The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ ReviewI just finished reading The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ yesterday, and I think this book is a terrific primer for Christians hoping to better understand new media. The breadth of topics covered in the book virtually ensures that just about anyone who reads it will find something relevant to their lives and ministries, while few will find that every chapter is relevant to them. As somewhat of a new media newbie, I found the book to be very helpful. Also, as a pastor, the book helped me understand various ways to integrate new media into my work in ministry.
The book is broken into two sections, and from there into a total of 15 chapters written by several different authors. The first section is called The Landscape of the New Media. It outlines the current state of new media, forecasts about its future, warns of the potential dangers of embracing it uncritically, and then offers some beginners some tips on entering the world(s) of blogging and podcasting.
I began reading this book expecting it to be one big commercial for new media, but was pleasantly surprised by how balanced it was. Several chapters emphasized the importance of embracing the new media world discerningly (particularly Matthew Lee Anderson's chapter on the dangers of uncritically embracing new media), and the overall message of the book seemed to be that Christians must engage the new media world, but that they must do so with caution.
Chapters 4 and 5 of the book basically provide everything that a new media greenhorn needs to gain a basic understanding of blogging and podcasting. Despite the massive popularity of both blogs and podcasts, they remain a mystery to many (especially many in the church world). These chapters did an excellent job of showing how to get started blogging and podcasting. In addition to showing how to set up blogs and podcasts, the chapters also provided some tips on producing high quality content. The authors of these chapters also effectively made the point that Christians should be engaged in blogging and podcasting.
The second section of the book is called Engaging New Media and deals with several different potential implications and applications of new media. The chapter of theological blogging shows how the existence of blogs has provided a new forum for discussing and debating theology. This can have both positive and negative implications for theological discourse, and thus must be used with care. Tod Bolsinger's chapter Blogging as Microwave Community discusses the various ways that blogging can aid Christian community. Bolsinger does a good job of showing how blogs can facilitate Christian community without being a replacement for it.
The two most helpful chapters for pastors were Mark D. Roberts' chapter Pastors and the New Media, and Rhett Smith's chapter Navigating the Evolving World of Youth Ministry in the Facebook-MySpace Generation. Both Roberts and Smith write from their experience with new media and do a good job of showing the pastoral usefulness. Roberts writes from a senior pastor's perspective while Smith writes from a stutdent ministry perspective. If you're a pastor or ministry leader and you've only got time to read a few chapters out of this book, make sure you read these ones. The reality is that as new media becomes more and more mainstream people will be spending more and more of their lives online, thus it will be increasingly important for churches to have a sophisticated online presence that they can utilize to effectively communicate online.
The rest of the book discusses the effect that new media will have on everything from apologetics to politics to bioethics to social justice to academia. Several of these fields are substantially different now than they were five years ago thanks to new media, and the transformation is far from over. New media has and will continue to effect the way we get our news, the way we get our education, and even the way we advocate for causes we believe in. It is fascinating to consider the access to power that exists for ordinary individuals thanks to new media. While big media stalwarts still wield significant influence, ordinary people are more free to express their opinions, question authority, and otherwise assert themselves online than ever before.
As I said, The New Media Frontier is a great primer on new media. While I found some chapters to be more practically helpful than others, I believe this entire book is worth reading because new media is not going away any time soon. The better the church understands new media the better it can use the tools of new mediia for effective proclamation of the gospel. Whether you are a church pastor looking to utilize new media in your ministry or a lay person who is simply interesting on better understanding the state of online communication, I highly recommend giving this book a read.The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ Overview
Experts survey the new media landscape and explore specificways in which Christians can expand their ministry effectivenessand advance their worldview with discernment and grace.

A recent Pew Study reports that only 2% of America's twelvemillion bloggers claim "religion, spirituality or faith" as theirmain topic. This leaves a great mission field in cyberspace, saycontributors to The New Media Frontier, because the latestforms of communication present so many opportunities to promote thecause of Christ in other topics and fields. Before blindlyjumping in, however, Christians need to weigh the possibilitiesagainst the consequences, and then proceed with the practicaldiscernment and grace this book provides.

With a foreword by national radio host Hugh Hewitt-who has beenat the forefront of the new media movement among Christians-editorsRoger Overton and John Mark Reynolds (along with an impressive listof other new media experts) survey the current landscape andexplore specific areas in which God's people can creatively expandtheir reach to a lost world. By stressing the urgency for Christianinvolvement, unearthing the dangers, and advising readers on how touse this media with different audiences, this book equips believersto advance, demonstrate, and utilize the Christian worldview inthis exciting realm.


