The best marketing you can do for your business is to concentrate on creating a high-quality operation that customers, employees and other businesspeople will trust, respect and recommend. Marketing Without Advertising teaches small business owners practical strategies * attract new customers and build trust * encourage customer recommendations * improve customer service and turn even dissatisfied customers into active supporters of the business * list products and services widely and inexpensively * plan marketing events that will keep customers involved * use the Internet to market services and products This essential book will help you market your business with common sense, not piles of cents.
I hilariously read the 1st edition of this book, printed in the mid-eighties, given to me in San Francisco by my awesome landlady, and dredged off of my bookshelf over a decade later.
But weirdly, its out-of-datenesss (There are these new things called "online bulletin boards" that you might consider using in your marketing) was kind of perfect. It forced me to focus on the big picture, instead of the marketing details, which is precisely where it feels like I need to be right now.
I took lots of notes, got ideas for the website, and it helped codify my plans for a free swim/triathlon clinic offering this spring, so even if it does nothing else for me, it was worth it already.
I think it's a concise book, which I appreciate, and it has some pivotal concepts about marketing to really help a business owner "get" what marketing is. So, very useful, very helpful and practical. Not a comprehensive guide to marketing, but then I don't think it's meant to be. It's a good intro to marketing though, to help you understand on a fundamental level what marketing is, before you get into some grittier and denser material.
The authors present valuable ideas and case studies on how to best use marketing dollars. Whether your business model is store front or web based, there are good suggestions that can be easily integrated into a basic business plan. For the business owner who does not have a strong background in marketing, this is an ideal text as it also provides a list of common advertising mistakes to avoid.
Extremely complete and readable "is it plugged in" level overview of marketing. Didn't go to MBA school because you didn't want to do the marketing math but want everything else on marketing? This is the book.
If you want really usable information and to go a little deeper into strategy, pair this book withThe Marketing Plan.