Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

It’s Only Common Sense: Who the Heck is Seth Godin?

If you are serious about modern marketing techniques, you need to know about Seth Godin.

When I was in the I-Connect007 booth at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 a few weeks ago, I was tremendously pleased to see a photo of my marketing hero, Seth Godin, flash on their large screens. To me, that represented the forward-thinking philosophy of that organization—and any organization that follows Seth’s writings.

Seth Godin is indeed a prominent figure in the marketing world, known for his innovative ideas and perspectives. For nearly 20 years, he has changed how we look at marketing, and has invented some of the marketing tactics we use today. From his book Permission Marketing came the concept of sending out value-added newsletters to extend our reach to customers and potential customers. Without Permission Marketing, which was published in 1999, we would not have Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, or HubSpot sequences.

I urge all of you who are truly serious about marketing, especially innovative marketing tactics, to pick up and read every Seth Godin book you can get your hands on.

You know what I do? I buy three versions of some of his books: print, audio, and e-book. But that’s just me, and I am a notorious stealer of ideas when it comes to business books. I justify this by the words of Steve Jobs, who said that great artists steal—something he actually stole from Picasso, who, chances are, stole it from someone else.

Just to help you find your way around Seth Godin’s books, I’ve listed the books and provided a summary of each.

• Permission Marketing: The idea of obtaining consent from consumers before sending them promotional messages, focusing on building long-term relationships. Creating a list of loyal customers who acquire the good habit of following you and your ides is absolutely the best way to create brands as well.
• Tribes: Encouraging marketers to build communities around shared interests or causes, fostering loyalty and engagement.
• Purple Cow: Standing out in a crowded marketplace by being remarkable, unique, and remarkable enough to grab attention.
• Remarkable Marketing: Emphasizing the importance of creating products, services, or marketing campaigns that are worth remarking about.
• This is Marketing: A comprehensive guide to modern marketing principles. In this book, Godin emphasizes that marketing is about creating meaningful change, not just promoting products.
• The Song of Significance: My personal favorite. It delves into the concept of meaningful work and leadership. The book explores how individuals and organizations can create environments where work is significant and fulfilling.
• We Are All Weird: Godin challenges the notion of mass marketing and the pursuit of the average. Godin argues that the era of mass marketing is over, and businesses should embrace the uniqueness and diversity of their customers. The book emphasizes the value of catering to smaller, niche markets that are passionate about specific interests.
• Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?: This is actually a much larger book. A collection of Seth Godin's best blog posts and insights from his popular blog. The book covers a wide range of topics, including marketing, leadership, creativity, and personal development. Each entry provides thought-provoking ideas, practical advice, and inspiration for readers looking to make a difference in their personal and professional lives. The title itself refers to a metaphor about the unexpected opportunities and challenges we encounter and how we choose to deal with them. The book encourages readers to think critically, embrace change, and take bold actions to achieve their goals.
• The Dip: Recognizing when to persevere through challenges and when to quit strategically, to focus efforts on endeavors with the most potential for success. Sometimes giving up and moving on is the right strategy.
• Linchpin: Encouraging individuals to become indispensable within their organizations by delivering unique value and creativity.
• Ideavirus: The idea that marketing messages should be designed to spread like viruses, leveraging word-of-mouth and social sharing. In this book, one of my favorites, Seth shows you how to get the most bang for the buck when it comes to getting your ideas in front of the right people and at the right time.
• The Purple Cow Principle: Encouraging businesses to stand out by being remarkable, different, and unique in their industry.
• The Big Red Fez: Simplifying website design and navigation to make it intuitive and user-friendly.
• All Marketers Are Liars: Understanding the power of storytelling in marketing and how it shapes consumer perceptions and behavior.
• Marketing in the Age of Google: Recognizing the impact of online search and content creation on modern marketing strategies.
• Microbranding: Focusing on building a strong brand identity and presence even for small businesses or individuals.

I would also urge you to visit Seth’s website, which is loaded with a great deal of valuable information, tactics, ideas, strategies, and sales philosophies to make you smarter and more effective when it comes to your own marketing. Check it out now.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.