Who is Seth Godin!

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Ranked #453 in Business, #13,128 overall | Donates to Acumen Fund

The easy way to get the big picture about the work and writings of Seth Godin

WRITER of bestselling books about marketing. SPEAKER with a unique style and great reputation. ENTREPRENEUR with a track record.

Seth's blog just reached its 3000th post. It is currently ranked by Technorati as the #1 blog in the world written by a single individual.

This page has links to blog posts, free ebooks and more.

Five years of blogging 

Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas

Amazon Price: $17.13 (as of 07/03/2009)Buy Now

After five years of blogging and a long run as the most popular columnist in Fast Company's history, I compiled a book.

Tribes! 

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/03/2009)Buy Now

This is my latest book, it shipped in October. It's about leadership as a marketing tool. Picked as Book of the Year by 8CR, a New York Times bestseller and short enough to read in an hour.

How to avoid the Meatball Sundae? 

First, you have to know what it is

Meatball Sundae is about the mismatch between traditional marketing and what you find online... Find all the details right here:

Meatball Sundae

A meatball sundae is the unfortunate result of mixing two good ideas.

The meatballs are the foundation, the things we need (and sometimes want). These are the commodities that so many businesses are built on.

The sundae toppings (hot fudge and the like) are the New Marketing, the social networks, Google, blogs and fancy stuff that make people all excited.

The challenge most organizations face: they try to mix them. They attempt to slap new marketing onto old and end up with nothing but a failed website.

This book explores the 14 trends that are changing our world and how organizations can either embrace them or be punished by them.

Video and books 

Here are five links to get you started
The lens about my big book
Tons of free samples from Small is the New Big
"Broken" video at Google
Free video I did at Gel. 20 minutes or so.
Google talk
This talk was at Google in February. 45 minutes or so.
Ted Speech
From four years ago.
The Dip book lens
My latest book, the fastest-selling one I've ever done. It's about quitting.

YES, lots of free ebooks 

Seth's ebooks at one place
All of them. In one place.
The new ebook
Flipping the Funnel.

It's free and it comes in three handy editions. While supplies last...
Money for nothing, traffic ebook
Just released at the end of 2007. The three secrets of traffic to your blog, your company and especially your Squidoo lens.

Yes, the action figure is real 

And it's only $9. And my royalties go to the Acumen Fund. Buy a set for the entire family.

The Seth Godin Action Figure!

Pick your favorite Seth titles 

Recent noteworthy posts 

Squid Soup
First of a three part post about inertia.
Different kinds of traffic
Are you measuring what matters?
Barry Bonds
Sometimes, swinging for the fences is not the right strategy
Can't vs. Won't
Precise language can change the way you do things
How to live with a great designer
Things every marketer might want to know about how designers work.

ABOUT SETH 

Seth's official bio
Background on his books, education and entrepreneurial activities.
Squidoo
Seth's new online venture. Hey! You're already here. Never mind.
Seth in the Wikipedia
Seth's biography in the Wikipedia.

SETH'S BLOG, THE LATEST POSTINGS 

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SETH'S PHILOSOPHY (SHORT VERSION, VIA HIS BOOKS) 

  1. For fifty years, advertising (and the pre-packaged, one-way stories that make good advertising] drove our economy. Then media exploded. We went from three channels to 500 hundred, from no web pages to a billion. At the same time, the number of choices mushroomed. There are more than 100 brands of nationally advertised water. There are dozens of car companies, selling thousands of combinations. Starbucks offers 19,000,000 different ways to order a beverage, and Oreo cookies come in more than nineteen flavors.

    In the face of all this choice and clutter, consumers realized that they have quite a bit of power. So advertising stopped working.

  2. One insight is that marketing with permission works better than spam. In other words, delivering anticipated, personal and relevant ads to the people who want to get them is always more effective than yelling loudly at strangers. PERMISSION MARKETING addresses this issue.

  3. Once an idea is in the hands of people who care about its success, it may be lucky enough to benefit from digitally augmented word of mouth. I call this an ideavirus. Modern ideas spread online and off, and this is faster and more effective than the old-fashioned centralized way of selling. UNLEASHING THE IDEAVIRUS is the most successful ebook of all time and you can buy the paperback for about $10. Feel free to look for the ebook online as well. It's free.

  4. It's remarkable products that get remarked on. That seems obvious, but it flies in the face of the way most goods and services and business items are created and marketed. Boring is invisible. PURPLE COW is all about this.

