Nothing has changed the practice of marketing more dramatically than the rise of social media. More than simply another advertising or public relations channel, social media requires a fundamental shift in the way we approach business. As an advertising creative director and copywriter I worked through this transition. As a marketing professor and researcher I have spent my time conducting research, developing courses and writing a book on how to approach social media with the proper perspective for success.

In Social Media Strategy: Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations in the Consumer Revolution I lay out a five step process that includes (1) situation analysis (target market, social media audit, setting business objectives), (2) developing key insights and a big idea, (3) selecting social media channels, (4) integrating other business functions, and (5) linking business objectives to social media metrics with KPI’s in each channel. Before all this you have to understand the context of social media. Below I present some key resources to take you through each of these steps.