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While the book is full of relatively dry statistics, Li and Bernoff deliver a compelling narrative the kept me moving through the chapters. I also appreciate the writing style. I didn't fall asleep while reading once. Groundswell presents a good overview of social networks and explains why they are appealing to participants. The authors provide excellent examples of companies using social media to achieve business goals.
This books tells you in an open and down to business way the changes and key drivers of todays social technologies.
Having read the entire book, as I would read a text, I will again read portions of it selectively when I have opportunity to plan or participate in mine or my organizations communications. The authors spend much time on the "P-O-S-T" acronym, starting with the People, the organizations Objectives, the Strategy to achieve, and then , and a distant fourth, the Technology.Groundswell concludes with useful observations on how we can use the emerging technologies to interact more effectively and purposefully. You cannot control the ether space.Groundswell spends considerable time on technographics profiles or how various segments of the online communities can be expected to use and interact with the technologies and applications.
Groundswell is written like a text book to show how organizations tap it, listen to, talk with, energize, support, and embrace it. Your organization's public credibility would be destroyed by selectively deleting the bad press. The authors define Groundswell as "A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations." This book will likely change your approach to the so-called Web 2.0 technologies and how you will use them.If you do not have a strategy to these technologies, you will be motivated to develop one after reading Groundswell.
A central theme in this book then is being willing to "let go" of the message. I strongly recommend it. Asking a customer of your product to post an on-line critique may be smart.
But, if your product gets hammered, it is there for everyone to read.
Based on real and relevant consumer data and enlivened with ample case studies, this book is highly compelling. The authors educate the reader on methods of examining groups to influence groundswell behavior. This has made it difficult for many marketers to turn them to their advantage. The challenge is now people source what they need from each other, not companies.
Tags supplied by ordinary people will reorganize the way we find things. They provide a four step process explaining why leading with technology is a mistake, how to engage the groundswell proactively and how to drive peer-to-peer movements. The book argues that "social networks will connect people with the groups they care about. Feeds will alert us to any changed content, and feed readers will be as much of the online experience as email and browsers are now". Transactions will be constantly rated and reviewed. New communication forms and technologies are here to stay and evolving rapidly.
All this is explained through case studies involving Ernst & Young, Lego, Loblaws, Best Buy, Dell and Unilever. Some things that Amazon and a few other were onto at the outset of this 'groundswell'. The authors define groundswell as, "A spontaneous movement of people using online tools to connect, take charge of their own experience, and get what they need - information, ideas, products and bargaining power with each other". This threat to businesses and brands has impacted their ability to react appropriately and with the speed demanded by groundswells.The book reads very logically, yet in a highly engaging way.
The chapters are short and to the point. I am so impressed with this book. It is a very intelligent and quick read containing a world of knowledge and lasting benefits to the reader. The authors make their case while informing the reader and not making the reader feel stupid. It was required reading for one of my graduate classes. after having read it, I realize I would have read it whether it was required or not.
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