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.

Book Review: Mindsharing by Lior Zoref

ONE WORD BOOK REVIEW: NETWORKS

Title: Mindsharing: The Art of Crowdsourcing Everything

Author: Lior Zoref

Publisher: Penguin Random House LLC

Publication Date: April 28, 2015

Length: 272 Pages

About The Author
Lior Zoref is a crowd wisdom researcher, an international speaker, former Microsoft executive and private consultant for crowdsourcing and digital strategy. 

Are You Alone?
Decision-making can be very difficult. It is especially difficult when our health, finances, career or relationship is involved. In this book, Mr. Zoref explains how we can find advice and wisdom from our social networks. He believes "mindsharing" is a simple way to use the tools and technology already in place to access and share our greatest human resources....one another.

"We are stronger than me". This is the theme of "Mindsharing" and Mr. Zoref instructs the reader on the most effective ways and places to use social networks to educate, involve and enrich ourselves and our online contacts.

My Thoughts
When I first heard about this book, I thought it might be about the popular practice of "crowd sourcing" to finance creative projects. This book is SO MUCH MORE than getting financial contributions from your social networks.

Mr. Zoref goes into great detail in sharing how mindsharing has played a tremendous part in his life since he left Microsoft. Many of his life dreams have come true as a direct result of mindsharing. 

An amazing example of mindsharing in the author's life happened when he was suffering from a persistent cough. He went to five different doctors but could not get an accurate diagnosis or relief from the cough. He finally went to his "crowd" on Facebook and described his systems. After two hours, he had many different replies to his request for advice. He found it interesting that eleven of his Facebook friends suggested that it might be whooping cough. He went back to his doctor and insisted that they test him for whooping cough. The diagnosis was clear: whooping cough.

This book is an excellent educational tool to build or improve your social network. Highly Recommended!

My Rating - 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a print copy of this book from the author's publicist to read and review.

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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: The Social Executive by Dionne Kasian-Lew

The Social Executive: Winning In The Multi-Trillion Social Economy

Author: Dionne Kasian-Lew

Publisher: BookBaby

Date: February 1, 2013

Pages: 60



About The Author
A respected thought leader and international pioneer in social executive leadership, Dionne Kasian-Lew is the CEO of The Social Executive™.  Dionne is highly regarded as a speaker and has been active on the speaking circuit since 2009 including as a conference chair, panelist, keynote speaker and contributor to thought leadership roundtables.

A Call To Leaders
"Social" is a hybrid word that means connecting, online or offline.

Many executives know "social" will be meaningful, but they are not sure: when, what, how. Ms. Kasian-Lew believes executives need to be involved in the social mindset.

Social is not a fad.

Leaders set the vision and the strategy of the company.
Customers no longer trust companies to tell them about their products or services...they trust their peers.

Leaders are paid to make decisions. Social intelligence can provide rich data and strategic insights that inform that process.

This little gem is packed with research, resources and strategies. The book includes 12 case studies that illustrate how social media is used for business.

My Thoughts
This book explains exactly WHY your business needs social media. The time is NOW for leaders to start building their corporate and personal platforms. Executives need to learn how to engage on the basic platforms. Then they need to start raising digital and social expectations at the leadership level and across the business.

Ms. Kasian-Lew has done an excellent job presenting information that business executives need to know and understand. Change is not easy but an investment in social media will pay huge dividends in the future. This book gets right to the important points....there is no fluff here. Read the book and be prepared to step into the future.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a digital preview copy of this book from NetGalley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

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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Michael Hyatt Launches Platform University

Michael Hyatt has worked in the book publishing industry for most of his career. He got his start while a student at Baylor University and has since worked in every aspect of book publishing. He was CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers from 2005 - 2011.

In 2012, Mr. Hyatt wrote Platform; Get Noticed in a Noisy World - A Step-by-Step Guide for Anyone With Something To Say or Sell. This book has been a tremendous success and has helped thousands of people develop a platform for their business or cause.

Today, Michael Hyatt is launching Platform University. Each month, Mr Hyatt will explore the concepts outlined in his book at a much deeper level through specialized classes, tutorials, and actionable lessons. His goal is to help you get your message heard and have greater impact.

