This Is Marketing

Written by Leigh Martinuzzi

Seth Godin is the marketing guru – the king of marketing. He sure knows his stuff. As I stated in a recent review of his podcast Akimbo, aside from extreme marketing prowess what makes Seth so attractable is his ability to communicate both elegantly and clearly. It is one of the traits that I truly admire about Seth.

This book captures the brilliance of Seth’s knowledge on marketing in an easy to read format that will make us humble marketers or sceptics reframe what marketing is and why it exists.

Seth defines what marketing is and what it isn’t. With work that has transformed how successful entrepreneurs and businesses communicate with their people, their tribes, the market, I would suggest Seth is a worthy source to learn from.

Marketing is not about tricking people. It’s not the devil’s work. It doesn’t require cheap tactics to grab people’s attention, empty promises to lure the vulnerable or annoying spam mail in efforts to sell stuff to people who don’t want the stuff in the first place. Seth states that effective, healthy marketing, when done correctly, is able to make a positive change in the world.

Marketing influences culture and culture is the way we do things around here. If you’re in business or an entrepreneur who is trying to have an impact on the lives of people, marketing is the vehicle to get you there. Dirty marketing is not. It is short-lived, unnecessary, annoying and will piss people off. It may hook a few people in over the short-term but in the long run, it will cause you to lose.

People are smart. People are bombarded by marketing all the time. People don’t always know what they want but often they know what they don’t want. On top of that, every one of us has something to offer. People need what we do but not everyone and that’s ok. As Seth suggests, we all can do work that matters and I’d agree. I’d also add what we do isn’t worth it if why we do it lacks good intent. If the services or products we wish to bring to others doesn’t add value to people’s lives rather subtract it, that it has no place.

Marketing, when done right, is about solving problems for people. Problems are no longer universal. Problems are niche. Not everyone needs what you have to offer. Not everyone will benefit. Old school marketing tactics that seek to solve your money problems are no longer effective in this day and age. I’d go so far to say that old-school marketing tactics will lose us trust and therefore weaken our results.

In this book, Seth will teach you how to view marketing differently. Highlighting how to identify who our customers are. They are not everyone and they don’t need to be. Once we better understand who our customer is we can better understand there needs. From there, Seth informs us how to best approach and target our customers. He talks a great deal about building trust and gaining permission

To gain permission we have to share our stories in a way that shows people the value of what we do and why in a non-intrusive manner. Connecting in a way that brings out emotion, empathy, compassion in a way that allows customers to see why buying into what we do will give their life meaning and make them matter.

It’s all about raising their status. Humans connect with stories and those stories that relate to how we see the world and the kind of identity we wish to be apart of will gain our permission to receive more.

Seth doesn’t offer the reader marketing tactics. For example, he is not pitching Facebook campaigns or digital media techniques. He touches on why digital marketing has its place, however, suggests if done poorly like any other more traditional form of marketing can be wasteful

I feel this book is more a book about understanding the psychology behind marketing as compared to the strategies and techniques available. The strategies and techniques will change. The concept of marketing will not.

Seth includes short paragraphs and easy to read sentences to communicate his knowledge of marketing, and it is extensive. It’s not a technical read. His messages are easy to grasp and the book has a nice flow. In the end, his offers a simple one-page marketing worksheet to help us all begin the process. To reframe who we are, what we do, why we exist and how we wish to make a positive change in the world.

I do believe we all have the ability to make a change, only first we must discover why.

If this book sounds of interest you can purchase This Is Marketing here.

Please leave your thoughts, comments & questions below.

Peace, passion and purpose…

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Further Reading and Resources 

TED Talks: Ideas worth spreading

Psychology Today: Psychology Today is devoted exclusively to everybody’s favourite subject – Ourselves

Life Hack: Tips for Life

Elite Daily: The Voice of Generation Y

Four Hour Work Week: How to escape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich.

The Minimalists: How to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and be happier.

Mind Hacks: Tips and Tricks for Using Your Brain

Rich Roll: Plantpowered Wellness Advocate

The Art of Charm: Build confidence, feel comfortable and networking differently.

American Psychological Association: The largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United State

The Art of Manliness: Encouraging men to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens.

Tiny Buddha: Simple wisdom for complex lives.

Brain Pickings: An inventory of cross-disciplinary interestingness, spanning art, science, design, history, philosophy, and more.

Mind Body Green: Lifestyle media brand dedicated to inspiring you to live your best life.

Zen Habits: Find simplicity and mindfulness in life.

Creative NonFiction: “true stories well told.” 

Addicted 2 Success: Motivation & Inspiration Website full of quotes and inspiring articles for entrepreneurs.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.

The Positivity Blog: Practical articles on happiness, self-esteem, productivity and social skills.