Duct Tape Marketing Revised & Updated: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John Jantsch
Slight exaggeration in the title? Me thinks not! A quick review of my 102 kindle notes (yes 102) shows that this guide is by far one of the most practical I’ve come across! 
If you like John’s book then also check out his website for loads of useful videos and ebooks.
I think my favourite concept of John’s is the marketing funnel concept he uses: 7 phrases of the hourglass. The funnel addresses these stages: Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, Refer. If you’ve ever struggled with marketing then I can tell you with absolute confidence that if you start thinking of it as a funnel like this (or an hourglass if you prefer) then you’ll find it 10x easier.
For example – consider this question
What shall we do for our marketing this year?
For a start, most people with this question will jump straight to promotion. E.g. some more ads in the paper, we need a Facebook page! and so on….
Now consider this…
How do we move people through the marketing funnel and how can we improve this? > Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, Refer.
Now we’re getting somewhere! Perhaps you’re being let down at the ‘try’ stage so you decide to implement a free 30 day trial and evaluate.
Anyway, I slightly digress from the great book!
Here’s 10 marvelous takeaways from Duct Tape Marketing
(headings = my own interpretation, quotes are authors)
1. The web is everything
“The Web and digital interactivity now represent the center of the marketing universe.”
2. The changing role of advertising
“While advertising was once used primarily to create a sale or enhance an image, it must now be used to create awareness about Web content.”
3. Strategy before tactics
“…before you decide on direct mail or a Facebook page, you must adopt and commit to a marketing strategy.”
4. Start content marketing and start now
“Consistent production of content that builds awareness and trust, such as client success stories, testimonials, and educational material in the form of blog posts, e-books, and online seminars is a major component of the new marketing system.”
5. Focus on the end goal > conversion
“…the true measure of success is lead conversion.”
6. Sell the solution
“You don’t sell goods and services; you sell solutions to problems.”
7. You can charge a premium. Don’t be afraid
“Are they willing to pay a premium for what I do? This one is often overlooked and misunderstood. No matter what you sell or what service you provide, you don’t need to compete on price.”
8. One super easy way to come up with more blog ideas
“Keep a notebook of every question a prospect or customer asks and create blog post answers and FAQ pages.”
9. Measuring can be simple (for small businesses)
“Finally, at the very least, ask your prospects, and even your Web site visitors who fill out a form to request a free report, where they heard about you. Just tape this question near the phone of everyone in the office, and tally the results often.
10. Be nice to your current customers and then up-sell/cross-sell
“It is easier to sell to an existing customer than to get a new customer.”
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