“The Zen of Social Media Marketing demystifies the wacky, yet immensely powerful new world of online conversational marketing and serves as a great primer to understand where to allocate your time, money, and energy. A great read for entrepreneurs, professionals, and small business.”
—Jonathan Fields, Author of Career Renegade
“Building on a strong background of expert marketing advice, Shama has again produced a body of work that is at once complete and practical. This is a book that you can read quickly when you’re frustrated by what seems like endless contradictions of social media, and then referenced again and again as you develop your own sense of place on the social web. It is, after all, quite correctly titled The Zen of Social Media Marketing. I highly recommend this book.”
—Dave Evans, Social Media Strategist, and Author of Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day
“Shama breaks down the ‘why’ and ‘how’ with easy-to-understand examples that can get you on the right track immediately . . . and ultimately grow your business.”
—Joe Pulizzi, Co-Author of Get Content. Get Customers, and Founder of Junta42
“Finally! A true authority on the subject of social media has broken through the utter noise of get-rich-quick-with-social-media hysteria. Shama takes the mystery and hype out of social media and gives readers a practical step-by-step action plan to start, grow, measure, expand, and optimize their online presence. It is a must-read for any marketing professional, C-level executive, or entrepreneur. Her conversational writing style, numerous case studies, and ‘how-to’ guides with screen shots make learning and implementing almost elementary. It will be required reading for all our clients.”
—Joe Abraham, Founder and Managing Director at En Corpus Group, and Author of B.O.S.I. Entrepreneurship
“Ready for a true social marketing awakening? If so, be sure and take Shama Kabani’s The Zen of Social Media Marketing on your path to web enlightenment.”
—Dean Lindsay, Author of The Progress Challenge and Cracking the Networking CODE
“The Zen of Social Media Marketing is a comprehensive guide for maximizing the marketing opportunities from online networks. Shama Kabani helps you make the most of your efforts in marketing through a stronger knowledge of social media.”
—Penelope Trunk, Founder of the Social Network Brazen Careerist
“Shama is hands-down the industry leader in social media marketing and creating buzz. She has a rare combination of social media savvy and law-of-attraction mastery that businesses clamor to find. It’s easy to see why she’s called the ‘Shaman of social media.’ She will transform your marketing and increase your sales. Listen to everything this luminary says.”
—Shawne Duperon, Five-Time EMMY® Award Winner, ShawneTV
“And by the way, since I downloaded your book this afternoon, I’ve been immersed (now on page 82) and am SO enjoying it! It’s great because I’ve been attracting bits and pieces of information and really like how you’ve laid it out so that I have a structural frame of reference now!
Haven’t opened the workbook yet and it certainly feels like excellent value for the investment. Gotta love that!”
—Rita Shaw, Coach
“I found the book a breeze to get thru with a ton of great advice. It tends to be geared more towards the beginning or intermediate social media professional rather than the advanced pro but there were still new nuggets to be mined. Hint: volumes covering advanced topics might make for good sequels. That said, I still learned a few new tips and websites that I hadn’t come across yet. For instance, I didn’t know you could import your blog posts into your Facebook page, but I do now thanks to Shama’s book.
If you’re looking for a solid source of social media marketing info that covers the dos and don’ts, the inside stuff and the info you need to help increase awareness of your business through social media, you can’t beat the $27 fee for Zen of Social Media.”
—Chris Martin, MPH
“A very good basic introduction to the most important social network platforms–and some truly extraordinary content about how and why to use video to achieve massive conversion rates. A nice Q&A section answers several common beginner questions, very sensibly.
Clearly written, and delightfully formatted for easy on-screen reading.
Shama also walks her talk. In the six or eight months since I first saw her name, I’m running into her everywhere: on Facebook, Twitter, as a teleseminar guest with various other expert marketers…all using the no-cost social media techniques she describes in this e-book.
I’d recommend this highly for those just starting out in social media, as a way to jump-start your education. And if you’re experienced but haven’t done video marketing yet, or have not found it effective, that short section will be more than worth the price.”
—Shel Horowitz, author of Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World and six other books
“Social Media Marketing is quickly becoming THE way to communicate online. If you’re new to the game and you want to take advantage of this powerful phenomenon, Shama Hyder’s “The Zen of Social Media Marketing” is a must-read. This brief guide answers all your questions about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more; and explains how your business can maximize Social Media for greater visibility, crediblity and profitability. Shama walks you through the Social Media landscape step-by-step, and provides valuable case studies to point the way. Demystify social networking with “The Zen of Social Media Marketing.”
