Jane Bozarth: Social Media for Trainers

This new book by Dr Jane Bozarth is currently enjoying a 'blog tour'. Today is the turn of this blog.

I'm not going to make any attempt to do a full book review. However, I would like to suggest that this is an important and timely publication.

In my line of work, I come into contact with many classroom based trainers who see social media as something 'other' having nothing to do with them. One of the primary reasons the book needed to be written and now needs to be read, can be found pretty much within the very first paragraph of the books itself:

Those in need of information need it—and need to know how to find it—in the moment, not when the training department happens to offer it. And they have learned to find that information from one another, rather than depend on traditional, slow, inefficient, and often inaccurate top-down means. It is critical, if workplace trainers intend to remain viable and credible, that they understand how to participate in the networks and use the social media tools to extend their reach and enhance the development of the employees they are charged with developing.

The book starts with the basics of what social media are, how they can be used in training and which ones to select.

It then moves on to looking at a few social media in greater depth: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and Wikis, as well as a few 'other tools'.

The book can be found in print and as an ebook at the following places:

Pfeiffer
Amazon UK (it also available at Amazon US and Amazon Canada)
Barnes & Noble
Borders

There is also a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a Twitter hashtag (#SoMe4Trainers).

The challenge (as always) is to get this book in front of the unconvinced. Fortunately, Christmas is coming! ;o)