Face/Books: Are Books Social Media?

They can be. My real point here is that any medium can be social, if it incorporates social elements. So how exactly are books social?

Best Seller

Look at the cover of any book published in the last five years.  Do the words “best seller” appear anywhere?  These are the magic social-proof words that indicate that the book you’re holding is one which has been purchased and read by thousands of people just like you.  Thousands of people can’t be wrong, can they?

This idea is not a new marketing strategy.  How does every blogger with an e-mail list tell you to sell the list?  Offer the social proof that there are 400,000 subscribers to the list, and a user is more likely to signup herself.

“This Book Will Change Your Life”

Now look at the cover for quotation marks.  More and more frequently on the cover, but nonetheless somewhere on the the book jacket, you’ll find a quote; usually from someone you know or a publication you respect.  These too are social proof elements aiming to convince you that what you’re holding is more that just inked-up dead trees.  Someone who’s opinion you respect has explicitly told you that his or her opinion of this book is favorable.  That will almost certainly predispose you to having a favorable opinion as well.

This idea is not a new marketing strategy either.  Using someone famous to endorse a product or service is nearly as old as marketing itself.  And it’s pretty powerful.  Jenny McCarthy can sell people on the idea that vaccinations cause autism despite no credible scientific evidence to back her claim.  Would, for example, someone like me have the same sway on the decision making of others?  Probably not.

A Picture of Me Says a Thousand Words

What other elements about a book jacket are social?  Consider a book a social conversation.  That’s what publishers do, and that’s why a photo of the author almost always appears somewhere on the cover or book jacket.  Taking plain-boring text and putting a face next to it forces the reader to view the exchange more as conversation.

That’s the same reason why your blog has your picture on it, or even-better you’ve got some video.  Anything you can do to make yourself seem more like a human than a text-bot is going to make what you say more persuasive.  You can even…

Use Your Social Influence to For the Benefit of Others

Once someone has read your text, they feel they know you somewhat.  And knowing a person is the longest part of the road toward trust.  If a person trust’s your opinion, you can very powerfully recommend additional reading which a user might enjoy.  ”I enjoyed reading Daniel Pink’s Drive.  In it, Daniel Pink recommends Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.  I am going to buy it.”  [Those are true statements by the way... and Amazon links]

Image Credit: Mo Riza

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