Have You Caught What's Contagious

Book Title: Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Author: Jonah Berger

Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Price: $18.89 USD (Amazon)

Have You Caught What’s Contagious?

Photo Produced From: nytimes.com

Do you ever wonder how or why things become popular? In Jonah Berger’s book “Contagious: Why Things Catch On,” he discusses and explains how and why things like this happen. He discusses how word of mouth can be one of the fastest ways to learn about a new product or idea. This concept makes me think of the saying “monkey see, monkey do.” This reminds me of when the popular TV show “Friends” made a hairstyle iconic. “The Rachel” made famous by actress Jennifer Aniston, became one of the most popular hairstyles of the 90s – if even got its own name!

Photo Produced From: limeylitgirl.blogspot.com

Jonah Berger is a successful writer and professor whose works have been published in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.  He is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania, even teaching a class called: Contagious: How Products, Behaviors and Ideas Catch On.

This book discusses and explains why things go viral and what it takes to make it a sensation. Having published many articles and even teaching a class on social epidemics (how products, ideas, and behaviors become popular), Berger is obviously an expert on the subject. He proves his theory with relatable and relevant examples such as Rebecca Black’s infamous “Friday” song.

Overall, I found this book to be an interesting read. I always noticed when things caught on, but never really thought about the reasoning behind how or why it happened. This book opened my eyes on how sensations occur and why as well. Many of his ideas in the book can be applied to many fields, especially my own, Public Relations. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations and Psychology fields.

How To Become Contagious

How To Become Contagious

BY KIERAN OVERSTREET

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Author: Jonah Berger

Book Length: 244

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Price: $26 (New hard cover) 

After reading Contagious, I found that his six steps on how to make a product contagious were very compelling. I thought that they gave wonderful insight into how one might take their products to the next level. Those six steps are social currency, triggers, emotions, public, particular value and stories.

            Jonah Berger is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. Berger studies social epidemics, which is the study of how behaviors catch on. He wrote multiple journals that have been published in multiple elite journals.

            Throughout this book, I think the subject was intriguing. It talks in depth about the six steps that are listed above. I think after reading this book, the audience needs to know these six steps and how they relate to products success. The strength of the book is the content. The weakness is the length of the book. I feel that there was a lot of content that was not meaningful. I feel that it could have been expressed in straight-to-the-point type of way.

            Overall, it was a great book. It opens your eyes to content that you did not know applied to products. It gives you the insight you need in order to make your product the most successful thing possible. It is an easy read however it is a little lengthy.

This is just a brief description of Berger’s steps to read more check out some other blogs that I have listed below.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

6 Keys to Contagious Marketing

Book Review: Contagious

Infographic: The Six Insider's Secret of Contagious Content

Create Contagious Content

Everything is Contagious

Book Title: Contagious

Author: Jonah Berger

Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Everything is Contagious

By: Taylor Jurica

                                                        

             Picture produced by bostonglobe.com                                                                                 Picture produced by amazon.com       

            

            Everyone who watches television has seen anti-drug commercials. The point of them is too remind kids to say “no” to drugs when they are being pressured to fall under the influence. But, did you ever think that these commercials could have the opposite affect? In the book, Contagious, by Jonah Berger, the author discusses why these commercials have the opposite affect with the support of statistics. There are many examples such as this one in the book that really caught my attention while reading. Statistics like these really make me think deeply into why audiences react in certain ways and how certain ideas can become “contagious.”

            Jonah Berger is a Marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania. His work and articles have appeared in such places as The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He also teaches an elective called Contagious: How Products, Behaviors, and Ideas Catch On. This is exactly what his book covers as well.

            From this, the author is obviously an expert on this topic, and proves it throughout the book. What this book has that many others do not, are great examples backing up explanations and facts. In one section, the author describes how the McDonald's McRib became so popular. It is then followed up by a detailed story of the strategies and tactics that were used to get the public hooked on this product.

            As a PR major, this book helps me to understand why certain things become popular. Being a girl, I am constantly looking at the latest fashion trends. After reading this book, I had a much better idea of the way people think and why certain clothing becomes popular. This book would be great for anyone at any age remotely interested in the marketing of products.  

