Whether you have a little extra time on your hands or you’re restarting your business after the COVID-19 shutdown, now is the time to catch up on a little reading. The world has drastically changed over the past several months, so here are a few marketing books that offer important timeless lessons.
“This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See” (Seth Godin), 288 pages
Godin is one of the country’s best-known marketers and has written 19 best-selling books. “This is Marketing” was published in 2018, the same year he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame.
Godin’s opinion is that marketers should use their knowledge to solve people’s problems. It’s not as much about your company as it is your approach to helping your customers. Businesses are here to make the world better and there’s no shame in that. Godin makes it clear that marketing should never be seen as vital and not deceitful, a point that’s more important than ever in our uncertain world.
“Shoe Dog” (Phil Knight), 400 pages
Knight started Nike as Blue Ribbon Sports in the ’60s with one of his former University of Oregon track coaches. The company, which was formed to make running shoes, became Nike seven years later and the rest is history. There are few more iconic brands in the world and Knight’s vision made the company wildly profitable; Nike was the 17th-most valuable company in the U.S. last year.
Usually a reclusive figure, Knight opens up about his personal life and shares the risks he took to make Nike an unquestioned success. His was the first company to use the power of pro sports to sell its shoes and, later, apparel. Ever heard of Michael Jordan?
Any entrepreneur could learn a few lessons from Knight.
“Digital Marketing for Dummies” (Ryan Deiss and Russ Hennesberry), 300 pages
(Note: An updated version of this book is coming out in August.)
The series of “Dummies” books has become an undeserved punch line and this one is an excellent example. The world of digital marketing is still a mystery to many business owners and managers. Fortunately, this book serves as an excellent how-to guide for anyone getting started or looking to improve in this often confusing enterprise.
The authors give the lowdown on the customer journey, marketing planning, landing pages, blogging, SEO, SEM, social media, email, data and analytics. They also reiterate the importance of often revisiting and fine-tuning your offers.
West Press’ talented staff is here to help you each step of the way — from graphic design to printing to mailing services to large format to website development. Contact West Press or your Account Executive at 520-624-4939 today.