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Book Review: “The Age of Context,” by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

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The image of Robert Scoble in the shower with his Google Glasses on is seared in our collective brains by now. But we should all stop laughing because it’s about to get serious, folks.

According to Scoble and his co-author Israel, there are five key trends that are converging to create the “age of context:”

  • Mobile
  • Social Media
  • Data
  • Location-Based Technology
  • Sensors

The Age of Context

This book is a funhouse tour through technologies, apps, and jaw-dropping devices that are on our horizons, whether we’re ready for them or not.

Many of the forthcoming developments raise issues of privacy, security, or safety, and the authors take the time to address those issues. It may be years before we come to grips with the new world where you can trade in your personal information in exchange for a more convenient and catered-to experience, but Scoble and Israel are laying the groundwork.

The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Google Glasses

After cruising through this book, you will consider whether it might be nice to walk out of a store without visiting an actual cash register, or get driven to work in a driverless car, or get rescued by a firefighter wearing augmented reality glasses.

Scoble and Israel aren’t the only ones starting to bring up the big questions brought on by our new connected, contextual world. The Federal Trade Commission is holding a workshop on November 19 to discuss the privacy and security concerns surrounding the Internet of Things.

But the central premise of the book is hopeful. As much as the new technology forces us to deal with new challenges, it promises to potentially save lives, make us more productive, and revitalize our cities.

You can choose to be frightened or energized, but one way or another you’ll need to react to the changes highlighted in this exhilarating book.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Book Review: Insightful Knowledge, by Stephen Monaco

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Book review: Insightful Knowledge: An Enlightened View of Social Media Strategy & Marketing By Stephen Monaco

“When it comes to creating a social media marketing strategy companies must get their head around a simple concept. The objective is not to excel at social media per se. The objective is to effectively utilize social media to help your business excel.” Stephen Monaco, Insightful Knowledge

Let me start this book review by stating that this is not a how-to book.

Insightful knowledge offers a foundation for anyone who aspires to be a “champion” for integrating social media with their marketing mix.

Valuable lessons, statistics, and examples abound in this high level look at social media strategy. Stephen Monaco’s roots in traditional marketing run deep, as he was one of the early pioneers in the tech industry.

The first third of the book is groundwork, carefully laying out how we arrived at this crazy point in time where the power has shifted from the big brands to the consumers. It’s necessary to absorb this history if you want any chance of leveraging the forces at work.

Who should read this book? I’d recommend it for anyone who needs to convince colleagues that social media will support their business strategy, for anyone who wants a coherent explanation of why social media is not a fad but a major shift, or for those who have just started putting together a social media strategy for their organization.

My only criticism is that the “voice” of the book is pretty dry and statistical, but it’s exactly the type of unemotional, hard-core information that will appeal if you’re trying to convince the C-suite to do something, so perhaps that’s a necessary evil.

Key Lessons for Aspiring Social Media Champions

  • Obsess about your customers’ needs, and shift your thinking from sales to marketing
  • Look for ways that social media can enhance all areas of your business, not just marketing
  • Be methodical about creating a social media strategy, but leave room for tactical adjustments
  • Put listening at the top of your list, and use what you learn to serve customers better
  • Pay attention to which tactics are resulting in conversions, however you define conversion
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment, iterate on your plan continually
  • Don’t ever lose sight of your business goals, and make sure your social media efforts always tie back to your Key Performance Indicators.

If you’re looking for a compelling case for including social media in your business strategy, pick up this insightful book and start taking notes.

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of the book for review purposes, however, this did not in any way impact the content of my review, which represents my own honest opinion.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee