Customer Reviews

Marketing for Dummies

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have worked in marketing for many years and bought this book when I first started working in a marketing job. It was a refresher book for me after the marketing education I received. In general, this is a good basic "what is marketing?" book that I would recommend to a non-marketing person who wants to learn about marketing or else to someone who's just begun working in a marketing role.

If you are running your own small business and trying to handle all of your marketing effort yourself you will find many excellent tips and words of wisdom that will help get you through various projects while avoiding many commonly made mistakes. If you were in need of a glossary, lists of commonly used acronyms, marketing concepts, or a professional handling of a managerial approach to global marketing you would be better off taking traditional marketing courses and studying your textbooks.

This book was very "task" oriented and included some nice general ideas to remember, and good tips for getting through some common tasks. It is not comprehensive, nor quite as step-by-step as I had hoped a "Dummies" book would be. When I think of a "Dummies" manual I always remember using my old Volkswagens for Dummies to get through giving my old VW a tune-up and valve adjustment. It included step-by-step instructions as well as the nice tips needed for avoiding commonly made mistakes. It took me from the beginning to end of my common projects without any problems. Some of the computers for Dummies types books I have read have also included both step-by-step as well as tips and advice.

Marketing for Dummies was not laid out in the beginning to end, comprehensive step-by-step fashion I have come to expect from the "Dummies" books. maybe Marketing does not lend itself to this, but it would have been appreciated. Marketing for Dummies will make a nice "hands-on" addition for your more complete "traditional" Marketing text collection.

This book is really great for someone who wants practical information on creating a marketing plan (and doing all associated activities). I did mine reading this book. The author gives real life cases don't spend too much time about the theory. It is done for people who really want to DO their marketing.

"Marketing for Dummies" is the Marketing 101 of how-to books. It never gets very deep into any one area, and has lots of helpful tips in many different areas. While I'm not going to make a banner or awning for my office, and don't have the money for an all-out market research effort, I was reminded of the sorts of creativity and actions the competition can and does take.

Good for the person who dabbles in marketing and can't afford a real, live PR/Marketer.

If you don't know where to start with learning marketing, start here.

It covers all the basic concepts and demystifies all the terms and concepts commonly used in marketing, all with easy to follow but still interesting language.

This book was the one recommended to me by a friend when I was first thrown into the research & development department of a accessory design company. It helped bring me up to speed quickly on the gaps in my knowledge.

The only problem with this book is you don't want to be seen by your coworkers reading a "dummies" title if its a subject relevant to your position, no matter how excellent the material. I still recommend buying it, but get a book cover as well.

I bought this book to reinforce what I was tought in the classroom, and it did just that. It's a good overview of the marketing mix and never gets too technical. Great for students who are studying marketing in college.

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.

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.

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. :(

this book is informative however the information is out dated and therefore not a "GREAT" resource. I found it helpful but I needed to do extra research to get the most out of the information offered.