—Lou Bortone, Online Video Branding Specialist
“There’s a guy stumbling around, knocking his shins against new concepts while his ears ring from all the people shouting Twitter – facebook – social network marketing. Then there is that magic pill – called Zen of Social Media – which turns on the lights, filters the voices, and shows the way. That guy is me, and like Neo, I definitely chose the … Read More right pill! In addition to overstuffing the book with information, Shama made sure it was well written. One tip – eat supper BEFORE you start reading. Otherwise, instead of steak and potatoes, it’ll be steak and eggs.”
—Michael Kenyon, ZoonyBalloons.com
“Shama, I’m enjoying your book. I would be on page 90 but I’m only on page 28 because I keep stopping to make a change or update based on the tips you give. Nice job.”
—Wes Schaeffer, Sales and Marketing Expert
“Well if you’ve checked out my bio photo, you’ll know it’s a long time since I was in my twenties! In fact, today, all my kids are in their twenties – and I luv em! (5th grand-child due in about 3 weeks – yay!).
Anyway, how does someone with no hair/grey hair like me feel when they have to sit at the feet of twenty-something year olds and learn like they were at school again?!
That’s the question I’ve been marveling over the last few weeks, because that someone, is me – and you know what? I don’t mind it at all. In fact I think it’s quite cool.
Well, first thing for you to know is that I’m not an expert…
Yet.
Introducing my 20-something year old SMM virtual-mentor! (Shama Hyder)
The reasons I have chosen to learn from this person are:
- she’s exceptionally professional (way beyond her years… like many high-level Gen-Y’s… gotta luv ‘em)
- She apparently reads a book a day… I think she is very intelligent, but also seems to have a very high EQ.
- She doesn’t charge like a wounded bull, like some Guru’s… in fact I’ve got no idea why she sells her ebook so ridiculously cheap
- she has built a 7 figure global “New Media” business in something like 1 year, using the very techniques she teaches on
- She is a role model of the “New-Guru” I believe…”
—Peter Cutforth, Small Business Trainer
“I’ve been reading a great little book by the wonderful Shama Hyder that goes in-depth about what you should be doing to establish a social media presence for your business. The book is called ‘The Zen of Social Media’ and is written in a way that makes the concept very easy to understand. It covers Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in a very thorough fashion and explains the differences between each of these and how to act appropriately on them. There is also a section about how to use on-line video websites such as YouTube to your advantage.
Social media can be difficult for first-timers to understand but reading this book will make you aware of the potential pitfalls and also the numerous benefits that can be achieved.”
—Stefan Topher, CEO & Chairman of WinWeb
“You’ve done people a great service. This is fantastic. I’ve gone from hating social media as just one more thing I have to do, to thinking “Hey, this is exciting and fun, and I could actually make it work for my business.” All in one afternoon.
I also love that you included video. Your info is unique and really useful.
Your ACT distinctions are also unique and really helped me to understand better how to help myself and my clients.
Thank you.”
—Janet Schieferdecker, Marketing Coach
“OK, I admit I’m biased. Shama Hyder and I are good friends. I’m a big fan of hers. We’ve eaten s’mores together.
But that’s not why I’m recommending you download Shama’s new ebook, The Zen of Social Media Marketing. It’s because the book strikes that difficult balance of introducing social media to the beginner, while providing tips and insights that even an expert can learn from.
When it comes to social media, Shama knows her stuff. Even better than that, she can explain in such a way that anyone can get it.
I devoured this book. As soon as I finished it I gave it to my wife. (Shama, is that OK?) I can’t think of a better primer for understanding how small businesses and entrepreneurs can use social media to grow their business in any economy than this book. Until I get around to writing my own, ‘natch. 
I like to think I know my stuff when it comes to social media, and I do. But that didn’t keep me from flipping between Shama’s book and my Facebook and LinkedIn account, continually tweaking my social media presence because I know her track record and the results she herself has attained.
Shama gets it, and she explains it in such a way that you’ll get it, too. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today.”
—Rich Brooks, Owner of Flyte Web Design and Internet Marketing
“Can I just say that your book “The Zen of Social Media” is like sitting across the table in Starbucks with you? I can almost hear your voice. This book is a must read for an enlightened social media strategy.
I am one “lucky” gal to have made a connection with you!”
