I liked this book.

But I didn’t find it to be a masterpiece. In my humble opinion it merely provides an overview of the basic Internet Marketing tools and techniques available.

It includes the following 6 parts:

1. Setting the stage for the new media success

2. Getting your message across with a Web site

3. Getting your message across with an ezine

4. Getting your message across with a blog

5. Getting your message across with a podcast

6. Putting it all together

Each of these parts was divided into two chapters. Thus, there were a total of 12 chapters in this book. I found the text to flow and the book to be an easy read.

I think the book could have been better if it got into a little more detail regarding the subjects it chose to cover.

And I think of podcasts as involving both audio files and now, today, video files. I didn’t see much if any coverage of video files.

And since I just read “YouTube for Business” (ISBN: 9780789737977) a week ago, I kind of thought there should have been some coverage of the subject.

I also thought there should have been a chapter entitled “Getting your message across using social networking Web sites. ” It seemed odd to me there was no coverage on this. 4 stars!

If you are thinking about starting a new business, just started a new business, or can’t figure out why enough business isn’t coming in your doors, then this definitely is the book for you. Much of the new media–websites, e-zines, blogs, and podcasts–has been around for a considerable amount of time.

So this book isn’t a technical how to book. . . Telling you to press start here, click to save there, etc.

What it does do, brilliantly, is to tell you how to use these tools effectively to market and promote your business. Lena Claxton’s and Alison Woo’s focus is on teaching you how to build a business on the Internet organically. How do you use it, and how do you say it, to build strong customer/client relationships that will endure and sustain your business.

It doesn’t matter if you have the hard technical skills to use the tools, if you don’t know the soft skills to go along with it, you are not going to survive. Think of it this way, you are a hair stylist, you have the absolute best technical skills in the world, nobody can surpass your technical skills, and you decide to open your own salon. When people start to come in to check out your services, all you say is “sign in here, wait here, sit here,” and just start cutting without asking the client what he/she wants and when done say, “pay me and please leave. ” Well, you are not going to be in business for very long.

It’s all in how you communicate with your client’s. Truly know how to communicate with your client’s to meet their needs and your salon will never be out of business.

This is what Lena and Alison accomplish.

They teach you how to say it, how to communicate it, using the Internet tools available.

If you are a new business owner, or just thinking of starting your own business, or heck, even a business that’s been around for awhile, this is a must have book.

It will save you many missteps.

What is the new media? In this volume Claxton and Woo introduce you to the world of the Internet and all of the marketing opportunities that exist in the online world.

They do a skillful job of introducing you to all of the ways that a small business can compete on a level playing field with companies hundreds of times their size.

A step-by-step guide is provided to creating websites that will sell, E-zines that will build lists, blogs that will attract new customers, and podcasts that will demonstrate your expertise. Rather than simply explaining each of these things, the authors provide thorough explanations, online sites to look at examples, and real illustrations of how all of these things have been used by their clients.

For me, the value of the book is in blending some of the thoughts of traditional marketing around branding, vision, mission, values, and unique selling proposition with the implementation of these in the online world. Often Internet marketers are so caught up with the Internet itself that they failed to develop a comprehensive plan for being able to capitalize on everything that the Internet offers.

The authors do not make this mistake.

The authors also do a great of making readers aware of the options that exist for the various kinds of software and hardware that are needed to implement the various strategies including microphones, editing software, blog posting software, web cams, and so much more.

This book not only belongs on every small business owner’s bookshelf-it probably should be right on the business owner’s desk.

Armchair Interviews agrees!

The new world of marketing now has a “go to” book. . .

And this is it. Not all of us are tech savvy. . .

We don’t drool at the new Mac Warehouse catalogue.

But we use new media as consumers and even pros. Now Alison and Lena have put together a HowTo book that puts all the new media tools at your disposal. I had no idea about social networks and my small business before this book. Now, I’m a huge fan of LinkedIn and have seen business contacts grow because of it – thanks to the advice and direction in this book.

If you have a small business, this book is a Must.

The title of this book makes a promise that it will tell you “How to Say It: Marketing with New Media. ” Claxton and Woo do focus on the “How” of getting a business message on/in your website, ezines, blogs and podcasts, but also “How” to say it appropriately and consistently — two things that are extremely important to business owners.

This book is a good introduction and overview to these new medias.

It is most helpful to new businesses or businesses new to technical media. It does not include much information on social networking.

The how-to information in the book will help readers determine if they want to pursue the idea of marketing through ezines, blogs and podcasts. Personally I don’t think there is a question that a business must use websites. I was very pleased that the book focused on the business message and expressing it in an appropriate way on the website to get customers/clients instead of using the website to make an artistic statement or as an ego vehicle for the business owner(s) or website creator. I hope website developers will read this book.

If you are unfamiliar with websites, blogs, ezines and/or podcasts or are unsure about using them, then this book should be very helpful for you.