Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Marketing Made Simple summary
Step-by-Step StoryBrand Guide for Any Business
17 mins
Brief summary
Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller is a practical guide for small businesses on creating a clear message, generating leads, and growing sales. It helps navigate the marketing landscape, focusing on a customer-centric approach.
Table of Contents
Marketing Made Simple
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
Marketing creates new customers through curiosity and enlightenment.
Let’s say you’ve created a brilliant new product. Maybe you’ve written a phenomenal book that’s full of action, adventure, and insight. Perhaps you’ve built an innovative stereo system that delivers that pristine sound audiophiles crave.
Or maybe you’ve simply made the perfect breakfast pastry.
Now, you have this amazing product, so customers should be lining up all around the block, right? If only it was that easy. The truth is, even if you have a perfect product, no one will buy it if they don’t know about it. And that’s where marketing comes in.
The art of marketing is all about connecting people to goods and services that they don’t yet know they want.
The key message here is: Marketing creates new customers through curiosity and enlightenment.
Oftentimes, people conflate marketing with branding. But these are two very different things. Branding molds how people feel about your company – it gives your products a character, based on images, design, and logos.
Marketing is different. It makes customers understand what your company or products can do for them. In other words, it communicates a specific offer.
Good marketing is a process that comes in three stages. The first is curiosity. All you need to do here is catch a potential customer’s eye. More often than not, it’s about a split-second decision or snap judgment.
Maybe the customer sees a flashy picture of your product, glimpses a well-designed advertisement for your service, or simply hears a friend mention your company. Either way, they’re now curious to know more.
They’re ready for the next step: enlightenment. At this stage, your marketing campaign fills in the details. You explain what problems your product solves, what solution your service provides – in other words, how the customer’s life will change after they’ve made the purchase. This could be as simple as giving a flashy synopsis of that thrilling novel. Or, it could be more engaged: perhaps a technical explanation of why your stereo delivers superior sound.
Finally comes commitment. This is the crucial stage where you actually ask the customer to make a purchase. And you should ask – giving your customer a direct call to action is often necessary for sales.
For instance, placing a prominent buy now button on your website is a simple way to remind visitors to close the deal.
Of course, all of this is easier said than done. But there is a way to streamline the process. We’ll delve into this five-part plan in the next blinks.
Want to see all full key ideas from Marketing Made Simple?
Key ideas in Marketing Made Simple
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Marketing Made Simple about?
Marketing Made Simple (2020) is a handy guide to growing your brand. This practical manual teaches a five-point system for effectively funneling new customers to your business.
Marketing Made Simple Review
Marketing Made Simple (2021) is a valuable read for anyone looking to enhance their marketing skills and grow their business. Here's why this book stands out:
- It provides practical strategies and step-by-step instructions to create effective marketing campaigns that generate results.
- By combining proven principles with real-life examples, it offers actionable insights that can be applied to any industry or business.
- The book's engaging storytelling keeps readers captivated throughout, ensuring that learning about marketing is anything but tedious.
Who should read Marketing Made Simple?
- New entrepreneurs looking for a strong start
- Experienced business owners seeking new ideas
- Anyone interested in the fundamentals of marketing
Categories with Marketing Made Simple
Book summaries like Marketing Made Simple
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
34 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Marketing Made Simple FAQs
What is the main message of Marketing Made Simple?
Marketing Made Simple outlines practical strategies for effective marketing.
How long does it take to read Marketing Made Simple?
The reading time for Marketing Made Simple varies, but the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Marketing Made Simple a good book? Is it worth reading?
Marketing Made Simple is worth reading for its actionable insights and practical advice.
Who is the author of Marketing Made Simple?
Donald Miller is the author of Marketing Made Simple.
What to read after Marketing Made Simple?
If you're wondering what to read next after Marketing Made Simple, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
- Renegade Marketing by Drew Neisser
- Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
- The Power to Change by Campbell Macpherson
- The Storytelling Edge by Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas
- Hero on a Mission by Donald Miller
- The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
- The First Minute by Chris Fenning
- Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
- The Genius of Empathy by Judith Orloff