Last year I had the pleasure of working with SAS Executive Advisor for Retail Lori Schafer and retail veteran and former Montgomery Ward CEO Bernie Brennan on their new book, Branded! How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility. The book presents eight case studies of retailers that are considered “superstars” of the social world, thanks to their customer-engaging and comprehensive social media plans. Since its publication, the buzz surrounding the book has continued to build. Bernie has been featured on NPR’s On the Money and on TheStreet.com’s The Real Story, and both authors were a hit at the National Retail Federation’s 100th Annual Retail’s Big Show in January.

What, you might ask, is the secret to Branded’s phenomenal success? Besides the fact that it covers a timely topic and is well written and well researched, I think the answer lies in the fact that the authors took their book’s message to heart and used social media tools to promote the book every step of the way. Although, yes, it is easy enough to log onto Facebook or Twitter and create a page promoting a book, it is particularly challenging to keep the content on those pages fresh. And that is something Bernie and Lori have been able to do. Every day (or every few days, depending on the medium), they are out there, tweeting or blogging about news and events that reinforce—or perhaps even contradict—the message of their book.

So the takeaway message is that if you are going to be involved in social media, really BE involved in social media. Don’t be afraid to engage with your colleagues and customers. You’ll be glad you did!

Follow Bernie and Lori on Twitter at @brandedretailer , like them on their Facebook page, and visit their Website.