Twitter is the hottest Web 2.0 property at the moment. Many folks are just starting to realize the power of Twitter and many are jumping on the bandwagon. Getting the most followers on Twitter has become a sport these days. Everyone on the Internet is talking about how they have so many followers and how they are dominating their niche with their Twitter accounts. In reality, you should look for quality instead of quantity. You are not going to benefit too much from random people who are following you for a while and may unfollow you at any moment. Many smart entrepreneurs have understood this very issue and have put together courses that teach people who to tweet like a pro and gain targeted followers. There are just too many of these course available online, but here are the top ones:

1. Twitter Traffic Machine: Twitter Traffic Machine is one of the top Twitter courses for those who want to build a following in this community. The guys behind this course have the result to back their claims, and they don’t teach you how to spam Twitter. They teach you the right way to provide value on Twitter. You learn about all the tools that you can use to analyze your Twitter account and gain followers who are hungry for your information. Just don’t go overboard with the automation

2. Twitter Video Guide Tutorial: another great Twitter course that teaches you exactly how to go from zero to hero on Twitter. You learn the tactics that you can use to gain a following on Twitter and get real value out of this community.

3. Twitter Rockstar: Twitter Rockstar is yet another course that teaches you how to focus on quality and not quantity when it comes to your Twitter account. That doesn’t mean you have to settle for a few thousand followers. You just want to make sure people who you are getting to follow you are targeted enough to get value out of your tweets.

If you want to improve your grades on Twitter, you’ve got to focus more on quality than quantity. And it wouldn’t hurt if other superstars on Twitter follow you too! Having thousands of followers on Twitter is not that hard, but are you getting value out of your following? Now that’s another story.

The world of social media is changing all the time. In fact, the industry is so volatile that it’s been very difficult to take a snapshot of it. Every social media book I have read has become somewhat obsolete after a few weeks. Take Facebook for example. It has been updating its code, and you can guess what happens when it does that. All Facebook coding books become outdated. The same can be said about books on social media services. A lot of companies have gone under and many new ones have replaced them. If you are reading a book that is more than a few months old, the chances are you are behind the curve.

With that in mind, here are a few new social media books that should give you a solid social media knowledge going forward.

The New Influencers: Paul Gillin’s book is one of the best books to read if you want to understand the concepts that can help you dominate the social media. I had a chance to read this one a while ago, and I’ve got to say it’s not for the faint of heart. If you have no idea why Twitter matters or think Facebook is only for kids, you’ve got to read this book.

Facebook me!: a cool new book that shows you how to use Facebook to get traffic to your website and promote your projects. If you have no idea what to do on Facebook, this is a good starting place. But don’t put all your hopes in this book. Facebook changes fast, and you’ve got to be in the game if you intend to win it.

Social Influence Marketing: Social Influence Marketing has been in the works for quite sometime. The book will finally be released month and is one newbies have been waiting for. Whether you are a small business or just interested in using social networking sites to drive traffic to your website, you get it all here. If you have no idea how to choose the right social media sites to take advantage of, this is the book to read.

There are many new social media books that will come out this year. But you can’t read them all. At some point, you want to start following the news and developments through blogs. But the books are a good starting place to learn the basics about this new field. Ultimately, you’ve got to in the game and practice what you read to get any value out of your efforts.

Your take: what social media book do you look forward to reading?

Twitter is one of the fastest growing social media sites in the Internet industry. While people didn’t fully appreciate the power of Twitter a few months ago, it seems they are catching on now. No wonder why more companies and individuals are buzzed about it.

Twitter is more than just a social media site. It’s a platform that you can use to create new products and services. With the power of Twitter API, you can design unique and very useful websites based on information you can pull from Twitter. Think about it. You can create mini-microblogging communities with Twitter API, and the possibilities are limitless.

Everytime I mention Twitter API to my colleagues, they tell me that they are “marketers” and not “programmers.” That’s fair enough. You should always focus on what you do best. But books such as “Twitter API: Up and Running: Learn How to Build Applications with the Twitter API,” are more than a simple programming book. They give you a solid background on what Twitter is about and what you can accomplish on this platform. Reviewing the sample applications provided can give you all kinds of ideas.

When I look back at my own library, over 60% of my books are programming books. I used to be a programmer but haven’t done anything special for years now. But that doesn’t stop me from buying more programming books. With Twitter API, you are going to learn the basics, and if you do decide to outsource the process, you’ll know what to talk about with your programmer.

Here is what you learn from Twitter API:

• Chapter 1. Hello Twitter
• Chapter 2. Favorite Twitter Applications
• Chapter 3. Web Programming Basics
• Chapter 4. Twitter Application Ingredients
• Chapter 5. The Output
• Chapter 6. Application Setup
• Chapter 7. Sample Applications
• Chapter 8. Automated Tasks

As you can see, you are going to learn the ins and outs of top Twitter applications by reading Twitter API. I did have a chance to review the rough cuts version of this book but have decided not to review the book until it is finalized. Kevin’s book doesn’t require you to have any prior knowledge of Twitter programming. He even teaches you the basics of Web programming. If you are interested in starting your own Twitter application, this is the place to start.

