While the economic state of the country seems to be on the rise, people are still looking for inexpensive ways to get their company’s name out to their market. Running an ad, a standard business card kind of block that tells what your company offers, has always been an expensive proposition. And…THEY DON”T WORK. Not as far as your Return On Investment (ROI) goes.

The new marketing plan goes where the people are, web 2.0, the interactive, user driven content medium. It’s where you can inform, help, and interact with your market. Creating a permission based relationship with current and possible future customers/clients that can cost little to nothing except the time you invest in it is the where smart businesses are now going. Some companies have even created new positions in their company for a social media relationship builders. (Take a look at mashable.com job postings).

You and your business need to get out there and create a web presence. Connect with your audience. The books listed below (as well as many online friends) helped me to understand just how to use the marketing tools that are now available to us.

Along with this blog, you can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The New Marketing Books:

This book really helped me figure out social media and it’s place in business. Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies

Another great book on connecting with your market: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force

This book is a little overkill, but certainly covers everything you need to know about Twitter and how to use it to drive your business. Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time

Rounding out my top four best books on using social media for marketing your business, this one’s an absolute must have. Just finished it and loved it. Covers everything from Facebook to vlogs. The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly