Book Review: The Digital Handshake

We are in the midst of a paradigm shift for the methods employed to communicate an organization’s message. The Digital Handshake, written by Paul Chaney, describes this new state beautifully by saying that “markets are conversation.” No longer do businesses have the sole control over their message with advent of social media. Individual consumers now have the voice to support or condemn a business and others are listening to what these individuals have to say.

The Digital Handshake is great book describing the Why, What, and How of social media. Why you should pay attention to social media, what are the different social media tools and service out there, and how to effectively incorporate social media into your organization. Paul Chaney presents a compelling case for the importance of social media as the barriers to becoming a content producer diminish. He offers several strategies and guiding principles when using social media to become part of the conversation about your company. Chaney’s effective use of anecdotes and analogies make for an entertaining read and further solidify the concepts he conveys. The stories about Kryptonite Locks and Zappos are still fresh in my mind. Chaney also excellently organizes the book so it can serve as rudimentary reference as you begin to add the different social media platforms into your business.

Chaney definitely practices what he preaches. Throughout the book, he stress that the importance of social media is that it is not just a platform to sell a business’s products on (one-communication/broadcasting) but rather to engage the customer in conversation and become a source for information and help. While reading this book I tweeted about it and a little while later Paul Chaney replied. He wanted to know how the book was going and if there was any areas for improvement. This act alone gave Chaney great creditability in my mind for the subject of social media because he walks the walk by engaging his readers in conversation.

The Digital Handshake is a great book for anyone who is beginning to be exposed to social media or is trying to incorporate it into a business. The book presents the material in clear and well-organized style that can later serve as a quick reference. The concepts expressed in the book can be a source of inspiration for generating new ideas for using social media in your activities.

For more information on the book visit the book’s website at: http://www.thedigitalhandshake.com

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