Gillin's New Influencers

Paul Gillin's new book The New Influencers is now out and available for order through Amazon.

I was fortune to received an early signed copy since I was interviewed for it and my contribution is buried somewhere in the middle. Correct - I haven't had time to dive into it yet although given Gillin's longstanding insight, wit and succinct writing skills, its bound to be a winner.

The teaser? Social media baby, the hottest development of the decade. Media experts and others talk about how ordinary people are changing all the rules in marketing and media -- and what to do about it.

Today's influencers are no longer marketing experts, nor the traditional media that have always controlled and filtered messages. The book explores why social media is now so influential in consumer decisions, how to interact with the growing blogosphere, the need for complete openness, honesty and transparency and strategies for both large and small businesses to achieve real business results.

"How can we understand this new force? How should we engage with it constructively? How can we protect ourselves from its darker side?" I'll do a much lengthier post once I have finished ploughing through it.