“Online Marketing Inside Out” book by Shane Tilley and Brandon Eley
Meh! Solid and well written but very conservative. Try Seth Godin for a more modern take on the changing digital marketplace. . . 5/10
Brandon Eley and Shayne Tilley have written a very clear, albeit conservative book about marketing your product or idea online.
As a paperback, Online Marketing Inside Out is beautifully designed and put together. The Sitepoint artisans have done a sterling job. But to say that it’s worth AU$50 is a big call for such a little book. While expensive (and well written) it did come with Darren Rowse’s “31 days to Build a Better Blog” PDF e-book – which took the edge off my wallet shock.
The book covers website production, search engine optimisation (SEO), email and affiliate marketing as well as online advertising. And it does all this . . . adequately. As a web developer, I felt I’d read this stuff before. I was a bit disappointed in the chapter on social networking. The book played it safe, telling me nothing about the subject that half an hour on Facebook or Twitter wouldn’t reveal.
Writers like Seth Godin and the team who brought us The Cluetrain Manifesto (which you can now read free online) have been predicting the impact of social networking for years, so it was both surprising and disappointing to see it glossed over in a Sitepoint book (I usually like Sitepoint books) . . .
The book’s strength is its clear communication of traditional methods of marketing. It’s a very conservative book with a funky cover and the writers have a good background in marketing – working in the field for years. The write clearly, if a little dryly (what’s a technical book without a sense of humour?) and they have pretty much covered all bases. But there’s nothing new here.
If you’re looking for a bolder, more avant-garde, futuristic and fun perspective on how the online marketplace is changing, pick up any one of Seth Godin’s best sellers. I’ve got my eye on Tribes. I usually buy his stuff at the UK Book Depository – which often has the best deals. Postage is FREE all around the world and books are much cheaper than Amazon. Buying books online is always cheaper than at the shops, Australia. As is the way with buying anything online – one has to wait for the arrival.
Sitepoint’s book was sent all the way from Jamaica (considering their head office is in Melbourne, I was very surprised). It was also very expensive to post (about AU$14), took over 3 weeks to arrive and was left outside my house under a damp pillow on a wicker chair in my backyard . . . in the pouring rain. I wasn’t very happy about that. A plastic bag would have helped. It was a bit warpy once I finally found it.
I also had a problem with the way it was advertised. I got the impression that two books would be shipped. But Problogger’s “book” arrived as a PDF download which is only mentioned further down the Sitepoint page.
I’d give the whole experience 5 out of 10.
5 Comments
Edwin, firstly let me say thanks for taking to time to share your thoughts one the book. There’s certainly some great constructive feedback which I appreciate.
We tried to make the book as practical as possible, helping people understand both the breadth of what businesses need to do to participate effectively online and give them practical ways to get started. It’s designed show the principles of online marketing, rather be a future focused book.
The reason we took this route, is that I still speak with so many people who’s web presence is still back in the 90’s but all they want to do is talk twitter, facebook etc. We wanted to cover these topics in the book, but also help people understand the other ducks they need to have in a row before success can be achieved.
With regards to you’re feedback on you’re expectations and experience with the 2nd eBook, I’ll certainly take that on board and perhaps make it a little cleared on the checkout process. I’d also like to note that if you order two printed books at once from us, shipping is free, so may that help with any future wallet shock.
Again, thanks for the review. Albeit a 5 out of 10 :)
Hi Shayne. Look. You’re book is good. It’s beautifully put together and VERY well written. It was just a bit old-school and a tad expensive for me. I can get 4 Godin books delivered and in a better state for the same price.
But I understand that you have to widen your net and market it to Web 1.0 people. If it wasn’t for the package being left (almost) in the rain, and me expectation of receiving two real “books” – I’d have given it 7 out of 10.
Cheers Edwin — Is web 1.0 still a word? ;)
Edwin, thank you for taking the time to review the book. As Shayne mentioned, the book was aimed at people that are staring at square one with online marketing and don’t even know what options are available to them.
I’m very sorry that your postall carrier left the book out in the rain, Ive had that happen before and know it can be frustrating.
Thanks for the review,
Brandon
Shayne. My life is spend downgrading everything so that people can see me in clear Web 1.0
Brandon. At least my book didn’t arrive all bashed and streaked with sump oil like the “Cluetrain Manifesto” did from Amazon, so “wet” was okay in the end. It dried and I flattened it pretty perfectly. It looks like a bought one again. :)