About 4 or 5 years ago, I wrote an article for a site and discussed the idea that it seems like everyone and their dogs are becoming social media experts. Over the years I have read books about Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, Social Media, and Search Engine Optimization; and to be frank, most of them are not that good, especially for the most important demographic of this knowledge – leaders and business owners trying to grasp this new digital landscape. I was afraid that the right book was not going to come along.
That was until I read, The Digital Dollar: Sustainable Strategies for Online Success by Joe Wozny. It is easily the most valuable book I have found to teach leaders, executives, and business owners to comprehend and thrive in the online digital world. The difference between it and the many other books I have read is that Joe speaks and writes – in “leadership speak.” He speaks our language about a topic that is mystifying to many. He understands and uses terms like: Investment, ROI, Value, Quality, Strategy, Measurements, Deliverables, Collaboration, Planning, Objectives. It’s refreshing to find a social media expert that really understands business and how to bridge the gap that often exists between business and the online world.
The book is written in a very creative way, in that one can read only certain parts of it if they only need help with certain aspects of the online digital world. For example in the beginning of the book there is a section called “How to Get the Most from The Digital Dollar.” He mentions various industries and the chapters one could read to focus on one’s particular business type. If your goals are engagement, he mentions the best chapters on that. If you are new to social media and the Internet, he tells you where to start. It is a brilliant concept, especially for the busy executive or leader that might not want to read an entire book to extract the knowledge they’re looking for.
The most important part of the book, for me at least, is directly related to the title of creating a sustainable strategy. I’ve had trouble bringing all the different aspects of my online presence together to make it work in a more cohesive manner to drive engagement and attract new readers. He offers several different “Digital Roadmaps,” with examples for different situations. These roadmaps are the strategy plan for your online success. Using the content of the book in each of the digital roadmap sections, makes it pretty easy to develop the pieces of the right digital roadmap for your organization, and create a successful strategy.
I spoke with Joe Wozny this week about the book, and not only has he written a great book that is extremely valuable; but he is friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable about both the online world, and business in general.
In an ever changing digital world, having a roadmap for your organization’s success is indispensable! Tweet This!
Free Books:
I encourage you to check out The Digital Dollar if you care about understanding and surviving in the digital world. Joe has graciously offered to give away a few books to readers of this article located in the US or Canada. I think I am going to pull in a few friends from Africa and the U.K. to help me choose the winners. Here is what you have to do to win a free book:
- Subscribe to my blog. You can do so by going here, subscribing on the widget at the top right of the page, or by clicking the appropriate checkbox when you fill out the comment.
- Leave a well-thought out comment on one or more of the following:
- What fears do you have about transitioning to the online world?
- What are the best online strategies you have implemented to drive success for yourself or your organization?
- Explain your thoughts about the relationship between money (“the dollar”) and the online world (“Digital”) and why that is important for your organization.
On Saturday November 10th, 2012, I and a few online friends will choose 2 or 3 of the most thought out and valuable comments to receive the book. I am excited to hear your thoughts!
About Todd Nielsen
The biggest fear that comes to mind for me is the complexity of it all. It seems that every time I make headway with an online position, there are always 10 other steps that could or should be doing in addition to the things that I’ve already put in place.
My best online strategies? That’s a tough one. I have some unique challenges in my business regarding online communication and marketing. The best thing that I have done is to share good information on the major social media sites. Even though I may have difficulties with original content, I can still share great content like this with followers and connections on LinkedIn, twitter, and Facebook.
With respect to money and the online world, I spent a lot of money going in the wrong directions. Trouble is, there is so many directions to go that a novice like myself doesn’t realize they are going in the wrong direction until it’s too late. I look forward to reading Joe’s book in hopes that it might serve as a more reliable roadmap for the next time I make a change to my online presence.
Thank you Todd for sharing this information.
Todd, Thank you for your review. If anyone has any questions about The Digital Dollar or online strategies please contact me. Joe Wozny, Author of The Digital Dollar
Strategy for business? Really. That WOULD be novel. I’m headed over now to get a copy. Thanks.