How to learn from companies outside your industry

     Too often, companies look to learn from industry case studies. However, many great examples of success exist outside your line of business.

Marketing lessons from the grateful dead

     In 2010, Brian Halligan, HubSpot’s CEO and co-founder, and David Meerman Scott published their book Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead. Their goal was to showcase the many marketing lessons stemming from the creative minds of these unique musicians.

     This reinforces the notion that no matter what industry you represent, you can learn from totally different business models.

Don’t limit yourself

     So many businesses, David points out, copy the competition or learn from companies only in their own industry. If you are a B2B technology company, for instance, you start obsessing over what other B2B technology companies are doing.

     Stop intentionally limiting yourself in this way! You can learn so much by looking at what an independent consultant or a non-profit, or a rock band, or a church is doing to market its services or products.

Learn from the companies you love

     Ultimately, the practices you want to adopt are the ones you admire. “Think about the companies that you love to do business with,” David says. Their market or category of products don’t matter all that much. What can you learn from them and how do you apply it to your own business situation? That is the focus you need to develop.

     Source: The ultimate how to marketing guide (HubSpot and David Meerman Scott) e-book