Want to learn more information about The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide ReviewThis book walks you step-by-step through the process of creating your own podcasts. Todd Cochrane starts out by explaining a little about what podcasts are and how to find and listen to podcasts, then quickly delves into how to create, upload and promote your own shows.
Cochrane has created a realistic guide to podcasting on any budget. Along with recommending equipment for setting up a "semiprofessional" podcast studio, he tells how to get started with what you already own. And, he suggests many free sources for software, hosting and content.
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to podcasting from someone who has "been there, done that," then you should buy "Podcasting: The Do-it-Yourself Guide."
Cathy Stucker, IdeaLady
Marketing and Publishing Consultant
Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide Overview
Listen up! Podcasting, which has taken the online world by storm, involves recording a broadcast and embedding it in an RSS feed so listeners can download it to their PCs, iPods, MP3 players, or even their cell phones
Written by one of the first and most popular podcasters, this cutting-edge book will have readers not only finding, downloading, and listening to podcasts, but creating and broadcasting their own
Shows how to find podcasts to subscribe to; use podcasting software including ipodder, doppler, and more; create a podcast with just a PC or Mac; or build a professional studio for recording podcasts
Addresses copyright issues and music ownership and offers helpful advice on understanding the "geeky stuff": RSS, XML, and Enclosures
Mainstream media, including MSNBC and Time magazine, have recently started advertising on podcasts


Want to learn more information about Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics ReviewThis is not a how-to book. It's more of a "why should I", or "which tool do I buy" book? There are many books that address why companies need to be using Social Media, how to sell it to the C-suite, how to set up a Facebook page, or how to engage with fans and followers. Social Media Analytics is the only book that takes a deep dive into several of the major vendors of monitoring and measuring tools. Whether your are selling a brand or monitoring a political campaign, you'll need to know what to measure, how to measure, and how the data can provide actionable results. You're not buying analytics just to look at pretty charts and graphs, are you?
The importance of the analyst is emphasized in this book, and for good reason. Without a solid understanding of what you're looking for before setting up an analytics platform, you could end up with reams of data that are meaningless, and provide no value to your business, or client. Too many agencies are using an ax when what they really need is a scalpel.
Many of the tools discussed in the book aren't designed for very small businesses, but the concepts can be scaled down and used with free or inexpensive tools. For the larger business or agency, Social Media Analytics provides the framework to make the best tool/platform choices. Decision makers will learn the vital importance of understanding what they want from data, before they commit to a platform/vendor. The wrong choice can waste time and money!
Marshall Sponder is the only Social Media Analyst with access to dozens, if not hundreds of analytic platforms. He is able to discuss each tool from the perspective of an experienced user, rather than relying on sales pitches to determine a platform's capabilities and limitations.
Social Media Analytics is full of relevant case studies, and in-depth interviews with executives and developers of analytic platforms. Digital versions of the book include many links to companies and articles cited in the book.
There's a lot of value here for PR, marketing, and MarComm agencies, but perhaps even more for their clients and other decision makers who want to know the quality of the data they are paying for, and how useful the resulting reports will be.
Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics Overview
Align Strategy With Metrics Using Social Monitoring Best Practices

"Two or three years from now, every public relations firm that wants to be taken seriously in the C-suite and/or a lead marketing role will have someone like Marshall in its senior leadership ranks, a chief analytics officer responsible for ensuring that account leaders think more deeply about analytics and that thfirm works with the best available outside suppliers to integrate analytics appropriately."—Paul Holmes, The Holmes Report

"Marshall has provided much-needed discipline to our newest marketing frontier—a territory full of outlaws, medicine men, dot com tumbleweeds, and snake oil."—Ryan Rasmussen, VP Research, Zócalo Group

"Marshall Sponder stands apart from the crowd with this work. His case study approach, borne of real-world experience, provides the expert and the amateur alike with bibliography, tools, links, and examples to shortcut the path to bedrock successes. This is a reference work for anyone who wants to explore the potential of social networks."—W. Reid Cornwell, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, The Center for Internet Research

"Marshall is a solutions design genius of unparalleled knowledge and acumen, and when he applies himself to the business of social media, the result is a timely and important commentary on the state of research capabilities for social media."—Barry Fleming, Director, Analytics & Insights, WCG, and Principal, DharmaBuilt.com

About the Book

Practically overnight, social media has become a critical tool for every marketing objective—from outreach and customer relations to branding and crisis management. For the most part, however, the data collected through social media is just that: data. It usually seems to hold little or no meaning on which to base business decisions. But the meaning is there . . . if you're applying the right systems and know how to use them.

With Social Media Analytics, you'll learn how to get supremely valuable information from this revolutionary new marketing tool. One of the most respected leaders in his field and a pioneer in Web analytics, Marshall Sponder shows how to:
Choose the best social media platforms for your needs
Set up the right processes to achieve your goals
Extract the hidden meaning from all the data you collect
Quantify your results and determine ROI

Filled with in-depth case studies from a range of industries, along with detailed reviews of several social-monitoring platforms, Social Media Analytics takes you beyond "up-to-date" and leads you well into the future—and far ahead of your competition. You will learn how to use the most sophisticated methods yet known to find customers, create relevant content (and track it), mash up data from disparate sources, and much more. Sponder concludes with an insightful look at where the field will likely be going during the next few years.

Whether your social media marketing efforts are directed at B2B, B2C, C2C, nonprofit, corporate, or public sector aims, take them to the next step with the techniques, strategies, and methods in Social Media Analytics—the most in-depth, forward-looking book on the subject.


Want to learn more information about Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...