This Is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See

Disclosure, I am not a marketer, nor am I into advertising. I think that maybe that’s the same thing now, and it was probably mentioned in the book! In fact the only reason I read this book is that my first published book I uploaded onto Amazon, sold exactly 3 copies, and I personally know every individual who bought a copy. I have now completed a second book, and if I load that one up on Amazon, it will also die at birth. So that’s why I bought this book, and also (mainly) because my son recommended it, and he was one of the three that bought my first book……so I owe him.Personally, I loved this book and found it incredibly inspiring. Seth did not provide a 10 point marketing plan, heaven knows just on YouTube alone, there are enough 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17->107 (yes, 107!) point marketing plans just for selling books on Amazon! Seth did not even provide a coherent flow of information that built smoothly from one concept to the next (Of course I am sure there was, just not to my marketing illiterate brain)Seth provided something far more valuable to me that a 12 point plan or a strategy that contained many tactic’s (see I did learn something). He helped me to see things differently, develop an attitude, a way of seeing, not a strategy. THIS is what I needed.So let me see, 3 things I take away from his book:Find your people – My book (product) is not for everyone, no sir. I need to go out and find those people I wrote my book for.Earn your permission – I need to gain respect from “my people” and that takes time, effort and integrity.Get out the long tail. – well, not completely, just find a short head! I always thought a longtail was the name of a river boat engine with a long shaft used in shallow tropical rivers.So there it is, as I see it, Seth is not giving you a marketing text book in “This is marketing”, he is trying to lift you above that, to see above the 10 point plan, to have that “ah ha!” moment we all need at different stages of our lives. In that regard, it’s a remarkable book, and I would highly recommend it to all those “people like me”.

If there’s a marketing author I “adore” that’s Seth. I’ve read many of his books and have loved them. Not only because he shows real examples, but because his passion for marketing pours through every book he writes. Great advice. Great stories, and great motivation to become the best marketer you can to make a positive impact!

This is the first book I read by Godin, and I've enjoyed it so much that I will certainly read more of his works in the future. In the past I read marketing books for pleasure, not to be 'manipulated' by advertisers, i.e. as a shield kind of thing. Cialdini's first book ('Influence') has always been a book of reference for me in that regard. However, I've always felt that it fell short for the needs of the modern contemporary Internet-dominated society and market. This is Marketing fills the gap, adding elements that are relevant to the social, cultural and marketing reality of the 21st century; elements that I can use to think about selling my services without having to think about learning psychological tactics that are already well-known, have been used and overused for decades, and no longer work.TARGET READER> Godin's book is a more a book that gives you food-for-thought than a book that provides you with a proper system to implement things. Godin himself states that this is not a step-by-step set of tactics by a compass and, to me, that's true. To me that's inspirational.> I see the book more targeted to lay people and small biz entrepreneurs than a book devoted to professional marketers, who might react with a 'what?!" to some of the points that Godin makes.GODIN'S CORE MARKETING PRINCIPLES+ Marketing seeks more market share, more customers, and more work.+ Marketing is driven by better service, better community, and better outcomes.+ Marketing creates culture: Status, affiliation, and people like us.+ Marketing is change: Change the culture, change your world. Marketers make change happen.+ Each of us is a marketer and has the ability to make more change than we can imagine.+ Our opportunity and our obligation is to do marketing that we’re proud of.GREAT THINGS+ The thing I like the most about this book is Godin's understanding of contemporary group dynamics, conformity trends, cultural disruption, and cultural influence. Above all, what stands out to me is the author's emphasis on serving the client or customer, treating them with respect, and not selling yourself too short in the process.+ Probably because I experience the over-dominance of Facebook and Google as something dangerous and even burdensome, I loved Godin's insistence on narrative instead of advertising, and on care as a way to obtain profit.+ Godin debunks the fallacy of the efficiency of FB and Google paid adds in marketing small businesses.+ The book reads with gusto, and has a very simple language.+ Some of the examples that Godin uses to exemplify his points are really good, too.+ The explanation of why the same book gets both 1-star and 5-star reviews is really good.+ The advice on how to treat loyal customers who ring a call center to complain.+ The definition of goal, and how it differs from a strategy and a tactic.+ The difference between direct marketing and brand marketing, and why the latter is better for your biz.+ The selected readings list at the end of the book is really good.MY FAVORITE NUGGETS> "Online advertising is also the most ignored advertising ever created. It’s not unusual to run an ad in front of a hundred thousand people and get not a single click. It’s not unusual for an entire ad campaign to start, run, and finish without making any impact on the culture. (p. 169).> "If you’re buying direct marketing ads, measure everything. Compute how much it costs you to earn attention, to get a click, to turn that attention into an order. Direct marketing is action marketing, and if you’re not able to measure it, it doesn’t count." (p. 172).> "The lifetime value of a new customer rarely exceeds the cost of running the ads necessary to get a new customer. People are so distrustful, and the web is so cluttered, that the ads rarely have enough power to pay for themselves." (p. 210).> "Lowering your price doesn’t make you more trusted. It does the opposite." (p. 185). WHERE TO START READING~ The Simple Marketing Sheet at the end of the book, especially if you get to book to help you market something you want to sell.~ Chapter 23, because it summarizes the main points discussed in the book .DOWNSIDES__ The core message is repeated over and over again, sometimes unnecessarily.__ I would have loved that Godin provided a few more examples on certain points he makes to make his advice more precise and less generic.__ Some statements are a bit vague. An example: "And then, with this knowledge, overdo your brand marketing. Every slice of every interaction ought to reflect the whole. Every time we see any of you, we ought to be able to make a smart guess about all of you." (p. 175).__ The book reads like an upgraded collection of blog entries, which makes a great read, but lacks the patina of seriousness that makes things trustworthy for the newcomer. When you get a footnote system where you back what you say, the trust is immediately there; when you don't do that, I have the doubt whether some of the statements are hyperbolic or just a way of speaking. No doubt, Godin is a powerful voice in the marketing world, but I have difficulties taking bombastic statements at face value, no matter how much I like the speaker.__ Godin defines marketing in p. 2 as "the generous act of helping someone solve a problem. Their problem". I consider that BS, sorry. I think marketing is the act of selling something to people who might need or not need it, might want it or not, especially the act of selling to people who would initially say no to something.__ Godin repeats over and over that marketers create change. I think that's a bit of BS, too. The way I see it is, marketers sell change, and that's great in itself. People who really make change in the world, do so mostly outside the marketing world, sorry. The world of ideas, the word of science, the world of art, the world of technology. I see change coming from scientists, philosophers, artists, and innovators, not so much from marketers. Navel-looking hyperbolas work when giving a conference, in a book, not so much.MINDGodin himself states that the book is based on a hundred-day seminar that involved both lessons and peer-to-peer coaching around shared work. (p.2), and that some bits of his blog are also incorporated (p. 259).BAD ENGLISH> “Treat the others the way you’d want to be treated.” (p. 234).> “Build a team with the capacity and the patience to do the work that needs doing.” (p. 235).

