Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing Book Review

 One of the most recent additions to the Guerrilla Marketing series of books is the "Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing: A Simple Battle Plan for First-Time Marketers" by Jay and Jeannie Levinson.

That's right.

For the first time Jay Levinson has collaborated with his wife Jeannie to write a practical, how to guide to Guerrilla Marketing.

I loved the latest edition of "Guerrilla Marketing" by Jay Conrad Levinson and whilst I like the idea of the more focused Guerrilla books (e.g. Guerrilla Publicity, Guerrilla Negotiating) I was sceptical about whether the world needed another general Guerrilla Marketing book.

I thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad that I did.

While much of the scope is also covered by the main "Guerrilla Marketing" book and you do have to ask whether you need both, the "Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing" has certain advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of the Startup Guide

The "Guerrilla Marketing" book is dense. Small type, long paragraphs and few breaks, headings or contrasts. While the content is excellent, I do know that some people have struggled to read it.

The "Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing" has a much clearer presentation which makes it easier to look at and read.

The "Startup Guide" also has a more action bias in that there are exercises and forms for you to fill in to help you to apply the Guerrilla Marketing ideas to your business. I don't know if they were published elsewhere earlier but I first came into contact with these assessments in the Guerrilla Marketing Jumpstart Toolkit Program.

Disadvantages of the Startup Guide

Guerrilla Marketers know that action is what matters and the book is not as biased towards action to anything like the same extent as the Guerrilla Marketing Jumpstart Toolkit Program although the cost is much less.

I f you are serious about implementing Guerrilla Marketing and you have the money, you work with a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach.

If you feel able to implement the Guerrilla Marketing ideas on your own then I'd recommend that you buy the main Guerrilla Marketing book and the Jumpstart program to give you a structure to work around.

If you can't afford the Jumpstart program, buy the "Startup Guide" in preference to the "Guerrilla Marketing" book. There is too much overlaps for someone to own both unless they are truly committed to Guerrilla Marketing.

Unfortunately what you don't get in the "Startup Guide" is any detail behind the 200 Guerrilla Marketing Weapons - just the list. My solution would be to join the Guerrilla Marketing Association which is a membership site with a thirty day free trial and included in the archives are six hours of recorded teleseminars of Jay Levinson telling you about the weapons. The GMA is also packed with other great information.

The Contents of the Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing

So if you don't get the details about the Guerrilla Marketing weapons what do you get?

The book has the following chapters

1. Where to start
    
   
2. The personality of a Guerrilla Marketer
    
   
3. Guerrilla Marketing yourself
    
   
4. The high powered weapons in your office
    
   
5. Marketing fact to face
    
   
6. The top ten attributes of a Guerrilla Marketer
    
   
7. The top ten attitudes of a Guerrilla Marketer
    
   
8. Guerrilla marketing defined
    
   
9. The research you must do
    
   
10. Writing a benefits list
     
    
11. Developing a meme
     
    
12. Selecting your Guerrilla Marketing weapons
     
    
13. Creating a seven sentence Guerrilla Marketing plan
     
    
14. Planning a Guerrilla Marketer calendar
     
    
15. Establishing a web site
     
    
16. Fusion marketing
     
    
17. Launching your attack
     
    
18. Maintaining your campaign
     
    
19. Keeping track
     
    
20. Improving your marketing
     
    
21. Putting it all together
     
    
22. Succeeding with a Guerrilla Marketing Attack
    

As you can see, all the main Guerrilla Marketing techniques are covered.

The chapters and topics are in a different order than I am used to but I don't see that as a problem. The Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing is put together in a logical order and is well written and easy to read. The presentation is an improvement and the book is easy on the eye.

I would have liked to see examples included in the book for the seven sentence Guerrilla Marketing plan. This is such an important tool that is uniquely focused, flexible and adaptable. Unfortunately that very flexibility can create some confusion and some of my Guerrilla Marketing coaching clients struggle to "get it" at the first attempt.

The reason given is that the prepared plans may create bias and stifle your creativity but I believe the opposite.  In my view it would  help people to understand the logic and how the sentences can link together rather than be unconnected or duplicate.

Conclusion on the Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing

 A 4.5 star rating is a strong buy rating for the "Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing" by Jay and Jeannie Levinson.

It is a very, very good book but as a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach, you already know that I buy into the Guerrilla Marketing ideas for high impact, low and no cost marketing techniques and systems.

While repetition helps the memory, it does duplicate a high proportion of material with other Guerrilla Marketing books and programs but it represents an excellent introduction to the leading brand of marketing advice.

If you already have knowledge of Guerrilla Marketing and you want to apply it, I recommend the Jumpstart Program. If you are knew to Guerrilla Marketing and not used to reading business books, then the "Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing" is an excellent place to start.

You can buy the book from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

What Do You Think About The Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing?

I have nominated the Startup Guide To Guerrilla Marketing as one of the best marketing books but do you agree?