Understanding digital marketing : marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation

by Damian Ryan. Ryan and Jones, digital media experts, explore marketing as an applied discipline and make thoughtful predictions about where the future of the profession is heading in a digital world. Their stated goal for writing this book is to "help you and your business choose online advertising and marketing channels that will get your ideas, products and services to a massive and ever-expanding market." They accomplish this goal by their contextual approach as well as by the clarity of their presentation. Each chapter begins with "Our Chapter Pledge to You," and each is filled with practical illustrations expressed in concise, uncluttered prose. Topics include developing an online marketing strategy, Web site development, e-mail marketing, use of social media, and online public relations. The text neither panders to the reader, promising instant solutions and expertise, nor overwhelms with opaque language and theoretical illustrations. Rather, the subject is presented in a thoughtful, fulsome manner that nonetheless remains accessible to all readers. Especially valuable to the novice reader is a comprehensive glossary that seeks to define the ever-evolving language of digital marketing. A useful guide to digital marketing and where it will go in the future. --Choice (Check catalog)

Free : the future of a radical price

by Chris Anderson. While the best things in life may be free, a business model based on giving stuff away seems a little crazy. But Anderson (editor in chief, Wired), who made a big splash with The Long Tail, tells us that this business model is already here. In The Long Tail, he showed how online businesses were making good by selling less of more, that is, by selling a huge range of niche or low-volume products that added up to big bucks. Here he demonstrates that the concept of making money by giving things away has already taken hold in the digital world. VERDICT With explanations of basic economic principles like supply and demand and an analysis of the differences between products in the physical world and those in the digital world, Anderson makes the Free premise sound quite reasonable. Lots of companies are making lots of money from "free." Google and Yahoo, for instance, have some of the biggest computer server complexes in the world, yet they let us use their email, news, and search services every day. While this book may not be free, it will generate interest among both academic and general readers.—Library Journal (Check catalog)

Why customers really buy : uncovering the emotional triggers that drive sales

by Linda Goodman. Goodman and Helin, independent business consultants, introduce emotional trigger research, a new approach that uncovers the spontaneous triggers that drive customer sales. They review research in the field, then show how customers emotionally connect with a product or service, and tell how to craft solutions to reach them. Twelve real- world case studies illustrate how emotional trigger research can solve challenges in sales, marketing, and customer relationships. A final section looks at integrating emotional logic into the organization (Check Catalog)

Winning results with Google AdWords

by Andrew Goodman. Now in its second edition, this guide for using Google AdWords features new strategies for selecting and grouping keywords, increasing conversion rates, maximizing online sales and expanding distribution of online advertising campaigns. Goodman, an online marketing consultant, helps web developers and online business owners master the Google Quality Score system in order to write and test web content while filtering out inappropriate prospects. The author also explains how to use Google Analytics to measure conversion rates, bidding, web traffic, profits and other metrics. (Check catalog)

The Wall Street Journal : financial guidebook for new parents

by Stacey L. Bradford. Bradford, an associate editor at SmartMoney.com, presents a relevant and witty overview of the awesome task facing new parents—affording their kids. She covers all the major issues, including child tax credits, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, flexible spending accounts, and 529 plans; even wills, trusts, and disability insurance are considered. Bradford writes from a female perspective, and humor abounds: "Along with hemorrhoids and hormonal mood swings, meager maternity benefits are just one more harsh reality that no one warns pregnant women about." Considering the enormous and long-term expense of a new bundle of joy, her money-saving tips are sure to be popular. Bradford clearly grasps the mindset of new parents and keeps information complete but concise; the chapters on health care and college savings plans are so succinct that it would be nearly impossible not to understand them. Only the chapter "Where Should You Nest?" disappoints, as it is not broad enough to serve most readers. VERDICT Bradford's book offers a more comprehensive framework than Steve and Annette Economides's America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money. Here's one work that all new and prospective parents worried about finances should consider --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

The housing boom and bust

by Thomas Sowell. "There was no single, dramatic event that set this off, the way the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand set off the chain of events that led to the First World War or the way the arrest of political operatives committing burglary at the Watergate Hotel led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. A whole series of very questionable decisions by many people, in many places, over a period of years, built up the pressures that led to a sudden collapse of the housing market and of financial institutions that began to fall like dominoes as a result of investing in securities based on housing prices." (Check Catalog)