I signed up for Platform University because I think this is an excellent opportunity to increase my knowledge and experience for a very reasonable price. I am 100% in and plan to give this my best effort.

You can sign up for Platform University during the Early Bird Registration period for $20.00 a month. The price goes up to $25.00 a month on January 30. You can end your membership at any time. (This is not an affiliate link ~ I will not get any compensation for your membership.)

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Book Review: The Authority On Tout

The Authority On Tout

Authors: Gary Martin Hays and Adam Weart

Publisher: We Published That, LLC

Date: October 28, 2012




About The Authors
Adam Weart is an author and key leader in all aspects of Social Media Marketing and Web Usability Design at the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.

What Is Tout?
Tout is a new social media platform that allows you to share instant messages and information with your audience by using video.

Tout sets itself apart from other video social networks ( YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) by only allowing you to record 15 seconds of content per video post, as well as allowing you to upload video directly from your smart phone. Remember the KISS principle....Keep It Short & Sweet!

I forgot to mention that Tout is absolutely FREE to use.

My Thoughts
This ebook is very concise and informative. I was able to follow the steps for setting up an account. The authors offer good advice for "retouting", following others (including celebrities) and using keywords and hashtags. They also demonstrate how to reply to Touts and share videos with your friends on other social media sites. The authors provide color photos that illustrate everything you need to know to get started on Tout.

Tout makes it easy to BLAST a 15 second video from your cell phone to Facebook, Twitter and email. You can also upload video from your computer and share it with your friends. Tout is great for personal use and can also be used to promote your business. I opened a new Tout account but have not yet posted a video (that will be the topic of a future blog post.)

This ebook is a very helpful introduction to the world of Tout. Get this great little guide and start Touting today!

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received this ebook as a free download during a special promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Book Review: Renegades Write The Rules by Amy Jo Martin

Renegades Write the Rules: How the Digital Royalty Use Social Media to Innovate

Author: Amy Jo Martin

Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Date: October 2, 2012







About The Author
Amy Jo Martin founded Digital Royalty in 2009 to help companies, celebrities, professional sports leagues, teams and athletes build, measure and monetize their digital universe.

The Renegades
Mary Jo Martin is an expert on the power of social media, the latest social media trends, how to build a personal brand using social media and on personal and business innovation.

Ms. Martin encourages her readers to get involved in social media by bucking previous assumptions and embracing their inner renegade.  She shows them how, step by step, with the eight essential Renegade Rules:

Rule 1: Be the Media Rule
Rule 2: Show Some Skin
Rule 3: Unmask Your Motives
Rule 4: Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Rule 5: Ask Forgiveness Rather Than Permission
Rule 6: Consensus Is the True Authority
Rule 7: There's a New ROI in Town
Rule 8: The Act of Good Can Be Scaled

The author shares fascinating stories about how she went to work as the Director of Digital Media and Research for the NBA Phoenix Suns and helped Shaquille O'Neal develop a strategy for his Twitter presence. She has helped  many other sports celebrities build a strong fan base on Twitter and Facebook.

My Thoughts
This is an entertaining and informative book about developing social media influence. Sports fans will love the stories that she tells about working with some of the biggest names in professional sports.

Ms. Martin shares core values in this book that are essential in building trust via social media. She believes that both sides of the relationship must be equal with ongoing value exchange and reciprocation. She is a social rocket scientist because she believes magic happens when we combine numbers/statistics with an emotional connection. She advises us to strive to become expert listeners in both the physical and virtual worlds. Renegades have to earn trust and respect.

I believe this book offers a high degree of value and should be added to your reading list if you are a student of social media and branding strategies. This book offers practical insights and advice that can be used to build your presence on any social media platform. You don't have to be a celebrity or sports star to benefit from the information in this book.
Ms. Martin is launching an online Digital Royalty University that will instruct users on her methods of using social media. This is a great way to continue learning after you finish reading the book...the first lesson is free!

Three cheers for #TeamRenegade!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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

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Book Review: Platform by Michael Hyatt

Platform; Get Noticed In a Noisy World ~ A Step-By-Step Guide For Anyone With Something To Say Or Sell

By Michael Hyatt

Published by: Thomas Nelson

May 22,2012






About The Author
Michael Hyatt is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world and the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S.

