Content to Commerce: Engaging Consumers Across Paid, Owned and Earned Channels

About This Book

Almost all books on the subject of social media are, at some point, about conversations. This book is, too—but unlike many others, it is also based on conversations. Content to Commerce presents a uniquely comprehensive approach to social marketing called the network model, and it does so with the help of more than 20 prominent thought leaders and practitioners.

The network model draws much of its inspiration from TV programming practices. Here again, the book does so as well. It weaves in excerpts from multiple interviews in the manner of the best TV documentaries, punctuating and elaborating on the content through third-party expertise and experiences. Chapters are populated with illuminating sidebars that highlight both insights of individual contributors and virtual conversations among various collaborators.

This book is structured so that it does not have to be read from cover to cover, although newcomers to social media marketing may choose to do so to help establish their credentials. Veterans will also find something of value in all chapters, which are organized into six sections.

Section I: Brand as Network

Chapter 1, “Beyond Publishing,” expands on the conventional wisdom that marketers must “think like a publisher,” contending that this concept has become too limited in light of the growing influence of social media across all facets of marketing and beyond.

Chapter 2, “Social Media Is an Octopus,” explores the multiple social touch points that brands ...