Understanding Social Media is the essential guide to social media for students and professionals alike. Drawing on the experience, advice and tips from dozens of digital marketers and social media superstars, it is an extensive crowd-sourced guide to social media platforms.

Illustrated throughout with case studies from both successful and failed campaigns, Understanding Social Media democratizes knowledge of social media and promotes best practice, answering questions such as 'How do you create a compelling social media campaign?', 'How do you build and engage with an audience?' and 'Where is the line between online PR and social media drawn?' It is the most comprehensive and practical reference guide to social media available.

Damian Ryan is founder and chairman of The Global Academy of Digital Marketing, a collaborative movement comprised of digital marketers seeking knowledge, case studies, contacts and credible data to help them prosper. He is also a partner with Mediaventura, the UK's leading corporate finance firm for the TIME (Technology, Internet, Media and Entertainment) sector. He is also the author of Understanding Digital Marketing and The Best Digital Marketing Campaigns in the World.

• • Chapter - 01: Getting started - how to create a compelling social media programme;
  • Chapter - 02: Rules governing the relationship between search and social;
  • Chapter - 03: How to budget for social media activities;
  • Chapter - 04: Setting KPIs and measuring success;
  • Chapter - 05: Understanding social media ROI - what matters and what doesn't;
  • Chapter - 06: Why social media is central to customer experience;
  • Chapter - 07: How to build a social media team - how to pick the right suppliers;
  • Chapter - 08: Understanding the relationship between online PR and social media;
  • Chapter - 09: The future for social media and the vastly changing landscape;
  • Chapter - 10: Risk assessment and risk management in social media