{"id":14884,"date":"2018-03-23T13:40:45","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T13:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.intercom.com\/?p=14884"},"modified":"2024-07-25T11:36:18","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T10:36:18","slug":"book-every-marketer-must-read","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/book-every-marketer-must-read\/","title":{"rendered":"The book David Ogilvy said every marketer must read"},"content":{"rendered":"

Advertising legend David Ogilvy said nobody should have anything to do with marketing until they’ve read Scientific Advertising<\/em> seven times. And when the father of advertising gives you a book recommendation like that, you sit up and take notice.<\/p>\n

Despite being almost 100 years old, Scientific Advertising<\/a><\/em> by Claude Hopkins remains one of the best books on sales and marketing ever written. Hopkins was the Seth Godin of the 1900s. The genius behind many of the biggest brands of his day, Hopkins can be credited with inventing the free trial model, the freemium model, coupons, campaign tracking and much more. Heck, he\u2019s even the reason that people drink orange juice. Back then, people didn\u2019t drink orange juice. They just ate the orange. He made it popular<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Claude<\/p>\n

Originally published in 1923, Hopkins\u2019 book continues to be so revered because the principles he discusses are timeless. In a world where sales and marketing are among the fastest growing categories in SaaS, Hopkins\u2019 writing is like a warm blanket on a cold night \u2013 proven, tested and reliable.<\/p>\n

It would be hard to do justice to such a seminal book in a single blog post, but here are the 3 key pieces of marketing advice from Hopkins that not only stand the time but are still vital in sales and marketing.<\/p>\n

Uncover what makes your product remarkable<\/h2>\n
\u201cThe product itself should be its own best salesman. Not the product alone, but the product plus a mental impression, and atmosphere, which you place around it.\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n

Hopkins was one of the first to articulate that great marketing paired with a great product can equal more than the sum of the parts: marketing can amplify all the fantastic features your team builds and tell the narrative that motivates action from prospective and existing customers alike.<\/p>\n

The trick is discovering what makes your product and business remarkable.<\/p>\n

The trick, according to Hopkins, is discovering what makes your product and business remarkable. Take one of his most successful advertising campaigns \u2013 to propel Schlitz beer from fifth place in the beer market to first.<\/p>\n

In order to get to know the product, Hopkins toured the brewery and learned the air in the cooling rooms was carefully filtered so that the beer would remain completely pure as it cooled. When he asked why they weren\u2019t telling people about this, he was told that \u201cevery brewery filtered beer this way.\u201d His response? \u201cBut others have never told this story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hopkins encouraged his readers to sell the unique benefits nobody else is selling. This approach is still the hallmark of many of the most notable marketing campaigns \u2013 Dollar Shave Club, for instance, don\u2019t just sell razors, they\u2019re selling a brand with a distinct humor, culture and lifestyle. And if that\u2019s something you want, you can only buy from them.<\/p>\n

Using psychology to sell your products<\/h2>\n
\u201cHuman nature is perpetual. In most respects it is the same today as in the time of Caesar. So the principles of psychology are fixed and enduring. You will never need to unlearn what you learn about them.\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n

A big part of every marketer\u2019s job is understanding how and why our prospects behave
\nthe way they do. We do our keyword research, we develop buyer personas, and we track
\nwhere people are most likely to click on our landing pages.<\/p>\n

What about the psychology behind your prospects\u2019 behaviors?<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s more to the story. What about the psychology behind your prospects\u2019 behaviors? When it comes to converting consumers, the secret to more sales is understanding consumer behavior and learning what a buyer wants from your business rather than burying your head in Google Analytics.<\/p>\n

Hopkins was among the first to discuss psychological principles that even now influence how we buy products. For example, Hopkins\u2019 ads were instrumental in helping to create a toothbrushing habit across the whole North American continent.<\/p>\n

How did he do it? He defined a problem and offered a solution. The genius behind his Pepsodent advertising was that he had found a certain kind of cue and reward that fueled a particular habit.<\/p>\n

\"Claude<\/p>\n

These habit-forming principles are are so powerful that they\u2019re used by video game designers, food companies, and millions of sales people across the world.<\/p>\n

The message from Hopkins was clear \u2013 understand psychology and you\u2019ll sell more products<\/p>\n

Be specific<\/h2>\n
\u201cPlatitudes and generalities roll off the human understanding like water from a duck. They leave no impression whatever. To say, ‘Best in the world’, ‘Lowest price in existence’, etc. are at best simply claiming the expected.\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n

Having a great product is no longer enough. Technological advancement is a rising tide that lifts all ships, and more and more, most of the products that we see (by the time they get filtered through to us on Product Hunt) are great. Building a great product, in most cases, only puts you in the middle of a crowded field of other great products.<\/p>\n

Being specific will strengthen the perception of any claim.<\/p>\n

Hopkins wrote that the key to standing out in a commoditized market was to be specific with your marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMakers of safety razors have long advertised quick shaves,” he wrote. “One maker advertised a 78-second shave. That was definite. It indicated actual tests. That man at once made a sensational advance in his sales.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being specific \u2013 very specific \u2013 about the benefits of your product will strengthen the perception of any claim. It reminds me of how Apple market their products. When they first built the MacBook Pro from a solid piece of aluminum, they went to great lengths to show the manufacturing process and explain exactly why this was their most durable and polished design yet.<\/p>\n