The Platform
Mr. Hyatt posted this infographic on his blog and encourages reviewers and bloggers to share it with others. There is no way that I could do a better job summarizing the information in the book.



My Thoughts
This book was a real learning experience for me. Mr. Hyatt shared information that he learned from many years of working in the publishing business. He provided detailed information about how he started a blog and used social media to get thousands of readers each day.

I think this book provides information that will help anyone who has something to say or sell achieve success. This is the kind of book that should be studied carefully and reviewed on a regular basis. This book offers many of the tools, tips and advice that you need to "be heard" in a noisy world.

You MUST have a compelling message/product and you MUST be willing to take personal responsibility for doing the hard work that is necessary to achieve success. Mr. Hyatt makes it clear that social media marketing is not always easy and it is not a get rich quick scheme. Your best efforts will always be rewarded if you stay the course.

This book will motivate and inspire you to take your business or cause to the next level. Highly Recommended.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the author's publicist.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: What the Plus! Google+ for the Rest of Us

What the Plus! Google+ for the Rest of Us

By Guy Kawasaki

Amazon Digital Services

March 4, 2012

About the Author

Guy Kawasaki is the author of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. He is also the co-founder of Alltop.com, an "online magazine rack" of popular topics on the web, and a founding partner at Garage Technology Ventures.

Why Should You Use Google+?

Google+ is still fairly new but Guy Kawasaki predicts that it will exceed Facebook and Twitter in popularity and use! The author states that his goal is to help you derive as much joy and value from Google+ as he does.

Mr. Kawasaki begins the book with an interesting comparison between Twitter, Facebook and Google+. He states that Twitter is best for real-time perspectives. Facebook is for people. It is great for keeping up with people you already know (friends, relatives and colleagues). Google+ is for passions. It enables you to pursue your passions with people you don't know.

Mr. Kawasaki provides a very helpful tutorial on how to get started on Google+. He explains exactly how to set-up your account and find people to include in your circles. The author believes that your Google+ profile is very important and offers an entire chapter on "how to make an enchanting profile". He provides detailed instructions for designing a photo scrapbook for your profile page.

This book provides helpful hints for leaving comments, responding to comments and sharing posts. There is a chapter on how to "hang out" using the feature that allows you to conduct a live video conference with up to ten people. Hangouts can reach more people if you "broadcast and record" them. This enables people to watch and listen to hangouts but not participate.

Peg Fitzpatrick wrote a guest chapter entitled "Fish in a Big Pond." She provides tips for "ordinary" people to use when getting started on Google+. Lynette Young wrote a guest chapter entitled "How to Thrive in the All-Boys' Club". This chapter explains how women on Google+ can survive and thrive.

My Thoughts

I purchased this book to help me get started on Google+. I am active on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, Pinterest....I just had not taken the time to set up a profile on Google+.

I found this book to be everything I needed to get started on Google+. This book is precise, understandable and complete. I will go back and re-read different portions of this book as I become more familiar with Google+. This is an excellent resource for both beginners and experienced Google+ uses. Highly recommended!

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased a digital copy of this book from Amazon.Com with my own funds.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.



Book Review: The Ultimate Guide To Marketing Your Business With Pinterest

Pinterest has been called a photo sharing site, a shared pinboard, a bookmarking site, a creative outlet and many other things. How can Pinterest help you market your product or service?

The Ultimate Guide To Marketing Your Business With Pinterest; A Practical Toolkit To Unlock The Web's Latest Social Networking Phenomenon, by Gabriela Taylor, explains how Pinterest is set to become a vital marketing platform for a wide range of businesses.

About The Author
Gabriela Taylor is an internationally educated Global Online Marketing Strategist and Consultant who's worked with some of the world's biggest brands in telecommunications, retail, lifestyle and advertising.

Pinterest For Business
Ms. Taylor is an online marketing professional and is very enthusiastic about the marketing opportunities that Pinterest offers. This book has 140 pages and teaches the reader how to optimize their Pinterest boards to share and promote their business products and services.

This book explains how to get started on Pinterest. There are some impressive graphs that illustrate the remarkable and rapid growth of Pinterest.

