During my first visit at the Social Media Marketing World convention in San Diego, I had the pleasure of hearing Mike Stelzner present the keynote address for the convention. Mike Stelzner is the President of the Social Media Examiner website, which hosts the convention. He did a great job in his presentation and his knowledge of the social media world was clear. I wanted to know more about him and to gain a lot of his knowledge of social media marketing, so I went looking for any books that he had written.As it turned out, there was a book that they were offering for sale at the convention: “Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition”. I ended up purchasing it, expecting that the main them was how to launch your social media marketing campaign.

Boy, was I wrong – well, sort of. Stelzner did cover social media marketing in the book, but there was so much more.

A Great Book for Starting a Business

If you’re starting a business, this is one of the most important books you want to buy – regardless of the market or what products or services you plan to sell.

His comprehensive plans on how to start a business are very, very good. He covers a lot of material in simple language.  Stelzner presents the fundamental principles for success very clearly. However, what makes his book an unique and highly powerful resource is based on his departure from conventional wisdom regarding how to market your business.

Give Things Away

Stelzner’s main message in regards to promoting your company is simple: commit to giving things away.

Before you pass judgment on this important point, it’s actually a good strategy. Stelzner accurately presents the important concept that most consumers are highly resistant to marketing messages. Instead, consumers appreciate and value gifts. Gifts create trust. They create a feeling of obligation. Gifts without any clearly stated expectation of a return gift are highly valued.

Considering that Stelzner is arguably one of the biggest influencers in the marketing world, his advice is valued by thousands of marketers in the world. With that in mind, you should carefully consider what he has to share. This includes both for marketing and for your entire organization as a whole.

Whether you are starting a new business, revitalizing a stagnant one, or just working on a growing one, “Launch” is a great resource with excellent strategic plans.