Seth Godin – Make something happen.

 

Meet Seth Godin, “His blog is perhaps the most popular in the world written by a single individual” and is a bestselling author on the topics of marketing, the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, and changing everything (Seth Godin’s Blog). Sounds like my kind of guy. However, If Seth Godin is so well known, how come I didn’t recognize his face? How come the only reason I am talking about him now is because I googled “marketing blogs” in order to do my homework assignment?  Obviously, if Godin has been marketing himself, his message hasn’t reached me yet. Am I not in his target market?

There is irony here. It lies in one of his most recent blog posts stating that, “The extraordinary thing about marketing is that a million people might see something or hear something or be sold something and only a thousand will actually take action” (Seth Godin’s Blog).

A year or so ago I worked in a book store and often would peruse the business section and wonder if my future would entail reading any of the titles analyzing the business world. Some of which were Godin’s novels, I now realize. Seth’s point however, rings true for a lot of my life (and probably many others). Although I may have browsed the titles of countless business books, never did I pick one up and buy. I didn’t take action.

The question is, how do we break through this barrier? How do we change the most observers into buyers, especially when we’re selling something more important than toothpaste? How about when we are selling world changing ideas? I have a feeling Seth Godin knows some of the answers. Perhaps I should read one of his books.