I recently read two new (published 2010) books about using social media for business: Power Friending by Amber Mac and Success Secrets of the Social Media Marketing Superstars by Mitch Meyerson .

Power Friending is really targeted more to large corporations than to the solopreneur or small business owner. However, the basic information is valid for any business; the solopreneur just won’t have a staff member to designate as the “community manager.” This quote from the introduction sets the stage:

Power friending is a social media approach built around authenticity. The goal is to build a network of real friends around your brand, developing a relationship based on mutual respect and support.

Amber gives real life examples of companies that have gotten social media right (Zappos) and those that have not (Motrin). Her chapter on strategies is useful for helping a businessperson decide where and how to invest their social networking time. The bottom line in this book is to be authentic and consistent.

Success Secrets of Social Media Marketing Superstars (could that title be any longer?) is a collection of chapters by different authors, each of whom is a success in the world of social marketing. This book is more approachable to the solopreneur or small business owner since many of the writers fall into one of those categories themselves. What makes this book a good tool is that each chapter outlines specific things we can do to start and expand our social media presence. I especially liked Meyerson’s simple and easy-to-use Social Media Marketing Calendar found on page 39. Again, the recurring theme throughout the book is the need to be authentic and consistent while social networking.

I recommend both of these books to businesspersons looking to maximize their effectiveness in using social media for business. I learned a lot: I’m really, really authentic, but I need to be more consistent!