  5. The thing that makes something remarkable isn't usually directly related to the original purpose of the product or service. It's the FREE PRIZE INSIDE, the extra stuff, the stylish bonus, the design or the remarkable service or pricing that makes people talk about it and spread the word.

  6. The controversial ALL MARKETERS ARE LIARS isn't about lying at all. It's about telling stories that people want to believe. It's about the fact that people want bottled water, not tap, iPod Nanos, not Rios, and politicians who talk straight, regardless of the consequences... But most of all, it's about authenticity.

  7. Marketing is now called leadership. You can lead a tribe of people, connect them, commit to them and create a movement.
  8. Most of all, Godin believes that it's possible to enjoy your job, to do the right thing, to be transparent, to give more than you get and to be successful, all at the same time. In fact, that's sort of the definition of success, isn't it?

TOP 7 'SETH'S BLOG' POSTS OF ALL TIME 

Small is the new big
How the net turns the advantage of the mighty upside down.
Don't shave that yak!
How to get things done.
What makes an idea viral?
How ideas spread. The short version
Beware the CEO Blog
Well, beware the bad ones, anyway.
The new digital divide
It's about attitude, not bandwidth
Two kinds of writing
For strangers and for friends, of course.
Death plus a fine
Just a photo

Contacting Seth 

  1. Phone and stamps rarely succeed. Your best bet is to drop him an email--seth@squidoo.com

IDEAS THAT WORKED (and didn't work) 

Transplantation Journal
An article, co-written with a well-known cardiologist, about how to radically change the allocation of kidneys for transplants. Didn't work.
Yoyodyne
The first online company to figure out direct marketing (the ethical, effective, permission-based way). Sold to Yahoo. Worked.
Zoomtone records
Hi-rez, acoustic SACD record label. Didn't work. Not at all.
Feedsters top 500
Seth's blog was early... so early, no one read it. Now it's #70 in the English-speaking world, so says Feedster. Worked.

FREE ebooks YOU CAN DOWNLOAD RIGHT NOW 

KNOCK KNOCK
On web sites that work
WHO'S THERE
On blogs that work
EVERYONE'S AN EXPERT
On lenses
UNLEASHING THE IDEAVIRUS
The breakthrough on how ideas spread. Possibly the most downloaded ebook ever.
THE BOOTSTRAPPER'S BIBLE
Not available for a while, here it is again.

BONUS STUFF 

The Fast Company Papers
Godin is the author of more than forty articles for Fast Company magazine--where he served as a contributor until 2004. Scroll down this page for the entire list.
But why is this lens in the third person?
I'm not really sure.
Recommended book list
From All Marketers Are Liars

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING (Not that you can't make up your own mind...) 

Technorati
A search of recent comments in the blogosphere
Google
A google search of reviews of Seth's books

Buy some books 

Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

Short and fun, an easy intro into what it takes to get noticed.

Amazon Price: $13.62 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World

The latest book. Marketers aren't really liars, they're storytellers.

Amazon Price: $16.29 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable

I edited this book. 33 writers, all for charity.

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers

My first bestseller. About delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who want to get them.

Amazon Price: $19.00 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Unleashing the Ideavirus

The most popular ebook ever, now in paperback.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Free Prize Inside: The Next Big Marketing Idea

Underrated, I think. This is about HOW to get remarkable done.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Survival Is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change

Perhaps my favorite book. Darwin wrote the foreword.

Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

The Big Red Fez: How To Make Any Web Site Better

Easy but surprising stuff about your website.

Amazon Price: $9.56 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook

The oldest book on this list. Still good stuff!

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Free Prize Inside / Purple Cow

2 books on CD for one low price.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

The New Book (plus one) 

Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas

Amazon Price: $17.13 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

Amazon Price: $10.15 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?

Amazon Price: $15.57 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/03/2009) Buy Now

Seth on YouTube 

Go ahead and vote for your favorites.

"All Marketers are Liars" - Seth Godin speaks at Google 5 points

Seth Godin: Sliced bread and other marketing delights 3 points

Seth Godin Shaved Our Heads in Salt Lake City, Utah 1 of 3 1 point

Chemistry Digital Vlog One 1 point

Seth on Wikipedia 

Seth Godin (born July 10, 1960) is an American author of business books and a popular speaker with appearances at Google, TED and a number of charities. Godin popularized the topic of permission marketing.

