Marketing For Dummies , 3rd Edition | Date: 28 April 2011, 05:49
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Marketing For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))
By Alexander Hiam
* Publisher: For Dummies
* Number Of Pages: 384
* Publication Date: 2009-10-05
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 047050210X
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780470502105
Product Description:
Covers everything from essential marketing principles and techniques to the latest methods and trends
Want to sharpen your marketing skills to promote your products and services? Whether you're introducing a new product or jumpstarting your existing marketing plans, Marketing For Dummies, 3rd Edition, helps you get a handle on such basic marketing concepts as the four P's-product, pricing, positioning, and placement - and boost your sales with innovative new approaches.
Packed with over 25 percent new and revised material, this practical, savvy, guide shows you how to treat every aspect of interacting with customers-including customer service and the product itself - as an opportunity to grow the organization. You'll learn how to prepare hard-hitting campaigns, plan a marketing budget and stick to it, and seize new opportunities to increase customer awareness and appreciation of your product or service.
* Explains Internet and search engine marketing to work for you
* Helps you identify customers where you least expect them
* Offers tips on using online resources to size up competitors
* Covers effective product positioning in a crowded marketplace
* Introduces guerilla and global marketing
You don't have to be a marketing genius to expand your customer base and boost sales, but you will need a little help from Marketing For Dummies, 3rd Edition.
Summary: Great advice with a few issues
Rating: 4
I am a strong fan of the Dummies series. I'm not fond of the name - none of us should feel like a Dummy - but the information is good quality and takes you through step by step. This Marketing book is no exception.
There are many examples in here to help you understand their message. For example, use all means at your disposal to get your message out. T-shirts. Car signs. Press releases, targeted at buyers, not at journalists. Fill the releases with "five tips for ..." to give people concrete advice.
Your sales are made both with logic and emotion, so make sure you appeal to both sides. Explain the factual reasons that your item makes perfect sense, but also help the client to feel good about their choice. Coach them along the path, offering trial runs if possible. Maintain good relations with all your customers, even the tough ones. That grumpy customer who you ignore could easily become your strongest anti-marketing messenger, going around and spreading the word about how awful you are.
Along the same path, the customer is always right. Don't blame them, even if you're upset. Do your very best to resolve the situation and, if nothing else, leave them with the sense that they were always treated with professional calm.
In tough economic times, it can be tempting to slash prices. That creates a downward spiral that, in many cases, does not help much. Instead, compete on brilliance. Show why you are worth every penny and how your quality pays for itself. Even in rough times, people still splurge on items that are important.
Make sure your message is clear and focused. Quadruple check it for any typos or errors. Only send ONE message, don't annoy your audience with repeats. Make sure you market things you do WELL - if you spread yourself too thin, your reputation will suffer and that will affect everything you do. Always target your message exactly at one group of buyers.
Make sure you know why people choose you. What makes you distinctive?
There's a lot of good material here. You have to read wisely, though. Not all of the advice is spot-on. The book says that a full page ad in a magazine isn't as economical as a half page ad - but then later it says if you're pinching pennies to get the full page ad. Huh? It says NOT to buy any "already owned" domain name - but I know many cases where someone did that and the small cost to the current owner was well worth it, to get the wonderfully perfect name.
Still, there is a lot of good information in here. Focus on your product's strengths and play them up. Fill your pages with research, how-tos, information. Become a resource and then people will find you naturally. They will realize the great products you offer once they are there. Offer testimonials. Put your logo on everything you give away, send freebies to good customers. Network. Compliment your customers.
In the same breath they recommend all companies let their visitors rate their products freely. I realize this might be a great fit for some companies - maybe a pen vendor who has 100 different pens. If a certain pen gets poorly rated, they can just stop carrying it. But what if you're a glass blower who makes unique works? You could have a disgruntled customer who breaks their item and comes on your site to complain, and now your page permanently carries her rant. This is a feature that needs a great deal of thought before it goes into operation.
One of their most important messages is the most simple. Find ways to be happy. It will reflect in everything you do, in every interaction with potential clients and long term customers. This one basic change can make a huge difference in your entire system.
Summary: Enjoy reading
Rating: 3
The book, like others "for Dummies" series, is interesting, but just suitable for Small and Home business. In my case, working at a global group, this book is not enough.
Anyway, I enjoy reading it!
Summary: Not for me
Rating: 1
Bought this as I thought being a general guide I may find areas attributable to my needs, my business has'nt really got a book out there that I could use specifically. I've also read 'Duct Tape Marketing' which is far superior and practical. The 'Dummies' book is too general, so much so that it isn't at all usuable in real business - the Dummies book would be okay for a marketing student to give them a theoretical understanding of marketing, but don't bother with it if you need a practical application of marketing.
Summary: A Very Good Start
Rating: 4
In "Marketing For Dummies", Alexander Hiam covers the basics of marketing, starting with an overview of what exactly marketing is, followed by how to design a marketing program and onwards:
*Easy to read (though not a quick read by any means. But that's okay, because it's meant to be used as a reference book, not a novel.)
*Like most of the other "for Dummies" books, there are tags on the page designed to draw the reader's attention to key/important concepts.
*Covers a wide range of marketing activities from branding, to direct response marketing to marketing a business online.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get a basic (but thorough) understanding of what marketing is and how to implement it into their business, then to look to other books for more advanced insights on specific areas of their marketing strategy.
Summary: Best for people marketing their own products
Rating: 3
I would say this book is geared more torwards marketing your own products, not actually working for a marketing firm, which is why I got the book. I needed a crash course for my new position. Only one chapter really helped me out. :(
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