Wellll, I’d say a good way to start off might be by writing about books. Someday I’ll dig on the reasons why, but I don’t really like books about SEM or marketing or linguistics or whatever. Books are supposed to make you think about stuff, without actually having to tell you what to think.
That is, I prefer to read fiction, find it more instructive.
Nevertheless, here’s a book that’s changed the way I think about web marketing, marketing as a whole, and life at large.
The book is the well known “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. It’s pretty old I know (2009), Simon wrote others afterwards, with pretty much the same philosophy: go ahead and pick any!
(yes, affiliation freaks, I’m linking Goodreads :* )
Let me explain briefly why and how it changed the way I think about the others, and the web, and especially myself.
First of all: when I started I used to think I had to make myself the best. That was not entirely negative, since it pushed me into studying more and more and overtaking obstacles, as one does. But the book helped me understand that the real shit would’ve been to take other people, and make them the best. That I’d have felt much better if I had started to give something back.
Also, as you might’ve guessed, I’m perfectly aware that (as my friend and mentor Donatella says), it’s not like we’re saving lives, this is only marketing. I mean, web marketing! Take a look at the big picture, how unimportant is that!? Once you realise this, where do you get the drive to become a better marketer/person? The way, as wonderfully explained in the book, is to find your reason why. I thought a lot about it, and found it. Won’t say mine though, you’ve got to figure it out by yourself damn it!
Lastly, it taught me to (partially) re-think my embargo on essays and papers and everything business-related. Marketing is nothing but psychology, if you think of the user as a person. Hey this sounds good, let me use those fancy inverted commas of WP’s!
Marketing is nothing but psychology, if you think of the user as a person
So if we finally stop to treat people as money-carriers, then I’m interested! Now I know that it’s not only because I work in marketing, that I must be the devil and should be stopped (which is often the case).
It’s a short book (but then again, I’m a fantasy literature lover you know, they all seem short to me), so no excuses.
I highly suggest it as n°1 in your to-read list.
Oh before I forget, to wrap it up a little bit and understand what the topic is, Simon also spoke @ TED, and this is the video that led me to the book. Check it out!
Soundtrack to this post: Frames by Oceansize
