Custom

Solutions
Enhance your
customer experience

Differentiate
your brand

Reach a global
audience
 Custom
Solutions
Content Designed to Engage,
Inspire, and Drive Sales
Custom Solutions For Dummies®
Published by
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written
permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is
not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

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book for your business or organization, please contact our Business Development Department in the
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BrandedRights&Licenses@wiley.com.
ISBN 978-1-119-11935-7
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Go to www.wiley.com/go/eula to access Wiley’s ebook EULA.
Introduction

W
elcome to the world of custom solutions, Dummies
style! Here you’ll find out about the global success of the
Dummies phenomenon and how partnering with us can
help promote your company, service, or product.

About This Book

Perhaps you’ve picked up this book because you’re

» Interested in new ways to get your company’s message


out there.

»
 Unsure what benefits you’ll get above and beyond your
traditional marketing methods.

» Hoping to partner your company with a premium brand

without breaking the bank.

» Looking for key information in an easy-to-understand for-

mat because you’ve got other things to do — like market-
ing and running a company!

Deciding how to spend your marketing budget is a big responsi-

bility — and this book can help you determine whether working
with the Dummies brand is the right choice for you. Sound good?
Read on!

How to Use This Book

Custom Solutions For Dummies has four concise yet informa-
tion-packed parts:

» Part 1: Marketing Strategies That Really Work:

Explains the importance of developing effective lead genera-
tion, content marketing, and branding strategies.

» Part 2: Made-to-Order Design and Development:

Explore your content and format options when partnering
with the Dummies brand.
 » Part 3: Strategic Advantage of Using Dummies
Custom Solutions: Examples of how your business will
benefit from partnering with Dummies Custom Solutions and
actual testimonials from past clients.

» Part 4: Ten (Or So) Benefits of Partnering with

Dummies Custom Solutions: Just like our retail books, we
close with a Part of Tens. This part gives a few quick
reasons why you’ll benefit from a partnership with the
Dummies brand.

Dip in and out of this book at will. Go directly to any section that
interests you or read the whole book from start to finish. Go on, it’s
not War and Peace! And to find really helpful info quickly, look for the
handy icons that embody the Dummies experience:

This icon targets hints and shortcuts to making the most of your
custom solutions with Dummies.

Take into account these important points when considering

your own Dummies Custom Solutions projects.

Where to Go from Here

Ready to engage and empower your customers, stand apart from your
competition, and boost your business?

» Call us at 877-409-4177

» Email us at infodummiesbiz@wiley.com

» Learn more at dummies.com/custom-solutions

4 Custom Solutions
Part 1
Marketing
Strategies
That Really Work

D
ummies Custom Solutions knows which marketing
strategies will really work to help grow, differentiate, or oth-
erwise benefit your brand.

When even some of the most basic marketing tactics aren’t addressed
correctly, it can cost your business greatly. Here are just a few exam-
ples of the tips and tricks Dummies Custom Solutions uses to craft
the most effective marketing solutions.

Lead Generation
Don’t just generate more leads, generate better leads.

Lead generation is at the very core of marketing because it is the

process of engaging customers and capturing their interest. In
today’s marketing landscape, you want to reach customers through
social media, search engines, your website, events, and other forms
of marketing.

5
 Marketers must be creative when it comes to generating leads, and
the Dummies Custom Solutions team has experience developing
practical lead generation strategies. Let us help you develop
memorable materials that your customers want — and will join
your mailing list to receive. Choose a custom solution and keep your
customers coming back throughout their buyers’ journeys, depicted
in Figure 1-1.

AWARENESS EVALUATION PURCHASE

The prospect is The prospect has The prospect has

experiencing an issue determined her issue narrowed down her
and is looking to better and is evaluating options and is deciding
understand her possible solutions. which solution best fits
problem. her needs.

FIGURE 1-1: The buyer’s journey.

Content Marketing
Don’t just attempt to catch attention; engage your consumers with
valuable content they want to see.

Developing engaging, relevant marketing content is more import-

ant than ever before for several reasons. First, today’s consumers
are actively trying to avoid advertisements that don’t apply to them.
Interrupting consumers won’t get the job done anymore; you need
to engage them. Second, consumers today are hyperconnected, easily
distracted, and always searching for new information. If you can pro-
vide them with relevant content that stands out from your competi-
tors, they will want to see it and will seek it out themselves.

When developing content, be consistent and persistent but show

restraint. Dummies Custom Solutions knows how to craft the con-
tent your customers will be searching for. The right custom content
(see Figure 1-2) provides value to your customer and builds a positive
image for your brand.

6 Custom Solutions
 AWARENESS EVALUATION PURCHASE

The prospect is The prospect has The prospect has

experiencing an issue determined her issue narrowed down her
and is looking to better and is evaluating options and is deciding
understand her possible solutions. which solution best fits
problem. her needs.

