Before You Begin

Whenever I visit my local bookstore, I like to adhere to what has become, over the years, a finely tuned process that I call sipping and dipping—that is, dipping into a subject of interest while sipping a double-shot cappuccino in the adjoining coffee bar! With my growing passion for social media, I looked forward to reading about how I could fully embrace and use it for my personal brand, but hit a stumbling block when I discovered nothing in the bookstore that covered this area of social media adoption. Sure, there were plenty of books on using social media within a large corporation, but nothing geared toward the personal (the smaller businesses and solo-preneurial brands like my own). My sipping and dipping excursions had become a source of frustration, and the seed of an idea for this book was sown.

The new language of social media has been extensively written about and often overcomplicated (in terms of technology jargon and definition). When Dean (who you’ll also come to know as @grattonboy on Twitter) and myself (@grattongirl) started thinking about this book, we knew one thing for certain: We didn’t want it to be one of those books! Instead, we wanted to put together an enjoyable yet educational experience that anyone could pick up and immediately find useful, regardless of previous social media knowledge.

We also wanted to take the reader on a journey through the various stages of building a successful social media presence and to do so in a way that was as engaging as social media itself. We found that there was a gaping void of social media books aimed at smaller businesses and at individuals wanting to brand themselves and their services. The prospect of filling this void fueled both our enthusiasm for the project and the passion with which it has been put together.

We hope that you find it to be a valuable and well-referenced addition to your personal library, a pocket companion along your social media journey, and a unique read to enjoy as you sip and dip your way to online success.

—Sarah-Jayne and Dean