Market Yourself: A Marketing System for Smart and Creative Business Owners Paperback – Illustrated, May 9, 2012

I have been missing the mark in Marketing my handmade business. Tara has this gift for taking daunting tasks and topics for the small business owner and breaking them up in ways that make it less scary. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants more from their business and is perhaps connecting the dots on how to connect with your "right people." Tara is a wealth of information has a passion for helping handcrafters. You should also check out her website: [...]

Great book! I am an artist and this helped me clarify my message. I love her podcast!

Too short for the price paid.Has some doodles trying to be diagrams, they are handwritten and might be charming to have something handwritten but they are harder to comprehend.I like the idea of the worksheet part, because I think is true that we are the ones that need to answer the questions regarding out small businesses.But I don't like her style of writing. She often refers to your product or service as "your thing", "the thing you sell". Although is not incorrect, sounds so unprofessional.Example: On page 22 reads: "To do that, you are going to have to be clear on what is different and wonderful about your thing".On page 26 reads: "Maybe they're not buying your thing yet..."I don't know why this bothers me so much, but I guess I was expecting more professionalism on a marketing book.

Tara Swiger books are amazing she really helps set goals and achieve them.

Well written - very helpful - love the worksheets - be sure to tune into her podcasts too

Thorough and well written manual.

Networking is not easy. For many of us, hearing the words "you just have to market yourself", make us sprint for the shower and soap. We feel like are screaming "look at all I do" and that makes us feel dirty and icky. In this approachable book, Tara Swiger has developed an amazing resource that will help you learn how to market your small business in a comfortable way.With over 34 worksheets and other helpful tips (such as hints for writing your bio) she helps you to refine your message and use the right tools (both online and off) to bring it to your Right People.While she has written this guide with an eye to those with crafts businesses- I believe strongly that it is for anyone who needs to figure out how to get the message of who they are and what they offer out and in front of their Right People. I believe this so strongly that I started recommending it to my small business clients before I completed the second chapter ("Your Message")!Swiger writes in an approachable tone and you could see yourself chatting over coffee to find your sweet spot -- the language of your message and how to get it to your people. She does it with some math anyone can do, which appeals to my geeky heart:To get you to that sweet spot, we've got to measure equal parts your awesomeness with equal parts Your People. (page 18)Tara gets it and what's even better is that she shares what she's learned about marketing in a way that isn't overwhelming.

If, like me, you're new to the handmade world, and don't know how to get your beautiful thing to people who'll buy it, you've got to read this book.Actually, not just read it - write in it. Tara includes worksheets which lead you to your perfect people; the people who want your doodah but just don't know it's out there, waiting for them.I'm only up to Chapter 3, and already I'm way more clear on why people should love (and buy) my thing, and, more importantly, who those people are. This has taken me just two days, after three months of flailing around on my own.Tara then takes you step-by-step through the whole marketing journey, turning it into a wonderful exploration of true relationship building with, as she calls them, your Right People.If you love making things, and want to sell those things to people who will love them (and you), grab a copy now. You won't regret it.

If you are a small business ideally homemade or handcrafted type you have got to but this book!!Tara also has a podcast with lots of info really valuable.I am just starting to go through the book.It has lots of exercises for you to figure out who you are and what people to sell to,rather than trying to be "everything for everybody".