Asset Types Asset Types Asset Types

White Paper Product Webinar Free Trial
ebook Kit Case Study Live Demo
Tip Sheet Sample Consultation
Checklist FAQ Estimate
How-To Video Data Sheet Coupon
Educational Webinar Demo Video Discount

FIGURE 1-2: Content types align to the buyer’s journey.

Branding
Branding is one of the most strategic tactics in marketing. Developing
a strong brand involves building trust with your customers and pro-
viding them with consistent value.

Building a respected brand takes time and consistency. The Dummies

brand has excelled at positioning itself as a leading brand by con-
sistently providing meaningful value and trusted information to its
customers — making it the most highly recognized reference series
in the world. Check out Table 1-1 for some Dummies brand stats.

PART 1 Marketing Strategies That Really Work 7

TABLE 1-1: Dummies Brand Stats

How many Of what

250 million Books in print
20 million Custom books covering 1,800 topics
5 million Custom ebooks downloaded
23 million per month dummies.com page views
12 per minute Books sold worldwide

There is power in aligning yourself with a well-known, well-liked,

and well-respected brand. Partnering with Dummies gives your busi-
ness instant name recognition and also aligns your brand with the
esteemed Dummies brand that people will recognize instantly.

8 Custom Solutions
Part 2
Made-to-Order
Design and
Development

T
he Dummies brand is the most popular reference series in the
world and is known for making complex topics easier to under-
stand and more accessible. Dummies Custom Solutions uses
that ease of learning to create unique business solutions just for you.
A custom solution created with the Dummies brand educates cus-
tomers, employees, and partners to create positive outcomes for your
business.

Developing your business and meeting your goals is simplified with

Dummies Custom Solutions. We work closely with you to design a
solution that helps you grow your business, reach a new audience,
train and motivate your employees, or simplify any business objective
in between.

We will carefully construct your unique custom solution using:

» Your content

» Existing Dummies content

» Custom content written just for you

» A combination of the three

9
Custom Content
 eveloping interesting and compelling content has become more
D
important than ever before. Whether you need to make your employee
handbook more engaging or want to provide your customers with a
how-to guide, there is a Dummies Custom Solutions product for you.

Custom content created with Dummies Custom Solutions is tailored

to speak directly to your target audience while still using your brand’s
unique voice. Solutions can include:

» Print and digital books

» Infographics
» Checklists and cheat sheets
» Videos
» Localized products
» Translation services
» Interactive digital content

Creating custom content with Dummies Custom Solutions is easy and

flexible with the option to have completely new content crafted or use
previously established content written by Dummies experts.

Figure 2-1 shows a set of custom products created for Cisco by the
Dummies Custom Solutions team.

You may also choose to combine original content with established

content if that’s what it takes to create a custom solution that will
be easy to understand and engage your audience. On top of all that,
Dummies is a global brand with the ability to reach audiences all
around the world. We can help you reach new markets by translating
content into any language. Refer to the nearby sidebar for one exam-
ple of how a custom ebook helped expand the reach of Glassdoor.

10 Custom Solutions
FIGURE 2-1: Three examples of Dummies branded custom content created for Cisco
and focused on IT security. Clockwise from the top — an ebook, an infographic, and
a video.

A GLASSDOOR SUCCESS STORY

“The Employer Branding For Dummies ebook, available on our website,

has helped us stand out as subject-matter experts, not only among
current Glassdoor users, but also within the marketing and HR spaces
as a whole. Of all the vendors I’ve worked with, Wiley has been one of
the best, a true partner to help every step of the way.”

- Alicia Garibaldi, Product Marketing Manager, Glassdoor

Click here to read more about Glassdoor’s success story.

PART 2 Made-to-Order Design and Development  11

 Digital Products
Digital products offer a whole new way
for you to communicate with your audi-
ence, and reaching your customers through
multiple channels can increase the impact
of your message. Digital product solutions
might include multimedia content, audio
messages, videos, ebooks, infograph-
ics, newsletters, white papers, or mobile
applications.

All custom digital solutions are developed

specifically for your goals, and you have
the option to license established and effec-
tive Dummies digital content to use on your
website or portal.

Consumers are exposed to more digital

content than ever before, so it’s difficult
to stand out in the crowd. Dummies digital
and editorial experts can craft an engag-
ing, relevant message for your audience.
All digital solutions are created to be fast,
flexible, and SEO-friendly and are designed
specifically according to your goals.

12 Custom Solutions
Advertising & Sponsorships
You can enlist the power and recognition of the Dummies brand
to support your business through advertising or sponsorships.
Dummies.com receives more than 35 million page views per month
from people seeking information about nearly any topic. Millions turn
to the Dummies brand for new information, and your business can
have access to our extensive customer base through advertising and
sponsorship opportunities.

