books
• Inspirational Quotes

How do you get followers on Pinterest?
Ms. Taylor offers the following tips for getting followers.

• Connect to your Twitter and/or Facebook accounts.
• Name your boards with keywords that others might find interesting.
• Make a board dedicated to your business only. You can then repin posts from your business board to your special interest boards.
• Pinterest uses hashtags the same way Twitter does. Use hashtags in your descriptions before a category word like #education or #travel.
• Repin, Like and Comment on other user's pins.
• Follow people who pin items that interest you.
• Set up a pinning schedule for each day. 

The author shares "Best Advice from Top Pinners" and "Interesting Pinners to Follow" at the end of her book.

My Thoughts
This book was a fast read and filled with color screenshots and links. I have read several books about Pinterest but this one really has me excited about setting up boards and pinning.

I currently pin my blog posts and have noticed that I am getting traffic to my blog from the Pinterest links. My goal for the future is to use Pinterest as a virtual filing system that reflects all my interests and passions. You can designate your boards as "private" if you don't want others to see them.

Pinterest Savvy provides basic information about using Pinterest and explains exactly WHY you need to use it. The links are excellent for finding avid pinners to follow and getting a feel for how to use the site. The author shares many tips from the book on her Pinterest Savy website.

If you are looking for Pinterest "how-to" and inspiration, this is the book for you!
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com during a limited-time free promotion. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Book Review: The Essential Book Blog by Ken Howe

The Essential Book Blog: The Complete Bibliophile's Toolkit for Building, Growing and Monetizing Your On-Line Book-Lover's Community (Brinestone Guides)

Author: Ken J. Howe

Publisher: Brinestone Press

Date: August 4, 2012 (Second Edition)


About The Author
Ken Howe is the founder of Brinestone Press, an independent small press established to provide publishing services, including editing, design and formatting, and cover illustration, to the burgeoning army of new indie authors.

Blogging About Books 
Book blogs have exploded in numbers over the past several years. This book provides information about getting a book blog started, finding appropriate books to review, writing book reviews, building a community of readers and monetizing the blog.

The book features 180 links to useful articles, products and services on the Web. 

My Thoughts 
I started my book blog four years ago. I chose this book because there are very few books available on starting and growing a book blog. I try to read each new book that comes out on the subject. 

The information on finding books is good for beginners. When I first started my blog, I would go to the library and check-out the new books to feature on my blog. When I got a Kindle ereader, finding books was no longer a problem. The author explains how to get review books from publishers and free digital books from Amazon and other sites.

I found the section on how to write a good book review very interesting. I have learned that reviewing books is much more than just liking to read. You have to be a good writer and be able to express your opinions in an interesting manner. Dr. Howe gives some excellent tips on how to evaluate a book and write a review that displays your own voice and personality.

The book explains why it is not ethical to charge money for book reviews. He gives a variety of options for monetizing your blog and your services. These are all practical things that can be done by a blogger with average technical know-how.

This book offers dozens of links for finding more information and services to grow a book blog and get more readers. I think this book is a MUST READ for anyone who is thinking about starting a book blog or is just starting out.
A veteran book blogger will find the tips in this book useful for tweaking their existing blog and taking it to the next level.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased a digital copy of this book from Amazon.Com with my personal funds...well worth the money!

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Book Review: Craft Business Power by Jason G. Miles

Craft Business Power: 15 Days To A Profitable Craft Business

Authors: Jason G. Miles and Cinnamon Miles

Publisher: Liberty Jane Media

Date: January 6, 2013




About the Authors 
Jason G. Miles is co-author of Craft Business Power - the Amazon #1 Best Selling Book. His previous books include Pinterest Power and Price It Like Picasso.
In 2008 he co-founded Liberty Jane Clothing, an online retail business that has grown to become a thriving six-figure business. With over 200,000 digital guidebooks downloaded, and thousands of raving fans, Liberty Jane has become a powerful brand in their small niche.

Cinnamon Miles is the co-founder and lead designer at Liberty Jane Clothing, a company she co-founded in 2008 by selling a single item on eBay. Cinnamon is also an official Brand Ambassador for Bernina, the world's premiere sewing machine company.

Building a Profitable Craft Business
Jason and Cinnamon Miles started their craft business like many crafters do. Cinnamon started making doll clothes for her daughter's American Girl Doll on her home sewing machine. 

In January of 2008, Jason asked if he could list one of the doll outfits on eBay. This outfit sold for $39 and was the beginning of a successful crafts business that is based on doll clothes and patterns.

"Craft Business Power" explains how Liberty Jane Clothing has grown to include the following divisions;

• LibertyJaneClothing.Com - retail outlet for designer doll clothes.
• LibertyJanePatterns.Com - over 200,000 doll clothes patterns in pdf format.
• LibertyJanePartners.Com - the company encourages and assists sew-from-home entrepreneurs in using the patterns as the basis for their businesses.
• The Cutting Room - a membership site for partners and people interested in growing their craft business. It gives you direct access to Cinnamon and Jason as well as a whole set of additional benefits.

Mr. Miles shares detailed information about each step in the development of Liberty Jane Clothing. Jason is responsible for the financial and marketing side of the business. Cinnamon is responsible for the creative designs and production side of the business.

This book provides an in-depth case study of a crafts business that has achieved amazing success in just five years.

My Thoughts
"Craft Business Power" provides "insider information" that is not available in many books about launching and running a crafts business. 
Many artists and crafters do not have the information or experience they need to promote and SELL their products. They concentrate on CREATING instead of marketing.

This book demonstrates exactly how a business can be built by combining marketing expertise and creativity. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to start a home crafts business. (The information in this book will be beneficial to ALL home business owners).

GOOD NEWS! I bought this book last week with my own funds but just discovered that this Kindle book is FREE on Amazon TODAY!

My Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

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Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.