           

Create an irresistable brand

Create an irresistible brand

Title: Likeable Social Media: How to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and be generally amazing on Facebook (and other social networks)

Author: Dave Kerpen

Length: 249 pages

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Price: $10 USD used on Amazon, $20 USD in stores   

(Photo Source: ethority.com)

 

 

Become a loveable brand!
By: Jozette Massiah

 

 Social media continues to expand greatly in todays world. Traditional ways of marketing, advertising, and public relations have longed change since the rising age of social media. This means that businesses now need to model new strategies in connecting with their consumers. Dave Kerpen, author of NY Times 2011 bestseller Likeable Social Media, and 2012's Likeable Business Media explains how social media can be used to set your brand apart from the rest, making it purely irresistible.
 

  Book Details
In the first chapter Dave highlights the most basic and important things all businesses should do in social media "listen". Customers enjoy being heard, and when they feel as if their ideas or concerns aren't being addressed they go elsewhere. This word-of-mouth marketing as the author calls it can cause unhappy customers to give poor reviews of businesses via social media veering potential customers away from your business. As the author states a friends recommendation is the most powerful source of marketing. One like, one tweet, one comment can be sent to millions of followers. Instantly a company can gain thousands of dollars of business without having to spend thousands on advertising.

 

 

   My Overview

Social media levels the playing field for small businesses to gain more customers without having to spend huge capita. Listening, engaging, and interacting with your audience is key in social media. No amount of money, no matter how big the organization, can achieve a likeable social media purely on its advertising. In fact, the author suggest businesses not to try to sell their products or services through social media, but instead create a brand that the people can trust. Only then will consumers become loyal customers, and proceed to buy products and services.

  Examples of businesses with likeable social media
A perfect example of a company with an interactive social media was vitamin water. A contest was held via social media for customers to decide which flavor the company should incorporate next. Over 100,000 people participated, and one lady won $5,000 for designing the winning label for vitamin water. All in all everyone ended up happy. The consumers felt as if their opinions and views mattered, and the company gained thousands of new followers.

(Photo Source: insidefacebook.com)

Another company Loft, a clothing brand owned by Ann Taylor, used social media to listen and respond to their audiences. After customers demanded pictures of real women modeling the clothes and not stick models, Loft not only apologized, but posted pictures of various women of all sizes on its Facebook page. Instantly, by one post and an apology word spread throughout social media about this newfound clothing brand called Loft. The clothing brand was publicized, and gained over 43 likes for one post. To date Loft has over 250,000 fans!

This book is a must read for small businesses to become a step above the rest. Big companies and corporations should read this book as well to gain insight on the importance of becoming a likeable brand, and exceeding your customers needs in social media.
 

 

         

Is Your Social Media Presence Likeable?

 Likeable Social Media: How to Delight your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook

By Dave Kerpen

272 Pages

Published by McGraw-Hill

$13.40

Source: www.likeablebook.com

Likeable Social Media is a great introductory book for those who want to begin a career in social media marketing. Is Your Social Media Presence Likeable? Find out by reading Dave Kerpen’s bestseller. Providing excellent advice coupled with real-life examples, this book in an interesting read that is chock full of useable information.

Dave Kerpen, Source: www.mashable.com

Dave Kerpen, cofounder and CEO of Likeable, wrote Likeable Social Media. Likeable is comprised of an award-winning social media and word-of-mouth marketing firm, called Likeable Media, and a software platform, called Likeable Local, and has offices in New York, Boston and Chicago. Likeable was named to both the 2011 and 2012 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing privately owned companies in the United States.

Kerpen focuses on simple, yet effective marketing techniques that can be employed by any business. Suggestions like listening to your customers, engaging with your customers and being authentic to your customers through your online interactions with them are major themes carried throughout the entire book. Kerpen challenges readers to ask questions of their online audiences in addition to requesting feedback from them and following up by responding to comments, both those that are positive and negative, in a timely manner.

The most important advice Kerpen offers his readers is to be authentic in your online communications and to provide free value to your audience through your posts. As a social media marketer, I have found these two techniques vital to maintaining a positive online presence. Kerpen provides examples from his own experience that proves that authenticity and value are keys to being successful social media marketers. The book is a quick and easy read that is perfect for newcomers to the world of social media, but may not be as helpful to those already highly-involved in this industry.

Likeable Social Media is a well-written advice book providing real-world examples that demonstrate both success and failures. The author encourages authenticity and interaction with your business’ audiences, and practices these methods himself. He encourages readers of the book to ask him and his colleagues at Likeable questions on their Facebook and Twitter pages. In addition, you can find Kerpen, himself, on both Twitter and Facebook. Kerpen shares brilliant ideas that will give your company's online presence an edge.  Employ Kerpen’s tactics for a successful social media marketing campaign for your company today.