The summer season is upon us!

And if you’re like a lotta folks out there, that means things are ’bout to slooooooooooooooooow doooooooooooooown.
Which makes this the perfect time to bone up on your marketing eduction!
Dunno about you, but have zero — as in zip, zilch, nada — formal education or training in anything business related.
Nope! I got one of them there “liberal arts” degrees. A Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, to be exact. The kinda Ivy Tower school learnin’ that, along with $5.50, gets you a cafe latte at the ‘Bucs.
In other words, my entire business background has been culled from a few key mentors (a couple of wise gals + guys I’ll never manage to fully repay), good ole “on the job training (the Institue of Hard Knocks), and…wait for it…books!
Yup, I taught myself under the tutelage of the worlds best educators: BOOKS.
And when it comes to my marketing education, the foundation was built by three books written by Seth Godin — world-renowned marketing guru, uber-successful entrepreneur, and the godfather of Permission Marketing, the template driving most of present-day digital marketing. And the basis for the European Union’s recently enacted GDPR legislation (a version of which is likely coming to the US sooner than later).
And what’s so fab about these three books? Godin drills down right to the core of marketing’s key tenets:
1. Zeroing in on and nurturing your ideal client-base  — Tribes
2. Standing out from the herd — The Purple Cow
3. Telling stories to engage your ideal clients rather than hammering them with the dreaded “hard sell” — All Marketers Tell Stories
So, without further ado, let’s dive into these three classics of the Marketing Business Book genre!

Tribes

What’s one of the BIGGEST marketing touchstones I constantly harp on?
Narrowing your niche and zeroing in on your ideal clients. And how do you think that concept wound up embedded in my psyche? You guessed it, Seth Godin’s exceptional book, Tribes!
This fabulous volume is Godin’s treatise on identifying your core audience (AKA ideal prospects) — those who genuinely GET what you’re doing, saying, selling, etc… — and catering exclusively to this select group. In turn, reeling them in with marketing messaging that speaks to them in mind, heart, and soul — in their own language.
Which is really YOUR language, as you’re all members of the same TRIBE!

Purple Cow

On this very blog, I’ve eulogized David Bowie + Prince. Men who broke boundaries, tore down divisions, redefined their art forms, and in the process change the world.
And I’ve showered businesses of all stripes with torrents of praise who’ve taken big chances and made huge leaps of faith in their unique and often revolutionary approaches to marketing.
With this sort of track record, I hope it’s clear I’m wholly opposed to the Status Quo.
But perhaps the more pertinent question is: How did I grasp ahold of this keen eye for distinction? It’s all thanks to Seth Godin’s Purple Cow!
Cow is Godin’s ode to the value + importance of standing out in a crowded field.
When it comes to marketing, mimicking top competitors is a pretty standard approach in most industries. And it’s especially true in the professional service arena, where all the players are basically selling the same thing. Because hey, if it’s working for Joe #1 at the top of the heap, why can’t it work for me too, right?
Well, in the words of Seth Godin: WRONG! The more you resemble your competitors (particularly in your messaging), the less distinctive your business becomes. Until you eventually morph into a substandard clone of your more successful competitor.
A far more effective approach? Stand out. Like Godin’s Purple Cow. And in Cow, Godin extols the virtues of setting yourself apart from the crowd, replete with compelling case studies of highly successful businesses that were seemingly “out of step” with their industry. Along with valuable strategies to help your business stand out — like a Purple Cow!

All Marketers Tell Lies Stories

Nowadays, storytelling is more fashionable than ever in marketing circles. Meanwhile, it’s ALWAYS been a crucial tool in every marketer’s toolkit.
But in the small business realm, particularly the DIY digital domain, this art was far less well-known. And effective practitioners criminally few and far between.
Thanks in large part to Godin and his many storytelling disciples, however, storytelling has become an indispensable tool for businesses of all stripes.
And All Marketers Tell Stories is Godin’s philosophy and practice of marketing storytelling distilled into an easy to digest 210 pages.
Among those pages, Godin illustrates how compelling stories engage your audience, and, most importantly, sell — without selling. When your audience identifies with your marketing messaging (AKA sees themselves in the story you’re telling), Godin explains, your businesses takes huge strides over the “know, like + trust” hurdle. The key to converting an interested prospect into a paying customer.
And of course, Godin packs the books with plenty of practical examples. Profiling businesses that successfully harness the power of storytelling to enormous profitability.

What Are Some of the Books That Have Been Critical to Your Business Education?

Godin’s trifecta has proven to be the three most impactful volumes in my personal business book business library.
But what about you? Which books have resonated with you? And contributed to your business education?
Swing by my Google+ page and share!