Dummies Custom Solutions can help you target a specific audience

or demographic with ads tailored to speak directly to that audience.
Have you ever been interested in sponsoring an exciting sweep-
stakes? A custom solution can be created for that too! Regardless of
your advertising or sponsorship needs, aligning your business with
the Dummies brand helps you reach new customers and grow your
business.

Advertising and sponsorship custom solutions could involve tar-

geted ad placements on dummies.com and exclusive category spon-
sorships. Or your needs might involve developing email marketing,
videos, microsites, sweepstakes sponsorships, Dummies books and
ebooks, or a different custom designed solution. Regardless of your
need, we have a solution.

If your needs involve brand licensing, we’ve also developed a

collection of Dummies-branded products across industries as diverse
as the subjects we cover.

PART 2 Made-to-Order Design and Development  13

Part 3
Strategic
Advantage of Using
Dummies Custom
Solutions

W
hatever your business objectives are, Dummies Custom
Solutions can help you develop your business further and
meet your goals. With more than 250 million books in print,
covering 1,800+ topics, Dummies is the most widely recognized and
highly regarded reference series in the world.

When you enlist the help of Dummies Custom Solutions, you gain
fundamental strategic advantages that offer your business a greater
impact. You get reliable results, association with the proven value of
the Dummies brand, and a consistent positive impact from your cus-
tom solution.

14
High-Impact Results
Dummies Custom Solutions helps some of the most notable brands
in the world meet their objectives. Custom solutions can drive your
business and help you meet nearly any goal. Develop a custom solution
to enhance your customer experience in regard to your product or
service. It can differentiate your brand or kick-start a product launch.
Or you can even work with our team to develop easy to understand
user documentation to reduce help-desk inquiries.

A custom solution might involve creating an informative, engaging

leave-behind document for your sales staff or a product to help train
and motivate your organization. Or, if you have bigger fish to fry, a
custom solution can help you reach a global audience, too.

Regardless of your goals, Dummies Custom Solutions delivers high-

impact results with every project.

Dummies Proven Brand Value

Started in 1991, Dummies has become the most widely recognized
and most highly regarded branded reference series in the world.
Being associated with such a powerful brand alone can provide sig-
nificant value to your business.

Consistent Positive Impact

Dummies Custom Solutions has been working with businesses to
solve routine and complex business problems for over 20 years.
Custom solutions are so effective and have such a consistent positive
impact that over two thirds of customers return for additional cus-
tom solution services. And countless clients have seen measurable
and impactful results when using Dummies Custom Solutions. Figure
3-1 offers testimonials to the effectiveness of using Dummies Custom
Solutions.

PART 3 Strategic Advantage of Using Dummies Custom Solutions 15

 Chris Osborne, Retail Marketing Manager at Intel,
describes working with Dummies Custom Solutions on
BYOD for Education For Dummies.

“The professionalism of the Wiley team was exemplary, as was

the author of the title himself. The speed and ease in which the book
came to life was incredible. It’s hard to imagine a book being
created in just six weeks — but it was!”

Richard Mackender, Indirect

Tax Partner at Deloitte Singapore, is
satisfied with the global recognition of the
Vanessa Gardner, Managing
Dummies brand.
Director at Footprint
Communications, described “We have had very positive comments. Most people
why they chose to partner with recognize the Dummies brand and are impressed
Dummies Custom Solutions. with the design and content. We chose to proceed
with the project because of the Dummies brand and
“We were aware of other large
because we realized that this was a new and
corporates targeting the office
interesting way to market our team and the
environment with ‘green’
Deloitte firm.”
messages, and we needed an
angle that would set our campaign
apart...A tie-up with the Dummies
brand was the obvious choice to
deliver this.”

FIGURE 3-1: Testimonials from Intel, Deloitte, and Avery.

16 Custom Solutions
Part 4
Ten (Or So) Benefits
of Partnering with
Dummies Custom
Solutions
If you partner with the Dummies Custom Solutions team, you can

» Create cost-effective, sock-it-to-’em marketing materials.

» Take advantage of association with the bestselling

Dummies brand.

» Distinguish your company from the competition.

» Add value to your products or services.

» Attract and engage new customers.

» Meet customer needs with tailor-made content.

» Use content from the Dummies line, the most highly

recognized reference series in the world.

» Join the crème de la crème of businesses that already

partner with Dummies.

17
We Make Your Job Easier
From ebooks and infographics to videos and sponsorships, dummies B2B
makes it easier for you to connect with your customers. We help you build
assets that engage, inspire, and drive sales so that you can spend less time
managing content creation and more time focused on your customers.

See how dummies B2B can help you.

Visit dummies.com/custom-solutions today!