Book SummaryThis Is Marketing, by Seth Godin

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of This Is Marketing

Despite what you may believe, being an effective marketer isn’t about being the biggest or the loudest. According to Seth Godin, author of This Is Marketing (2018), traditional marketing techniques are no longer effective in today’s media-saturated world. He argues that instead of focusing on selling, companies should focus on building strong relationships with customers based on trust, authenticity, and empathy. Effective marketing, he explains, is more than convincing someone to buy something; it’s about changing people’s lives.

Godin is an entrepreneur and marketing expert with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He has written more than 20 books on the subject, including _[All Marketers Are...

This Is Marketing Summary What Is Marketing?

According to Godin, traditional marketing (what he calls interruption marketing) no longer works because it relies on competing for consumers' attention by spamming them with ads. He argues that in today’s media-saturated landscape, people’s attention has become more valuable because they have so many options to choose from. When people are constantly bombarded by advertisements, they become better at tuning out what doesn’t interest them. In short, he suggests, you can’t trick people into wanting what you’re selling by being the loudest or the biggest. People can just ignore you.

(Shortform note: Some marketers counter that traditional marketing strategies aren't obsolete, arguing that traditional marketing platforms, such as newspaper ads and direct mail, still yield effective results and a favorable return on investment (ROI). According to one study, consumers place higher trust in newspaper ads compared...

This Is Marketing Summary Principle 1: Create Something of Value

To be an effective marketer, you must first create something of value. Godin explains that many people make the mistake of creating a product and then trying to figure out how to sell it. Effective marketers do the opposite: They identify a group of people with a problem and then provide a solution to that problem.

(Shortform note: In Purple Cow, Godin goes further, arguing that you don’t just need to create something of value, but you also need to create something truly remarkable and unique. Godin argues that it’s a losing battle to try to market a better version of another product; instead, you need to create something new that will stand out from the crowd—the way a purple cow would stand out from a herd of regular cows.)

Godin argues that to create a product that solves a problem, you should identify an unmet desire or need, and make sure that your product addresses it. Godin suggests that people’s needs are often rooted in unmet emotional desires. People don’t buy a product for the product’s sake, but for...

This Is Marketing Summary Principle 2: Focus on Your Core Audience

But which people are you trying to help? According to Godin, effective marketers don't try to reach everyone. Instead, they focus on serving a specific group of people well. Godin argues that to be an effective marketer, you need to focus on your core audience, what he describes as your smallest viable market.

According to Godin, your core audience is the smallest group of people who share a common need or desire that can sustain your business or project. Depending on your product or service, your core audience might be coffee lovers passionate about specialty coffee beans or DIY enthusiasts new to woodworking. He explains that by focusing on your niche market, you’ll be able to develop a deeper understanding of your customers' needs and wants and create products and services that best address those needs. This approach allows you to stand out in a crowded marketplace and build a loyal customer base that will help you grow your business.

(Shortform note: Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur (_[Business Model...

This Is Marketing Summary Principle 3: Match Your Story to the Audience’s Point of View

Once you know your core audience, you need to match the story you’re telling to their point of view so they understand that your product or service is for them. Godin explains that our decisions, including decisions about what to buy, are based on the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. For example, “I am the kind of person who…” shops at the local co-op, or uses coupons, or wears a luxury watch. To effectively market to your core audience, make sure that the story you tell aligns with the story your audience tells about themselves.

How to Match the Story to Your Audience

In his 2005 All Marketers Are Liars, Godin goes into greater detail on how to match your story to your audience’s point of view. He suggests three possible tools:

Frames: Framing a story involves providing a specific context or perspective to shape how the audience perceives and interprets the information. For example, if you tell someone “the glass is half full,” they’ll look at it more favorably than if...

This Is Marketing Summary Principle 4: Capitalize on Word of Mouth

While your initial fans, the trendsetters, appreciate your unique approach, it may not resonate with the wider public. To make the jump to a broader audience, you need a product or service that people want to talk about. Godin explains that the products and services that people will talk about are the ones that become more valuable the more people know about them.

Consider the example of dating apps. Early adopters of dating apps, like Tinder or Bumble, had a reason to talk about the product with other people. More users meant a wider pool of potential matches and increasingly diverse profiles. Additionally, the accumulation of user data allowed apps to refine their matching algorithms, suggesting more accurate and compatible matches. Moreover, the more people that use the apps, the less social stigma there is around using dating apps as a tool of connection.

(Shortform note: Godin suggests that people want to talk about products that will become more valuable if more people use them. This assumes that...

Shortform Exercise: Reflect on Permission Marketing

Godin argues that traditional marketing techniques are ineffective, advocating instead for what he calls permission marketing—intentional marketing to a group of people who want to hear what you have to say.

Consider your email inbox. What is an example of a marketing email that you get that's ineffective? What makes it ineffective?

Shortform Exercise: Create Something of Value

Godin argues that to be an effective marketer, you must first create something of value. He cautions against creating a product and then trying to figure out how to sell it. Instead, he suggests identifying a group of people with a problem and then providing a solution to that problem.

Who's your core audience (the person or group of people you're marketing to)? What are some of the values that are important to them? (Your core audience might be your customer base, but could also be your partner, or friend group, whom you're trying to sell on an idea.)