Marketing books?

[GoodPeopleFlags]

We're going to start doing more marketing and I get to be in charge of it. I've been in the biz for 20 years so I have a good idea of who our target market is. Does anyone have any suggestions for some good books on marketing a business? I want to focus on online marketing. A website of course, which I'm in the process of making. I was thinking a Facebook page...

Not looking for you guys to just tell me what to do, although that's perfectly fine! But some book suggestions would be great.

 

[Kevin-shopVOX]

Search Engine Optimization Bible by Jerri L. Ledford
Good place to understand a lot of how it all works online in terms of search engines.

 

[Jim Doggett]

We're going to start doing more marketing and I get to be in charge of it. I've been in the biz for 20 years so I have a good idea of who our target market is. Does anyone have any suggestions for some good books on marketing a business? I want to focus on online marketing. A website of course, which I'm in the process of making. I was thinking a Facebook page...

Not looking for you guys to just tell me what to do, although that's perfectly fine! But some book suggestions would be great.

End of Marketing As We Know It (Sergio Zyman). It has some great basic principles in layman-speak.

 

[Jim Doggett]

Caveat: beware anything that says marketing has changed. People are the same we've always been; we choose with our emotions and then justify the emotional need, rationally. Every time. That hasn't changed and isn't likely to anytime soon.

Marketing is appealing to markets (some or all). You gotta know who they are and the best ways of getting to them. Then appeal to emotion: shortest and most-reliable path to them getting what they want.

IMO,

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Seth Godin is a great writer, most of his books are about branding in general, but they're great. He's got a blog that I recommend everyone read daily.

Aside from that, if you have the budget, I highly recommend you hire a professional marketing firm to manage your brand and marketing efforts. It's not cheap but I can say first hand it pays off. We finally bit the bullet and hired a local firm to take over our marketing. The price tag is scary, but we've recouped our investment in it every month by an impressive margin. We've seen a net increase in business of about 47% since we started with them.

 

[signswi]

Seth Godin is a great writer, most of his books are about branding in general, but they're great. He's got a blog that I recommend everyone read daily.

Aside from that, if you have the budget, I highly recommend you hire a professional marketing firm to manage your brand and marketing efforts. It's not cheap but I can say first hand it pays off. We finally bit the bullet and hired a local firm to take over our marketing. The price tag is scary, but we've recouped our investment in it every month by an impressive margin. We've seen a net increase in business of about 47% since we started with them.

This, sign people wear enough hats and marketing is another few thousand to wear, unless you already have them in your closet from previous gigs or whatever.

Still recommend reading like crazy so you know what on earth is being discussed, but you should bring in some pros to get you going and see where it takes you.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

This, sign people wear enough hats and marketing is another few thousand to wear, unless you already have them in your closet from previous gigs or whatever.

Still recommend reading like crazy so you know what on earth is being discussed, but you should bring in some pros to get you going and see where it takes you.

Exactly. We tried to do it ourselves for 8 years and it's just too hard. It's hard enough running this business without trying to market it as well. Marketing is a full time job. A lot of sign people make the mistake of thinking because they're in a marketing/advertising RELATED industry that they are IN the marketing industry, which is not true. Marketing is a science, and it's an investment, not an expense. Pay a professional marketer to market, pay yourself to run your business. The two are mutually exclusive.

Give Jon Aston a call, he knows his stuff and specializes in our industry so he'll be able to help you hit the ground running.

 

[Jim Doggett]

Still recommend reading like crazy so you know what on earth is being discussed ...

I agree, wholeheartedly. Especially for sign-makers, maybe more than any other small business, since sign-makers market their customers' businesses. Learning and having the know-how in-house, grows the sign-maker's business, and makes their customers more successful ... which in turn brings more return business and expands word-of-mouth.

Huge synergy. Learn it and win. IMO

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Great stuff, guys! Thanks a bunch!

 

[mark in tx]

Don't take this as an insult, but "Small Business Marketing for Dummies" is a good book.
Distills things down very well, and lets you figure out where to go for more advanced knowledge.

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Thanks, Mark!

 

[neato]

Give Jon Aston a call, he knows his stuff and specializes in our industry so he'll be able to help you hit the ground running.

Jon Aston is the guy. That guy really knows his stuff and is 100% professional on all levels.

 

[Sticker Dude]

Social marketing I believe is the best tool out there
Facebook, Myspace, Craigslist and Youtube
and the best part its FREE!!!

 

[signswi]

Myspace? :ROFLMAO:

 

[Jon Aston]

Thanks Insignia, thanks Neato... appreciated!

Bluefish, books are great and you've received plenty of excellent suggestions above. In my experience, reading can only get you so far. At the risk of sounding like a walking, talking commercial - it helps to have professional guidance. I offer a 90min free consultation. No obligation. Take me up on it. Just be forewarned that I'm booked into the week of September 19, at present.

One other avenue to consider is taking a marketing course or two. The American Management Association's marketing courses are superb. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

 

[James Burke]

And on top of what's been said already, focus upon improving your customer service. Good customer service will go a very long way in helping your marketing efforts.

JB