—Melody Campbell, Small Business Coach and Consultant
“I love it! Shama’s new book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing, delivers the secrets to using social media to market your brand or business. The best part is, she shows you how to do it effortlessly with great results. Read this book now.”
—Jim Kukral, CEO TheBizWebCoach.com
“Very simply put, what had taken me more than two years to understand Shama boiled down into 101 simple pages. The book reads like an easy to follow recipe, laying out the principles behind the tsunami that is the social media movement. I loved Shama’s statement (since this is one of the staples of my own philosophy) that at the core of any social media effort, there has to be a great product of service and a genuine interest in building relationships.
Shama does a masterful job of helping the reader get the basic principles behind social media success, then laying out a roadmap for correctly using each of the primary sites. Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and video – these are all discussed in detail. And the section on tying it together does a masterful job of helping the user understand what it will look and feel like when they are using social media with intelligence and having fun.
Shama’s main message – when social media is employed the right way, it is effortless – is something that provide comfort and hope for those who are struggling with how to capitalize on this monster trend. She gently leads us back to success principles that have proven timeless and effective, and will work on an even bigger scale in the cyberworld.
The book is delivered digitally, and at $27.00 is an extraordinary value for what it delivers.”
—Larry Hochman, Coach and Trainer
“Heard you speak on Suzanne’s show last week. Bought the book. Read it on Friday. It is fabulous!! Thank you so much for writing it and for writing it so simply. It filled in so many gaps for me. Now I can’t wait to get going!! You have had a huge impact on me and how I look at this whole idea of social media marketing. Thank you!!”
Jean Johnson, Speaker, Trainer & Coach
“The book itself is 104 pages. No fluff, no filler…just pure content. If you do a lot of reading like I do, you’ll appreciate this (as most books these days have 50 pages of decent content and 250 pages of blather).
But it’s what Shama shares in the book…and maybe more so how she relays it…that impressed me most.
You see, when it comes to social media marketing, most people immediately start off with the wrong mindset. They think they can open a FaceBook or Twitter account…the heavens will open…and they’ll immediately get a flood of new business.
Unfortunately, that’s not the way things work. In fact, that’s not how new media is designed to work. It’s a social tool…not a marketing tool. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make money with it. It just means you need to take off your “marketing goggles” and put on your “new media goggles”.
This is something that is completely foreign to most people, but thankfully Shama does an excellent job of explaining this concept through an acronym she calls ACT. It’s basically a three-point blueprint on how you should be thinking…and what you should be doing…through each step of the social networking process.
Personally, I think this concept…and how she explains it…is the most valuable part of the book. Why? Because it’s the #1 thing I see people continually getting wrong when using new media. Or let me put it to you another way; if you don’t know the difference between a consumer and a customer, then you’re likely using new media wrong.
But what if you haven’t even started using things like Twitter, Facebook or blogs yet? Well, no worries there. That’s because Shama also shares all the nuts and bolts on how to properly setup and use these social networking services.
And you’ll notice I put the word properly in bold. That’s because using these services properly is one of the big secrets to Shama’s success. And to make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes that so many others do, Shama clearly details every wrong and right method of using social media from start to finish.
I could go on for several more pages…but…I like to keep things concise and to the point.
And the bottom line is this. If you know nothing about social networking but want to get started…if you know you should be using social networking but haven’t started…or if you are using social networking but aren’t getting anywhere near the results you hoped for…then The Zen of Social Media Marketing is a must-read.
Frankly, it’s the closest thing to a real-world, “social networking bible” that I’ve come across.”
—Dave Kaminski, Web Video University
“Shama, I purchased your e-book “The Zen of Social Media Marketing”. I’m not finished reading it yet, but it is GREAT and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to leverage their brand using social media. BRAVO!”
—Ron Maddox, Coach
“With the unprecedented popularity of “Social Media” as a tool for marketing, I’ve seen a proliferation of books and guides on the topic – many written by Johnny-come-latelys jumping on the bandwagon, offering litle more than a re-hash of last week’s blog posts and pushing “the next BIG thing”.
The Zen of Social Media Marketing, however is authentic, powerful, and insightful. After reading only a few pages, I realized that Shama is the real deal. This is honest-to-goodness GOLD for the online marketer.
In “Zen”, Shama offers solid, real-world principles of social media, including which tools to use, why you should use them, and how to measure their effectiveness, while keeping it an easy read for those who may not be tech-savvy.
