5 Tip Tuesday: How to Get the Most out of a Marketing Book
Books are a great way to learn about anything! Heck, there are even books to tell you how to be happy. Unfortunately, "how to" books can seem daunting with all their information. So BLPR has put together a short guide to help you get the most information in an efficient manner from any marketing book you pick up.
1. Find the marketing book that focuses on your specific problem
What do you want to learn about marketing? A general guide to marketing? Niche marketing? How to market more efficiently? Write down questions that you have about marketing so that when you walk over to your local bookstore you have your keywords on the brain and can better skim titles and back covers to find the best book for you.
2. Read the introduction
A book’s introduction is crucial to understanding what the author is trying to get across in the book. Attempt to read the introduction in the book store to ensure that you’re buying the right book (you could always return the book, of course, but this is more time efficient). The introduction will not only give you a sense of the book’s content, but also the writer’s style. If you find the writing annoying, this book will likely be ineffective because you’ll find it intolerable to read. The introduction is the best way to see if the book is a good fit for what you want to know about marketing.
3. Look through the table of contents
As nice as it would be to read through the whole book, sometimes there isn’t enough time. You aren’t reading this book for leisure and it’s not a novel, so you don’t need to learn everything in the book (unless you believe it’s all essential for your business). Figure out which chapters are filled with the information you want and read those.
4. Pay attention when you read
Make sure you’re completely concentrated on the words you’re reading. It’s very easy to read and not learn anything because you aren’t paying the proper amount of attention. Remember that this is for your business’ benefit, not required reading for a high school class.
5. Take notes as you go along
Even if you’re paying attention when you read, it’s very possible that you’ll forget what you’ve read. Michael Dirda, the great contemporary literary critic, reminds us that a book should always be annotated. Write down any questions that come along as you read, highlight important information and keep track of things you can viably see helping promote your business. This way, you’ll be paying more attention and thinking more about how to actually implement these practices.
A book is a great way to learn some marketing tips, but is no substitute for a professional. Buy these books at Indigo, read them to familiarize yourself with marketing or come to us for the marketing expertise you need for your business. Contact us today: info@blackleopard-pr.com.
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