BUSINESS 2 BUSINESS

Viral Marketing the Ideavirus

Seth Godin, the marketing consultant who coined the terms permission marketing and ideavirus, provides a
powerful example of the tools he teaches by the way he markets himself. Godin is a best-selling author, but
he gives the contents of his books away for free. Sure, his Web page is hot-linked to Amazon.com, where
you can order a hardbound book, but the text is also online in toto and summary form. Visitors can scroll
through the text, download sections, or even e-mail in to their friends. His books are loaded with fresh ideas
and insightful observations of today’s marketplace. By saturating the broad and knowledge hungry
community of Web marketers with the idea that the knows what’s what, he receives speaking
engagements, invitation to join boards of directors, and numerous opportunities to consult. These latter
activities provide far more profit than the foregone book royalties.

Lear more about Unleashing the Ideavirus at www.bookreporter.com/ideavirus/index.htm

Answer the following questions (2 pts. each = 10 pts.)

1. What does Seth Godin do?

2. Where can you order a hardbound book?

3. What can visitors do in his page?

4. What does he receive?

5. Where can you learn more about “unleashing the ideavirus”?