If you are in any way responsible for marketing – get this book! It’s a critical addition to your marketing toolbox.”
—Ken Ivey, The Web Czar
“I purchased your “The Zen of Social Media” today. I’ve just spend the last 15 min. skimming through the section on Facebook and all I want to say is it is 100 times better than a similarly priced info product on Facebook. What I like about your eBook is that the information is presented in a logical, step-wise order suitable for learning, as opposed to something that appears to be thrown together from an assorted collection of transcriptions of teleseminars. Ok, I am on a little bit of a rant, but never mind that. Thanks for your clear explanations and information.”
—Greg Turner, GregTurnerBlog.com
“This new e-book is the best follow-up manual to my recent social media marketing presentations! It addresses the social media challenge head on – why some people struggle with Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and video, while others use it effortlessly to promote their businesses and not-for-profit causes. I could not put it down and have made notes all throughout the accompanying workbook. I would say it’s the best $27 I’ve spent lately!
She has published much more than an ebook! The Zen of Social Media Marketing is actually a self-guided journey in learning to use social media correctly and for profit that includes the techniques and blueprint to success! I would be thrilled if I helped to get this book into the hands of all my friends and customers as well as hundreds of solo-entrepreneurs and small businesses.
When compared to the many information products sold through the Internet today to help you improve your online marketing, this is the best value I’ve found! (And you know how I like low-cost solutions!) The price is only $27 for the immediate download, and listen to this – if you are a non-profit looking to leverage the social media sphere, you can e-mail Shama for a complimentary copy!”
—Diane Miano, an online marketing consultant and social media coach
“I really liked this ebook. It takes the mystery out of social marketing and makes it easy to understand which sites to go to, and what the personality and culture are for each. I especially liked the case studies that broke out what people did and what they achieved. I also liked the how-to nature of the ebook. Shama told me what to do; now I just have to do it.”
—Deborah Brown-Volkman, Career, Life, and Mentor CoachSally Shields
“Zen of Social Media is for anyone that has ever felt overwhelmed by all of the online options available now for networking, socializing and just plain being online in general! Shama breaks it down so that even the most social mediaphobes will be breathing sighs of relief at how simple she makes it all sound! Even if you are new to the social networks, you will soon understand exactly what it is that you need to do in order to cut through all the time wasting muck, and get right to the heart of attracting customers, joint venture partners and list owners that share your passion so that you can become part of the ocean that flows abundantly rather than trying to continually swim upstream against the current.
Get this book today and be on your way to a stress free online experience that you will groove and align with, thrive and enjoy. Kudos to Shama for making it so user friendly! Thank you for making it so clear for everyone
- beginners and experts alike. Everyone will come away knowing just a little bit more (and a whole lot more in some cases) than they did before and will most certainly improve your online experience tenfold. 5 stars!”
—Sally Shields, Author of The DIL Rules
“Building on a strong background of expert marketing advice, Shama has again produced a body of work that is at once complete and practical. This is a book that you can read quickly when you’re frustrated by what seems like endless contradictions of social media, and then referenced again and again as you develop your own sense of place on the Social Web. It is, after all, quite correctly titled “The Zen of Social Media Marketing.” I highly recommend this book.”
—Dave Evans, social media strategist and author “Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day.”
“Shama Hyder has tapped into the next generation for Social Media Marketing with her ‘Zen’ approach — Finally someone is making it easier to harness this powerful marketing tool and build it into every day life! I’m using much of what I learned here … and it works like a charm.”
—Suzanne Falter-Barns, GetKnownNow.com
“Great insight! Wise Counsel! If you are ready for a true social media awakening , take Shama Hyder’s The Zen of Social Marketing on your path to web enlightenment.”
—Dean Lindsay, Author of The Progress Challenge and Cracking the Networking CODE
“If you are not sure how to leverage social media to grow your business, this eBook is a must read for you and your employees. Shama breaks down the “why” and “how” with easy to understand examples that can get you on the right track immediately…and ultimately grow your business.”
—Joe Pulizzi, co-author, Get Content Get Customers, Founder, Junta42
“When it comes to social media marketing, Shama know what she is talking about. Not only has she built her business into something of an empire, but she has helped clients around the world to do the same. What is most exciting is that she has FINALLY taken our advice – which is to make this information accessible to everyone looking to leverage social media marketing in a straightforward AND results oriented way. Thank you Shama for putting this out there.”
—Nancy Marmolejo, VivaVisibility.com
