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I listen to audiobooks when I run or walk. Below are some of the best audiobooks you should have in your library as a marketer.
Be mindful, though, as some of them are long in duration.
If you are a book-reading type, check out our article on marketing books.
Which are the most popular Audible audiobooks about Marketing?
The books on this list are included in Audible and are cherry-picked. They are well-regarded, and you will enjoy them.
So, let us start!
Best Marketing Audiobooks for Beginners
Starting out in marketing? These three give you the foundation without assuming you already know the jargon.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries is the quickest entry point. It is short, direct, and covers principles that still apply decades later. Listen to it on a single commute and you will have a framework for thinking about positioning, branding, and competition.
Contagious by Jonah Berger explains why some ideas spread and others don’t. It is research-backed but reads (and listens) like a conversation. Good for anyone who needs to understand word-of-mouth and social sharing.
Permission Marketing by Seth Godin is older, but the core idea is more relevant now than when he wrote it. Build trust before you sell. Every email marketer, content creator, and social media manager should hear this early in their career.
Once you have these three down, move on to Cialdini’s Influence and Crossing the Chasm for deeper strategy.
Marketing Audiobooks vs. Reading: Which Works Better?
I get asked this a lot. Can you actually learn marketing from audiobooks, or do you need to read the physical book?
For concept-heavy marketing books (strategy, psychology, persuasion), audiobooks work just as well as reading. Books like Influence and Predictably Irrational are built around stories and frameworks that stick in your memory whether you read them or hear them.
Audiobooks have one advantage that print does not: you can listen during dead time. Commuting, running, doing dishes. That is where I listen to most of mine. A 6-hour marketing audiobook consumed over a week of commutes is a marketing education you would never have found time for otherwise.
The one exception: books with lots of charts, diagrams, or step-by-step frameworks. Those are better in print where you can flip back and reference them. None of the books on this list fall into that category, which is why they all work as audiobooks.
Marketing Audiobooks by Category
Not sure which book to pick? Here is how they break down by topic.
Strategy and Positioning: Crossing the Chasm, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Permission Marketing
Consumer Psychology: Influence, Predictably Irrational, Contagious, Hooked
Power and Persuasion: 48 Laws of Power, How to Win Friends and Influence People
Advertising and Copywriting: Scientific Advertising
Business Building: Behind the Cloud, Shoe Dog
If you can only pick one from each category, go with Crossing the Chasm (strategy), Influence (psychology), and Shoe Dog (inspiration).
48 Laws of Power
Influential powers have not shifted in many years. Check out Robert Greene’s classic, The 48 Laws of Power, in audiobook form. This audiobook digs into the principles that govern power dynamics in relationships, business, and society, drawing on the theories of strategists such as Sun Tzu and Machiavelli.
Crossing the Chasm
The audiobook edition of Geoffrey A Moore’s Crossing the Chasm is a well-regarded marketing audiobook jam-packed with real-world examples of industry successes and failures, as well as significant ideas that can be applied to current company difficulties. With its focus on product creation, innovation, and staying ahead of the competition, this audiobook is a must-listen for anybody wishing to increase their marketing expertise and productivity.
Predictably Irrational, The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely is awesome! The audiobook edition of Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational outlines a range of irrational tendencies and psychological traps that we all fall subject to and provides practical ideas for making more informed decisions.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk! by Al Ries
This book is featured as a classic in many “must-read” lists, and it fits for beginners and managers. In this audiobook version, you will learn the laws of marketing that can help you succeed. You will find the basic concepts of marketing that are timeless and tested and then try to use them to your business’s advantage.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Contagious is the result of years of his research. His book reveals the secret science behind why products, campaigns, and center ideas go viral.
The audiobook contains actionable techniques you can use to improve your marketing. It provides valuable insights into human psychology that trigger engagement. I also understood my behavior online.
Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion
Cialdini’s audiobook will guide you to the core human psychology, negotiations, and what makes us say yes that is beyond marketing. Having this in mind for your campaigns can make you a skilled persuader and help you in all walks of life.
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers by Seth Godin
To be on this page, you definitively know Seth Godin. Permission Marketing is another one of Godin’s classics. You will find 20+ case studies on permission marketing. It also helps build trust with others, not spamming them and respecting their time and space.
Godin explains the strategies of permission marketing, as well as the advantages and difficulties.
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie’s book is another marketing audiobook classic that is highly regarded. You can learn the best ways to influence people, win friends, and turn them into your supporters. It is a complete audiobook that can teach you about six ways to turn people like you, nine ways to change people without arousing resentment, 12 means to win others to your way of thinking, and more.
Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins
This is one of the best marketing books available on the market. Claude Hopkins is an advertising genius, and this is a great classic. You will study the foundation for direct-mail advertising, which, while being created many years ago, will help you improve your advertising skills.
Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company and Revolutionized an Industry by Marc Benioff
You’ll get a great overview of Salesforce’s origins and how Benioff made his key decisions when you listen to this audiobook. Not only that, but you’ll also discover some fantastic ideas for executing innovative marketing. You’ll also learn how to use technology and commercial and charitable strategies to effect positive change in the world. Overall, the writing is excellent. Just a heads up: you should probably take mental notes and then return to it because there’s a lot of useful information here!
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
If you want to understand how to create habit-forming products and enhance user engagement, the Hooked audiobook is a must-listen.
It gives a foundation for more scientific thinking about creating your service with habits in mind. This book has much to offer whether you’re a product manager or entrepreneur or just want to understand better how to design things that people will enjoy.
It’s jam-packed with useful ideas and practical suggestions that you can use right away.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
If you’re an entrepreneur or marketer looking for inspiration and practical advice, the Shoe Dog audiobook is a great listen.
Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, recalls his experiences beginning and expanding a corporation in this memoir. You’ll learn about the obstacles he faced and the lessons he learned along the road, and you’ll walk away with takeaways you can use in your career.
You will listen about the constant battle, stress, and challenges of building a business. Knight also describes how important creative individuals are, along with the awesome management of an organization.
What’s Next
Want the print versions? Our best marketing books list covers a wider selection, including titles that work better on paper.
For more reading list inspiration, check out Seth Godin’s favorite books. Several overlap with this list, and Godin’s commentary on why each one matters is worth reading.
If strategy and negotiation interest you more than marketing specifically, our best strategy and negotiation books collection has some strong picks.
FAQs
What’s Next
About These Recommendations
I’m George. I read to my kids for 10+ years before they started reading on their own. My wife’s a therapist who helped pick books that actually matter for development. Everything on this site got tested on our family first.
FAQ
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries is the best starting point. It is short, direct, and covers timeless marketing principles without requiring prior knowledge. Contagious by Jonah Berger and Permission Marketing by Seth Godin are also excellent for newcomers.
Yes, especially for concept-driven marketing books about strategy, psychology, and persuasion. Audiobooks let you learn during commutes, exercise, and other downtime. The books on this list are all well-suited to audio format since they focus on frameworks and stories rather than charts or step-by-step processes.
Godin has recommended Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, and The Long Tail by Chris Anderson, among others. His own books Purple Cow, This Is Marketing, and The Dip are also considered essential marketing reading.
Quality matters more than quantity. Start with 3-4 foundational titles (Influence, Crossing the Chasm, Contagious, Permission Marketing), then branch into specific topics that match your role. Re-listening to great marketing books often teaches you more than consuming new ones.