3 lessons from my favorite marketing book

Here are 3 lessons (and applications) from one of my favorite marketing books: Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday. It’s a quick read that I highly recommend – but if you want the highlights, keep reading:

LESSON ONE

“Products can and should be changed until they are primed to generate explosive reactions from the first people who see them.”

I was talking to a pastor recently who was telling me about a new community event he planned that went so well that now he can’t not do it again. That’s what you’re looking for!

As you’re thinking about this, remember: Just because something works for another community, doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Something didn’t work for you? Great! That’s information. Keep tweaking things until you hit a nerve. You’ll know it when you do.

How can you implement this lesson today? Join a Facebook Group for your local town or neighborhood. Just observe. Is there anything (and I mean anything) that comes up regularly? How could you creatively address this need?

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LESSON TWO

“You’re saying: Post about me on Facebook. Tell your friends to watch my video. (…) The best way to get people to do this enormous favor for you? Make it seem like it isn’t a favor. Make it the kind of thing that is (…) conducive to spreading.”

Look at your own networking habits.

What is the last Facebook post you sent to a friend?

What is the last email you forwarded to a coworker?

What is the last YouTube link you sent to your family chat?

…what about that piece of content motivated you to share it?

Those elements will motivate your viewers, too.

How can you implement this lesson today? Make your content more shareable by infusing one of these 3 things:

1) A face people know

2) An emotionally salient story

3) A resource that will be useful on a daily or weekly basis

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LESSON THREE

“…as it turns out, dedicated and happy users are marketing tools in and of themselves.”

He tells this story about a time he signed up for a service – then forgot all about it.

A few days later, he received a personal phone call from a staff member who asked if anything had gone awry and asked how he could help. The caller helped him get his account set up and helped him start using the service.

In Ryan’s words, this experience turned “a looky-loo into an active user.”

The lesson? Make the most of the leads you already have.

How can you implement this lesson today? Determine where you typically lose people.

Is it after they attend your science camp for the first time?

After they book a tour of your school?

Put something obnoxiously specialized, valuable, or impressive in that space.

This, too, is marketing.