I knew I wasn’t reading just another social media book when I got to page 14 and read “Likability is more of a factor than ever before.” Yes, the authors write about the tools and tactics they use, but the theme of the book is how they connect with their target audience to provide a mutually beneficial relationship. This book was a great read from cover to cover, but these are the three things that stood out to me:

A company, even of this size, understands that the interactions may not always end in financial gain, but that doesn’t make these interactions any less valuable to the company. Trust in the marketer can prove to be much more important in the future than initial financial gain.

Listening does work and is the cornerstone for any successful social media strategy. I have preached this subject for years, so it did my heart well that they discussed just how important listening is to them. The market research learned through listening pays off with knowing where to spend your resources. By listening and responding to people in creative ways, Tasti D-lite has expanded their culture online.

How they have scaled their engagement. Being a franchise with multiple locations and owners, could prove difficult for maintaining the social media tone and voice needed to be effective. Through policies, training and the right tools, the main office has empowered their franchisees to interact with their store’s audience.

This book was a true case study of how one company listened to their audience and has put a truly integrated strategy into place. They don’t sit on their success either, they are always pushing forward with new ideas and embracing new technologies that make sense for their audience. The last point I want to share is that they invest in their team members to be true brand ambassadors rather than employees. My copy of the book is full of highlights and dog-eared pages, so you know I will be referencing it a lot. After reading this book, I really want to try Tasti D-lite. Sounds like a roadtrip to NYC may be in my future.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for agreeing to review the book, but with no restrictions on what I say.