A few months ago, I had a chance to sign up for the Immediate Edge program by Ed Dale and Dan Raine. It was probably the only real social media training service at the time, but it was designed for folks who were somewhat advanced in this field. When folks were talking about how fun myspace was, these guys were covering the gaming changing Social ads and Friendfeed. I have been meaning to write a review on the Immediate Edge but they closed their doors to new members a few months back with no announcement on when they would open their doors again. Fast forward a few month, and the Immediate Edge program is now open to the public again. So let’s see what the program has to offer:

The Immediate Edge: Social Media Training

The immediate Edge program is a set of cutting edge marketing techniques that you can use to start, build up, and eventually sell an online business for profit. I had a chance to get familiar with the immediate edge after finishing up the thirty day challenge. For those of you not familiar with 30 day challenge, the thirty day challenge is a free course that offers training on latest Web 2.0 services such as Twitter, Weebly, Squidoo, and Google technologies.

Once you sign up for the immediate edge program, you are going to be provided with an introduction video as well as a library of content and tools that you can use to get your social media game to a whole new level. Here are the topics that are covered in this program:

• Social Bookmarking and Web 2.0 for Google Ranking: The Immediate Edge covers exactly how you should go about building links with social bookmarking services. You may think that the best way to build links is article marketing or begging other webmasters. But you can build hundreds of links by taking advantage of social bookmarking services.
• GTrends: The Immediate Edge program shows you how you should go about taking advantage of services such as Google Trends to build your profitable online business fast.
• Advanced SEO: if you already own a website but have no idea how to drive traffic to it with SEO, you are covered with the Immediate Edge. You’ll learn how to use advanced SEO concepts (e.g. LSI) to get the best ranking possible on major search engines.
• Facebook Marketing: a lot of folks don’t really know how to get the best out of Facebook. Facebook is more than just playing games and updating your status message with what you have had for lunch. The Immediate Edge shows you the blue-print that you need to follow to succeed on Facebook.
• Twitter: Learn how to dominate Twitter and build a profitable following on this revolutionary micro-blogging platform.
• Upcoming Web 2.0 Trends: I would love to say that Twitter and Facebook will stay strong for years to come. But the Web 2.0 world is too volatile and things change quickly. The R&D team at the Immediate Edge is constantly on the watch for new developments in this field to help you stay ahead of the field.
• How Ed Does Video Video series: Ed has truly mastered the art of building videos and sharing them online. He teaches you through this 7 part series how you can build your own video-cast.
• Buying Web Sites for Traffic and PR: you are going to learn how to take short-cuts by buying websites for cheap and selling them for a fortune.
• Affiliate Marketing: learn the right way to do affiliate marketing and make real money online.
• Case Studies: learn how Ed and Dan launch their projects and how you can learn from their experiences.
• Edge Networker: not too excited about all the work you need to put forth to build links? Edge Networker is a link-builder that automatically build links for you without you having to do too much.
• Interviews: the Immediate Edge members gain access to interviews with Internet marketing legends such as John Reese and Yanik Silver.
• Tools: you’ll gain access to tools that you can use to build your own affiliate program, cloak links, and …

So here are a few things that I learned from the Immediate Edge’s program:

• There is such a thing as too much information: When Dan and Ed talked about how the immediate edge program is not for everyone, I literally thought they were using a marketing ploy to raise interest about their program. But once I logged on to the immediate edge for the first time, I realized how much content they have on the side. Whether it’s the whole array of projects or the maximum edge method, there are millions of things to look at, and it’s very easy to get lost unless you know your way around.
• There is such as a thing as being over your head: I personally signed up for the immediate edge to get access to latest tricks that I can use to advance my site. Unfortunately, you need to be familiar with a lot of advanced marketing techniques to be able to properly take advantage of the immediate edge teachings.
• Being pragmatic does matter: you read all these books that talk about how you can implement advanced marketing techniques. But unless you see them done in practice,the chances are you are not going to master them. The projects section of the immediate edge is where things become pragmatic.
• There are better things that outsourcing: The social media marketing process can be very time consuming, but most people outsource their projects to India and China to focus on more important things. With the networker, the script does it all.
• You’ve got to know where to cut your losses: the immediate edge was a great place for marketing training. There were courses about viral marketing, Facebook marketing, and …. In addition, Dan and Ed provide a bunch of tools that you will have to pay in thousands for without the program. But what can you do with the immediate edge if you have no time to follow it. The Immediate Edge Program (IEP) can be the best marketing subscription service out there, but if you don’t use it, it’s a waste a money. Realizing when to cut your losses is the key.

Verdict: A-. The Immediate Edge program is a one of a kind social media training package. It’s not cheap, but it’s saves you a lot of time. Ed and Dan literally do your research for you. The only problem with the Immediate Edge program is too much information. If you are dedicated enough to get through all the new materials day in and day out, you are going to get your money’s worth. But if you plan to buy the Immediate Edge program and not use these techniques, there are better ways to spend your money.