Book Review: The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue, by Shama Hyder Kabani

Abstract

The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue. Shama Hyder Kabani. Dallas: BenBella Books, 2012. 239 pp. $16.95 pbk.Immediately following his victory to a second term, President Barack Obama thanked his supporters, neither via the television nor in a statement over the radio, but in a tweet. We're all in this together. That's how we have campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you, wrote the reelected president to his twenty-three million followers on Twitter. In 140 characters, the world of mass media and journalism witnessed the con- clusion of a revolutionary campaign, transformed profoundly in the face of technological advancement. As online networking sites are deeply embedded in the majority of Americans' lives today, social media election was the name of the game on November 6, 2012. In the run-up to Election Day, both presidential candi- dates had invested much time and resources into data mining and marketing cam- paigns on media. Unsurprisingly, networking sites are also a goldmine in which many businesses today are striving to tap into, with hopes to draw attention and loyalty from the enormous pool of active online users from all around the world.Due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet and the emergence of public author- ship within the maturing realm of Web 2.0, advertising and online marketing models are shifting on a day-to-day basis. Every day, new communication ideas and practices are proposed by self-proclaimed gurus across various media, teaching fellow citizens of the networks how to better promote their brands online. Quoting the spoon-bending scene from The Matrix, web-marketing specialist Shama Hyder Kabani intends to illustrate the concept of media marketing as Zen-a way of selling not by force but through a state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of cre- ativity and strategy. The Zen of Social Media Marketing is written for readers ranging from small business owners to students intending to pursue marketing careers to chief marketing officers who are looking to learn the building blocks of media marketing.To put subsequent discussions of online marketing tactics into perspective, Kabani shares with readers her framework for online marketing: the ACT Methodology. In the acronym, A stands for Attract, C is for Convert, and T is for Transform. Kabani's philosophy for successful online marketing means to use media as tools to gather attention, turn strangers into customers, and ultimately transform one's busi- ness by turning past and present successes into magnetic forces of attraction.The apps covered in this book are those that Kabani identifies as her strong suits: personal websites and blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube. …