Book Review: Socialnomics
When social media became a mainstream concept, a profusion of self-proclaimed experts quickly appeared; people with little or no experience who wanted to capitalize on a new industry. Along with them came a flood of books on the topic and unfortunately Socialnomics
I must start by saying that Erik Qualman writes with a very personal style that is easy to follow and to understand. I was able to quickly read through and grasp the essence of his book. However, he often loses track of his main point and rambles on for paragraphs before eventually returning. Between this and some dubious facts and statistics, I think the book could have greatly benefited from heavier editing.
Worse, the author doesn’t seem to have a firm understanding of the industries or businesses he uses for examples. While I agree that big brands can definitely benefit from social media, they often face further challenges than “just not getting it”. Qualman could have made his case stronger if he had used new and interesting case studies instead of the typical Dell, JetBlue and Obama campaign stories.
It’s not all bad, though. Qualman does spend some time explaining potential revenue models that could be derived from social media campaigns. Its just regrettable that he doesn’t develop these further.
I could not recommend Socialnomics to someone who doesn’t yet understand the power of the social internet. I believe there are a number of other books that do a much better job explaining that. Titles like Six Pixels of Separation
This promotional video does a great job diving into the statistics behind social media
If you are struggling to understand how to use social networks for your business be sure to check out the training options that we offer.
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December 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Thanks for reviewing my book! I’m glad you were able to find some nuggets helpful!
Cheers, Erik Qualman
December 5th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Hey, thanks for this review. I can go ahead and stop trying to get around to finishing it. Your review pretty much hits on all the points that were getting under my skin in my read so far.
And your intro is exactly what I’ve been trying to convey to people suddenly looking for social media brains – if you hear the word expert, run for the door. It’s a shame as those looking to buy knowledge need a consult just to tell who is worth hiring to consult.
I haven’t seen/read much from rtraction – will definitely have to correct that
I need someone good to point to
December 11th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Can anyone recommend a book that gives a good overview of social media? I haven’t found one yet.
Regarding Socialnomics, I was amazed by the lack of any deep insight. At best it’s a series of superficial anecdotes.
I seems like the author rushed the book into print so he could claim to be an expert in a growing field. His style may be personal, as the review (above) points out, but his journalistic standards are low. (I’ve been a business editor for 31 years.) For example, he makes many claims that are unsupported by data or studies. Here is one of them: “Social media…connects parents to their kids like never before.”
Here is another specious claim: “Wikipedia is bound to be more accurate [than Encyclopedia Britannica] for major topics–if you have 1,000 experts contributing, versus 3 to 5 experts, the social graph will win every time.” Qualman does not define “major topics.”
He says consumers “historically hated” traditional marketing because it involved “empty promises.” No support for this claim.
He says, “One trend we are starting to see is Generation Y and Z’s difficulty with face-to-face interactions.” No support for this claim.
One thing that I found annoying was Qualman’s reference to Socialnomics (with capital S) as though it is a brand. He declares, “Socialnomics is a massive socioeconomic shift.” Grandiose?
And finally, the sublimely ridiculous: “Obama knows that staying connected [with the people who voted for him] via social media will be his key to success as president.”
Wiley publishes some very good business books, but this isn’t one of them.