The Ocean Agency

Anyone who works in the interactive space has likely heard of Groundswell, the groundbreaking (see what I did there) book on social media and how companies can tap into the millions of conversations that are happening online.  And we quote:

“Right now, your customers are writing about your products on blogs and recutting your commercials on YouTube. They’re defining you on Wikipedia and ganging up on you in social networking sites like Facebook. These are all elements of a social phenomenon — the groundswell — that has created a permanent, long-lasting shift in the way the world works. Most companies see it as a threat.

You can see it as an opportunity.”

Written by Forrester analysts Charlene Li and and Josh Bernhoff, Groundswell is divided into three sections – understanding the groundswell, tapping the groundswell, and the groundswell transforms.  It has a nice balance of case studies and theory (we’ve all read books that fall too far on one side of the line or the other) and is a quality selection for any business owner who wants an overview of the social web.

One of the key things I took away from Groundswell was the importance of defining what you and/or your company want to accomplish with social media before you just start doing it.  Furthermore, you need to listen to the conversation and figure out how best to reach your audience online – and the best way to do that is by listening and lurking for a while before you just jump right in and start communicating.

While there was nothing in Groundswell that would surprise anyone with social media experience, it is full of valuable statistics and case studies – perfect for agencies or individuals to show how their work is relevant and adds value for various brands and industries.  In fact, we often give out copies to new clients – it is a great primer for those new to the social web.