They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan
Book review by Julie Meaden
If you know nothing about marketing a business on the web, They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan is a surprising easy read and presents you with practical and do-able suggestions. His personal story begins not as a marketing expert, but as the owner of a swimming pool company on the edge of bankruptcy during the 2008 financial crisis. On the verge of losing his business and home and with no budget for fancy ads or consultants, he stumbled onto a simple idea: what if he just answered every question his customers had, honestly and openly, on his website?
The core message of the book is refreshingly straightforward: people want answers before they buy anything, and if you’re the one who provides those answers—without avoiding or sugar coating—you’ll earn peoples’ trust and their business. Sheridan calls this approach “They Ask, You Answer.” Instead of hiding information or using sales tricks, you focus on teaching and transparency. Sheridan insists that no question is off limits, especially the ones companies usually avoid, like “How much does it cost?” or “What are the negatives?”
Strikingly, especially for someone unfamiliar with online marketing, is how much common sense is at the heart of his advice. He argues that by simply being honest and helpful, his company’s website went from obscurity to the top Google result for pool questions, tripling revenue and saving his business—all without spending money on ads. The book is filled with stories like this, not just from his pool company but from other businesses that saw real results by putting customers’ questions first.
He breaks down his method into what he calls the “Big 5” topics that customers care about most: Pricing and Costs, Problems, Versus and Comparisons, Reviews, and Best in Class. He shows how writing blog posts or making videos about these topics not only builds trust but also helps your business get found online.
For someone new to marketing, this book could help demystify the process. You don’t need technical skills or a big budget (or no budget at all) —just a willingness to listen to your customers and answer their questions thoroughly and honestly. It ‘ll get you thinking about working on a blueprint for turning your website/socials into a magnet for potential customers, simply by being the most helpful and transparent source in your field.
In short, They Ask You Answer is less about marketing tricks and more about building trust through honesty. It’s a practical, inspiring read for anyone who wants to grow their business by genuinely helping people.