Seth Godin brings importand thoughts about marketing avoiding those clichés that we're used to. Definitely worth a read!

Wonderfully written book in clear, lucid language. I felt disgusting every time I tried to come up with a marketing or advertising plan because I felt like I was manipulating people, coming up with an excuse to line my pockets while giving them something we all know they didn't really need. Seth Godin shows us that we don't have to do it that way: that we can market to solve problems, to make things better. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and would recommend it to anyone I'd like to have personally on-board on my entrepreneurial adventure to a better world. The summary message of this book would be that it's more about WHO it is for then WHAT it is; what's the minimally viable product, the smallest market, that could make your plan work? Building a culture IS strategy - and there's a way to become an excellent ETHICAL AND THOUGHTFUL MARKETER without having your life be about ADVERTISING and SCHEMING! Thank you so much Seth Godin for sharing your knowledge and experience with us at a reasonable price. I am proud to have the beautifully printed copy of your book on my shelves and excited to put my new perspective into action. If you are looking for a different way of marketing then the inundation of consumerism we all grew up with, this book is a no-regret purchase!

This book is a refreshing dive into the essence of modern marketing. It's more about understanding the core principles and mindset needed to really excel in the field, rather than a step-by-step guide. Godin's writing is both thought-provoking and grounded, making it clear that marketing today is about building genuine communities and storytelling. I particularly appreciated his view against the overuse of SEO and keyword tactics, which felt like a breath of fresh air.Using it in my own work, I found it drew me away from the hard-sell tactics and allowed me to approach marketing from a place of authenticity and respect. It truly emphasises creating value and serving the customer, which resonated deeply with my values.While it does repeat some core ideas, perhaps a bit unnecessarily, the repetition helps solidify the concepts. The examples could be more varied, but the message remains robust. Anyone wanting to shift their marketing perspective will find this book invaluable. If you detest aggressive marketing strategies, this book might just be your answer.

J'ai lu ce livre après avoir lu d'autres livres de marketing et c'est un bijou. Je l'ai lu d'un trait en quelques jours. Il a énormément d'informations et source tous les concepts vers leur auteurs respectifs.Il n'y a pas de small talk, vraiment que du bon contenu.Le livre en plus couvre vraiment le marketing de A a Z. C'est un tres bon livre pour qui veut avoir une bonne vision de ce qu'est le marketing (en deux mots comment offrir et faire passer un service a des humains).Enjoy ...