What the web is saying 

Free – The Effect of Reference Price
[...] just 1-2 examples) But is he really saying incremental profit is positive? As I hear and from what read what others like Mr. Seth Godin write about what Mr. Chris Anderson is saying, since the marginal cost is $0 it makes sense to give away your service. [...] Read more comments by Rags Srinivasan
How to Turn Your Blog Into a Business
[...] some reason has gotten a bad rap lately. People for some reason think it's all shady things they do, like spamming. But then everyone loves Seth Godin (ok I know you guys don't care for him, but it is a good point). So to make money on a blog, [...] Read more comments by John Hoff - WpBlogHost
I was wrong about #hashtags dying. Here is why:
I know Seth Godin definately watches for his name #SethGodin #BaldRead more comments by James Watters
Free Fire
Apparently I'm not the only one that reads Seth Godin's blog, heheh. I'll withhold judgement until I read the book myself. Those are all really damn smart people that I've learned much from.Read more comments by Solomon Kleinsmith
19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day
Excellent. Unbelievable share from Chris Brogan. Supportive of the current "Free" debate going on with Seth Godin, Malcom Gladwell et al., Brogan focuses on the fact that these best practices can be made known for free, but the cost of doing [...] Read more comments by Erik Ford
Introduce Yourself To The Hypebot Community
[...] helps me feel better about it. Now that I've identified the problem I can focus on a specific solution. That and Seth Godin's post yesterday helped provide a little boost: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/07/the-riskreward-confusion.htmlRead more comments by Brian
Are You Shortcutting Your Community?
[...] ;ve begun to trim my followers and focus more on strategically adding those who will add value. No longer am I following the Seth Godin's of the world simply because they "thought leaders." Cetain thought leaders add value for me, like [...] Read more comments by Kasey Skala
Gladwell & Nielsen: The Fixed Costs of Fixed Ideas
Mark Cuban weighs in on Gadwell v. Anderson here, and Seth Godin gives his opinion here.Read more comments by David Crotty
Re-Brand. Come svegliare i brand che dormono
Grazie. Anche Seth Godin e Beau Toskich hanno qualcosa da raccontare se il tema ti è caro. Check them out! Read more comments by consules
EP12 – Tribes
Nice short post Adii, very in tune with the style of Seth Godin : ) Just read Purple Cow. Can't wait to pick up Tribes next.Read more comments by Brian
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Blurb this page 

hardgainer-project-x wrote...

Wow Seth...the man, the myth and the legend.

I have read all of your books and continue to devour your blog posts each day.
The amount of "dips" I have been in my life and just from the fact that I read that book has powered me on to keep on keeping on.

Well done on 3000 blog posts

ReplyPosted June 04, 2009

AKdude wrote...

Thank you, Seth for giving us Squidoo and much more! Have read a couple of your books and looking for the rest. Excellent ideas!

Shane

ReplyPosted June 01, 2009

Crystal_Booth wrote...

Hello Seth,

First let me say I am a huge fan and I want to sincerely say thank you for creating Squidoo. It has been a wonderful platform for me and allowed to to create an income from my writing. Squidoo is the best and I am grateful for all you have done with this great site.

I also wanted to tell you that I have created a Twitter List about you - showcasing tweets from Twitter users about you. I thought you might want a chance to "tweet" your own horn, so to speak, so feel free to stop by and post a note at http://www.squidoo.com/aboutsethgoddinontwitter

If you ever become active on Twitter, please let me know. I would like to add an option for my visitors to follow you on Twitter.

Thanks again for all your hard work!
~ Crystal

ReplyPosted May 29, 2009

Lensmaster

sh1vas

OMG, is this guy for real? makes sense in every word he types..very thought provoking..rock on !

ReplyPosted May 11, 2009

Avare wrote...

Wow, Seth. Making one post per day? Or maybe two or more? Keep writing. you doing well!

ReplyPosted May 01, 2009

TheBaumGroup wrote...

Bookmarked...plan to present our lens http://www.squidoo.com/Your-Stress-Reactions with your lens http://www.squidoo.com/seth in mind. Bravo, well done!

ReplyPosted April 21, 2009

Dr_Rozno wrote...

Very impressive 3000 posts! I read couple of your books, but until today did not know that Squidoo is your genius baby. Great site - love it.

ReplyPosted April 15, 2009

DavidHicks wrote...

Been enjoying the e-letters. It even motivated me to buy the "Tribes" audio book... so it works!

ReplyPosted February 27, 2009

Peter.Murray wrote...

Seth, congratulations on 3000 blog posts. Keep showing up!

ReplyPosted February 24, 2009