With an Introduction by Rob Cairns
Guest Chapters on Reddit by Amy Donohue and X by Chef Sarah
If you’ve heard of the series I’ve written with Bridget Willard, “The Only Online Marketing Book You Need,” then you’ll be excited that we’ve partnered up again to write one just for social media.
Amazon: May 2025
Bridget and I have run campaigns (PPC), written social posts, created content calendars (hers is free, by the way), created and run winning marketing strategies, and done the whole 9 yards for nonprofits, schools, and small businesses.
Don’t get caught up chasing trends. Instead, focus on making connections. Then, you’ll see social media as a valuable outreach tool instead of a waste of time.
What is in the Book?
Here is a selection of the chapters you can look forward to in this 200-plus-page book!
- Chapter 2 What is the Best Social Media Platform for You?
- Chapter 3 How to Write Effective Social Media Posts
- Chapter 4 What are the Keys to Being Social?
- Chapter 6 Social Media for Small Businesses
- Chapter 7 Social Media for Nonprofits
- Chapter 8 Social Media for Schools
- Chapter 9 Social Media and SEO
- Chapter 10 Social Media and AI
- Chapter 11 Social Media for Seniors
Why Social Media?
Is social media so ubiquitous that everyone gets it? Do digital natives (millennials and zoomers) automatically know how to use social media?
These are myths that keep Boomers and Gen Xers hiring their nieces and nephews and wondering why their businesses fail.
The truth is that hard work, like Henry Ford so aptly put it, is disguised in overalls. Commentary on his dismal factory practices aside, diligent, repetitive work is boring. Showing up at your desk every morning is boring. Filing taxes is boring. Replying to posts on social media is boring.
Social Media Is For Everyone – Yes, Even You
Social connections make us feel good and reduce stress, well, for the most part. Thanksgiving dinners and funerals can be awkward, but you get the point. Traditionally, we connect with family, friends, and colleagues in our homes, offices, and restaurants.
Are you still not using social media for your small business marketing? Warren Laine-Naida and Bridget Willard tell you why you should be.
In the old days, we used to travel miles and miles to meet people and exchange news and stories. Now, we can do all of that via our smartphone.
Today, there are hundreds of social media platforms available, catering to billions of people at one end of the spectrum to millions of online chatrooms catering to niche groups at the other. If we want to be social, someone else always shares our interests. We just need to click a button.
Here’s a list of popular social networks, along with their usage statistics as of late 2024. Where are you active? Which platforms have you tried?
| Facebook: 3.07 billion monthly active users YouTube: 2.70 billion WhatsApp: 2.40 billion Instagram: 2.35 billion TikTok: 1.69 billion WeChat: 1.37 billion Telegram: 950 million Facebook Messenger: 937 million Snapchat: 850 million X (formerly Twitter): 600-611 million | LinkedIn: 930 million Pinterest: 518 million Reddit: 430 million Quora: 305 million Discord: 200 million Threads: 200-275 million Twitch: 180 million Line: 178 million Tumblr: 135 million Bluesky: 6 million |
About the Authors
Warren Laine-Naida built his first website in 1998. Since then he has worked for clients around the globe on websites for universities, pharmaceuticals, technology, and entertainment. Today he teaches Online Marketing and consults with small businesses and nonprofits about their online communication. Warren is the author of four novels. His “Digital Thinking” and “SEO for Beginners” books are available in English and German. When not plugged into the net, Warren cooks, writes novels, and sculpts in chocolate.
Bridget Willard is a marketing consultant who specializes in managing small business social media accounts in the WordPress industry. If it is a B2B sector, she knows about it, has written about it, or has worked in it. Her passion is to teach small business owners to do their own social by emphasizing social science. When she’s not writing about marketing, she is watching baseball or basketball, learning languages, or walking in nature.