Author: Seth Godin
Publisher: Pocket Book 2007/Copyright 1999 Seth Godin
Reviewer: Olivia Chute, operations manager, Chazbrooks Communications
Don’t be put off by 1999. This book is spookily relevant even with its outdated case studies. Godin has earned his stripes many times over as guru and author of some of the top marketing books of all time. You’ll soon see why.
Godin’s purpose is to offer an alternative to what he calls ‘interruption marketing’ – which serves only to exasperate hordes of pretty satisfied customers and pollute the marketplace with clutter that no-one appears to care about. He proposes a step change where marketing first and foremost should encourage customers to opt in, and then reward customers for agreeing to continue to pay attention over time.
Godin likens Permission Marketing to dating, where the hardest part and the biggest leap of faith is in the first step. He goes on to explain that Permission Marketing works because it Is anticipated, personal, relevant: people look forward to hearing from you, the messages are directly related to them and the marketing is about something they are interested in. Godin talks in terms of permission as being a precious asset, and explains how marketers can widen and deeper the scope of permission over time, using the power of internet.
So what is the secret to raising the likelihood of prospects giving permission to market to them? How can B2B marketers turn e-mail into ‘me-mail’ to get the full attention of time-poor customers? And can marketers realistically plan for a 100 per cent loyal opt in email list of customers and prospects who want to hear from their businesses on a personal, relevant topic related to their offering?
Godin answers this and more. The book’s 218 pages of claims, facts and examples are guaranteed to help B2B marketers get far more out of their online expenditures and to facilitate new permission-based relationships with customers.
Star rating: 4/5