Chapter 7, "How To Cash In With Pinterest?", features different kinds of businesses that are using Pinterest to market their products and services.  The author advises entrepreneurs to "pin" their products and services in a catchy way, add a description and link back to your site. 

The author also lists the top 10 "most Pinteratctive and engaging brands" and the top "Power Pinners" who have made the most of Pinterest.

Chapter 9, "Advanced Pinterest Strategies", really gets into the meat of how to use Pinterest to market your business. The author instructs readers on Pinterest SEO, how to optimize your profile, how to optimize your web site to encourage "pinning", and how to optimize your pins and boards with hashtags, mentions and likes.

The author provides  a step-by-step plan for using Pinterest to market your business at the end of this book.

My Thoughts
This is the second book that I have read on Pinterest and I am slowly getting into the habit of visiting the site and "pinning" each day. The site is definitely addictive and very pleasing to the eye.

The first half of this book covers the basics of getting started on Pinterest and how to use it. This is very useful information for beginners on Pinterest.

I found the sections that listed the different kinds of businesses that are using Pinterest, the most "Pinteractive brands" and the "power pinners" to be very interesting. I now have a list of people and companies that I want to follow and learn from.

I thought the step-by-step plan for using Pinterest to market your business was very, very helpful. As a matter of fact, I think this list was the highlight of the book.  It is a very good summary of the book and will be a significant help as you get your feet wet on Pinterest.

I have one complaint about this book. I read the book on my Kindle and found the digital formatting to be lacking in quite a few places. One page had two words on it. Many pages just had two or three sentences. I think this problem could be corrected and the book would be much more pleasant to read.

My Rating:  4 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this book from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free download. Please check the price before ordering.

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Book Review: Quick and Easy Guide to Branding Your Business and Creating Massive Sales With Pinterest

Pinterest is a social networking site that allows users to create photo collections online. It is primarily a photo sharing website where the members are allowed to create albums pertaining to a certain theme or pattern.

"The Quick and Easy Guide to Branding Your Business and Creating Massive Sales With Pinterest", by Kim Garst, is a guide for using Pinterest to strengthen your business and brand.


About the Author
Kim Garst is a mompreneur, social media and personal branding strategist, speaker, coach and trainer. She was recently named by Forbes as one of the top 50 social media influencers.

The New Kid on the Block
Pinterest has become one of the leading social media networks. The site was founded in early 2010 and has grown by leaps and bounds. At present, the website attracts over 11 million visits each week, placing it among the top ten social networks. In the past six months, Pinterest has grown by 4000%. This site has become extremely popular with youth and women between the ages of 25 and 54.

The first portion of this book describes how Pinterest works and how to set up an account. It explains how to create different boards for yourself and how to share your own photos or pictures you "pin" on favorite websites or blogs. Ms. Garst tells how to download the "pin" button to your browser so that you can select photos from sites you visit to display on your Pinterest boards. She also explains how to get followers and connect with other Pinterest users.

The second portion of this book shares some tips for using Pinterest to promote your business. The author encourages business owners to be creative and develop interesting pictures on their sites. You can use the images that you pin to your boards to build links to your website and also to other sites. When a person clicks on a picture on your Pinterest board, they are taken to the website or blog where the picture was originally posted.

Ms. Garst states that Pinterest drives more traffic than YouTube, Reddit, Google+ and LinkedIn combined! The strength of this unique platform lies in its simplicity. By connecting items, photos and interests instead of people, Pinterest has revolutionized social media.

My Thoughts
This ebook is an excellent guide for getting started on Pinterest. It also offers many useful ideas on using this platform for building your brand and promoting your business.

Ms. Garst is very persuasive in explaining why a business owner should be using Pinterest. I purchased this ebook because I have opened an account on Pinterest but have not really started using it. This book helped me understand how and why Pinterest could add value to my Internet interests and my life. I highly recommend this ebook to anyone who is interested in using Pinterest to build their personal and business networks.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

PS ~ I am just a Pinterest newbie, but I would love for you to push the red "Follow me on Pinterest" button on the side of this blog.

FYI ~ I purchased this ebook with my own funds from Amazon.Com.

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www.pinterest.com