Book Review: "Grassroots Marketing" by Shel Horowitz

Grassroots Marketing, Getting Noticed in a Noisy World

I bought this book after hearing Shel speak in one of Dan Janal's Great Teleseminars. He came off as extremely knowledgeable, very down to earth, and hype-free. So is the book - I was not disappointed.

In my opinion, this is a "friendly" textbook on marketing ALL small businesses, consultants, etc. should read, and certainly applicable to big biz as well. It answered questions I never knew I had. There was information I could use IMMEDIATELY! For example, I went back and made minor yet significant edits to my (very few) Press Releases right away.

Let's step back for a few minutes, I know very little about marketing despite having run my own business for 15+ years. I never paid attention to marketing, sales, or much of anything but my core competencies - what I was getting paid for as a consultant. Yeah, I've been "lucky," but don't want to count on luck anymore. Besides, I've suddenly decided I'm interested in marketing - it's sooooo scientific. I'm serious - it's all trial and error, truly scientific principles and methods. But there are some basic principles I lacked, and this book taught those well.

I understood some advanced marketing issues and techniques very well, as I've been studying marketing the last few months out of interest and curiosity, but I lacked most basics. It's like understanding advanced calculus and topology, but not being able to add and subtract reliably. This book taught those basics. I should have read it 15 years ago, had it been published then! I still lack experience in most marketing areas, but now at least I have a "clue."

In my first pass I read the topics that interested me with extreme interest. For example, I have, or thought I had, zero use for "Yellow Pages" ads as just one example. I was wrong. I've read this book cover to cover a few times and keep getting more value - and actionable information. It's been on my nightstand now for months and I often read a random section before retiring at night.

If there is a downside, it's that the Internet section is somewhat out of date. That is no surprise as the Internet is evolving rapidly and the book is copyright 2000, but I still think it would be the perfect primer for the uninitiated. Hey, I'm a 25 year Internet veteran and I learned things!

I've read (and reviewed here on TheTedRap.com) quite a few great books in the past year or so. This is one of the best! You can purchase it directly from Shel's website.

I've just got Shel's latest book, Principled Profit, and it's on my reading short list. You may also want to check out Shel's Good Business blog.

Bottom line: Grassroots Marketing, highly recommended.