One of the reoccurring themes in Peter Kim’s “Social Media Predictions in 2009″ supports what every good publicist knows: that your worth = your rolodex. It’s all about relationships when we’re dealing with tv, radio, and print media, and YES (surprise, surprise) it will be all about relationships online too. 

David Armano believes that in 2009, organizations will need to move from “launch and walk away” sites and e-blasts (no response required from the reader) to those that are supported by live people. Armano calls this the “culture of rapid response”. Pete Blackshaw predicts that “social media creates indigestion” in 2009. With consumers being overwhelmed by managing multiple friends list, social networks, followers, apps, and widgets, 2009 will bring a more personal connection back to social media. Blackshaw believes we will rediscover the appeal of “live intimacy” as industry analysis suggest real human interaction and conversations generate more results than focusing on reaching larger numbers of consumers. Todd Defren agrees with David Armano. Corporations will need to figure out how they can “[humanize] their relations with online communities”. Charlene Li predicts that “exclusivity trumps accessibility”, and “having thousands of friends becomes ‘so 2008′ and defriending becomes the hot new trend”. Scott Monty believes “2009 = The Year of the Relationship”.

So what does this mean for book people? Here are two ideas that I’d like to see in 2009:

Create a dialog between you and your consumers. Publishing houses are notorious for not being an open book, and not just with their authors. Invite employees to communicate openly about what they do in the organization. Chronicle Books does a good job with this (see their blog and Facebook page). During the initial publicity planning stages, if the word blog, myspace, or twitter, etc. is ever mentioned, understand that this isn’t a one-time commitment. To really build a solid foundation of network on the Internet, constant and meaningful contact is required. E-blasts are great but be more than just an ad on upcoming new books. Ask questions, host giveaways, and ask for opinions. It’s OK to show some personality. 

Solicit help from authors. Book publicists tend to be overworked and underpaid, and it can be easy to forget the simple phrase Quality > Quantity when there are a dozen to two dozen titles per season to worry about. Most authors are willing to learn how to support their book’s publicity if they know how. My favorite authors are the ones who already have established Twitter followers, a regular blog, and Facebook fans even BEFORE the manuscript lands on the editor’s desk. For those who don’t, why can’t we introduce this to them as soon as we sign their contract? It takes a lot longer than a couple of months to develop a genuine online following, and it needs to start before publicity ever kicks in.

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Social Media in 2009 Series
Introduction
Part 1: Get Personal 
Part 2:  Quality Over Quantity
Part 3: A Need for Strategy
Part 4: Measurements
Conclusion

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