Things I Learn #10: This is Marketing: Learnings and Reflections from Seth Godin
I recently had the opportunity to dive into “This is Marketing” by Seth Godin, and let me tell you, it’s one of the best marketing books I have ever read. The insights and wisdom shared in this book have truly transformed my perspective on making a difference in the world of marketing. As you go through my highlights and excerpts from the book, I hope you’ll find them as inspiring and valuable as I did.
1. Creating Fear of Losing Instead of the Desire to Win:
Creating fear of losing, rather than the desire to win, generates a powerful marketing tool. Embracing this fear has allowed me to create strategies that genuinely resonate with the interests of my audience.
2. Questions that Guide Our Decisions:
The questions that always guide our decisions should be about who the product is for and what purpose it serves.
3. Making a Difference as a Marketer:
If you’re a marketer, making a difference should be your goal, not just winning. If I had to choose a thousand fans, I would select those who deeply resonate with my brand’s vision.
4. Embracing Small Niche Markets:
The reason for addressing even the smallest markets is to find people who will understand and fall in love with what we want to offer and where we want to take them.
5. Crafting a Marketing Promise: Here’s the marketing promise outline:
My product is for people who believe in …..
I will focus on people who want …..
I promise that engaging with my product will provide you with ……
6. Embracing the Desire to Improve and Contribute:
Everyone has an inherent desire to improve, connect with others, and contribute.
7. The Power of Storytelling and Understanding Our Brand:
Understanding what we represent eliminates the need for competition. Good stories:
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Connect us with our purpose and our career or business vision.
Help us remember how we got to this point and appreciate our strengths.
Help us better understand what sets us apart from other things in the market.
Strengthen our core values. Enable us to walk the right path and make value-focused decisions.
Encourage us to respond to our customers rather than the market.
Attract customers who share or represent their own values.
Create brand loyalty and give customers a story to tell. Attract like-minded employees and maintain our motivation to continue doing things we’re proud of.
8. Understanding Emotions Before Decision-making:
Before you make a wallet, figure out what that feeling is. What should those feelings be, why would people want to buy it? How should they feel when they hold the wallet?
9. Identifying with Our Target Audience:
People like us do …..
Are people like me doing this?
We can adapt the answer to the question of what do people like us do to marketing content.
10. Making a Difference: The Direct Path:
The shortest and most direct way to make a difference is to do work that people will value.
Thank you for exploring these valuable marketing lessons with me. Understanding the fear of losing as a powerful tool, crafting compelling narratives, and building a community of like-minded individuals have all been instrumental in my marketing journey. My focus remains on making a difference and creating a meaningful impact in the lives of my customers.
If you find this blog helpful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and colleagues. I would be delighted if you also leave resources from “This is Marketing” book that you found beneficial and any other marketing ideas that you have developed in the comments.
Director at Brand Management company, C2Believe
1yI read this book, and I'm glad I did - One thing he mentioned is the idea of a "Purple Cow" - in short, we drive by pastures of black-white cows everyday without much notice. But one day there happens to be a single purple cow and everyone notices it. I use it in my Brand Consulting - it's a frivolous tagline that people can hang their hats on, reminding them to think about "What is your purple cow?" - Getting Noticed.