The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing has been holding a top-ranking sales spot in Amazon’s Direct Marketing genre, signaling a shift in ways to reach consumers that is increasingly moving online.
Santa Barbara, CA, September 27, 2011 — The newly published online marketing book The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing has skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s direct marketing category. Hovering between the number one and number two spot on the charts, the book by web marketing expert Lorrie Thomas is a sign of a shift in the definition of “direct marketing”.
Traditionally direct marketing is described as marketing messages addressed directly to customers in the form of catalog distribution, fliers, outdoor advertising. Now, in more recent times, email, mobile messaging and consumer websites have become a part of the marketing approach mix, making marketing professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs and students flock towards online marketing books like The 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing. Thomas’ book focuses on a different approach to marketing, one in which online marketing supports the making, building and developing of relationships. The science of web tools are taught, but with a “It is not the tools, but how we use the tools strategically that makes marketing matter” approach to make meaningful direct marketing relationships for customer acquisition and retention.
The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing is a comprehensive guide to learning the ropes of communicating on the social web through a range of online tools to help build credibility, visibility and sellability. The book helps to teach readers how they can harness online marketing through blogs, social media and online newsletters by creating interesting and relevant content that brings customers in to participate with an organizations online presence.
The online marketing process described in Thomas’ book differs from the traditional idea of direct marketing in that customers and potential customers choose to approach and participate in the marketing collateral because it has something to offer its participants; information or education that is relevant to their needs and desires.
“The fact that my book is a top selling direct marketing book is a sign in the shift of direct marketing as we know it”- says Lorrie Thomas. “Direct marketing has always been centered on the idea of a specific call to action such as “buy now!” However, online marketing is about providing relevant and interesting content to readers first to increase credibility so they want to come to you for your service or product, not because they are being told to do so. Marketing today is about establishing a relationship with your market. I liken it to ‘dating first before you get married’, which is not totally in line with the older-school direct marketing approach.”
The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing chart topping status can be attributed to Lorrie Thomas’ easy to understand and concise writing style that channels her decade-plus years of working knowledge in the industry in addition to her vast educational background. Thomas is a Professor at UC Berkeley, and former professor at Santa Barbara City College and UCSB Extension, and is a national speaker on the subject of online marketing. This huge amount of experience in the world of online marketing translates to a book that is getting consistent five star reviews on Amazon:
“Online Marketing” tells it like it is, in understandable, everyday language, and covers everything an entrepreneur or small business owner needs to know. I’m glad the book contains a section on web sites and another on blogging. But it is especially the clarity of Chapters 6 and 10, on Social Media Marketing and E-Mail Marketing, respectively that will benefit my clients and prospects. And, I reckon, many others around the country.”
– Lya Sorano, Atlanta Georgia (5 stars – Amazon Review)
“Lorrie Thomas has dramatically reduced the learning curve with this book. The average person interested in web marketing or in charge of a web marketing campaign would benefit from her work. I personally had limited understanding of all the moving pieces of a successful web marketing campaign. This book starts with the basics and allows the reader to become fluent enough in the web marketing world to venture out by themselves or understand the “lingo” while talking with a seasoned professional.”
-J.M.E. (5 stars – Amazon Review)
Readers interested in online marketing are encouraged to read The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing by Lorrie Thomas, M.A. The book is available locally at Chaucer’s Bookstore in Santa Barbara as well as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and McGraw-Hill Publishing.
About Lorrie Thomas:
Lorrie Thomas, M.A., The Marketing Therapist ®, is a marketing strategist, educator, writer, web marketing expert, and speaker. She is the CEO of Web Marketing Therapy, a boutique web marketing agency and training company that diagnoses, prescribes, and guides healthy marketing solutions. She teaches custom workshops for corporations as well as through UC Berkeley Extension.
For more information, please visit: http://www.webmarketingtherapy.com
To buy the book visit www.tinyurl.com/onlinemarketingbook
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Contact:
Jennie Jacobs
Web Marketing Therapy
Santa Barbara, CA
805-252-3314
[email protected]
