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In the world of marketing, only the most dedicated remains at the top of the competition. Therefore, you must know the best techniques to make your business successful. There are many classic books on marketing that can stand the test of time.
There really is no better time to check out the best marketing books that you can read. But better still, marketing executives can chill out and enjoy this selection of marketing classics, while new marketeers can start from the basics.
Whether you’re on new to marketing, experienced or an entrepreneur looking to understand the function our guide to the best books for marketing has got your covered.
What are the Best Books for Marketing?
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.
It contains actionable techniques you can use to improve your marketing. It provides valuable insights into human psychology that trigger engagement. I also understood my own behavior online.
- If you are looking for a really actionable book then this is not the one. Some times it is a bit wordy and academic.
- It is useful to hone your creativity to do effective marketing. It was a comprehensive book that is worth it for your time, effort, and money. It will help you to make advertisements that are catchy and effective to attract your target audience. You can save your time and money when it comes to your advertising projects, and this book will guide you.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
If you want to learn about habit-forming products and increasing user engagement then Hooked is a must-read. It gives you the framework on starting to think more scientifically and build your service with habit-forming in mind.
- Its content is too broad sometimes. It might be helpful to Product Managers that want to learn more about the ins and outs for product design and UX. You will also find that it is too SaaS related (software as a service products).
- You will understand the principles of habit-forming digital products. It can also help you as an entrepreneur or product professional to build essential tactics to make the best of your product.
Ogilvy on Advertising
Ogilvy wrote the book in 1985 but its main ideas about emotion and narrative still apply. It covers media, print and direct marketing advertising along with career advice for getting a job in advertising. Ogilvy also shared his copywriting insights that you can apply to your marketing projects. That, along with the rest of the key ideas of the book can improve your marketing performance.
- The book as a marketing classic but it is outdated for the world we live in. Beware some of the print editions out there as it is not the original book and their quality may not be that good.
- The book comes with good content. It has a lot to offer to its readers when it comes to effective advertising. Although the book was written in the mid-80’s many of the ideas and stories in it are current.
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Dale Carnegie’s book is another marketing book classic and so highly regarded. You can learn the best ways to influence people, win friends and turn them into your supporters. It is a complete book that can teach you about 6 ways to turn people like you, 9 ways to change people without arousing resentment, 12 means to win others to your way of thinking, and more.
- It’s an old book, and sometimes the content is filled with anecdotes and stories. Also, you may find yourself not easy to relate to some examples of famous men in this book.
- If you want a book to teach you how to influence people (albeit a bit older) then Carnegie’s book can help you understand human behavior and speak to your audience in a way that will resonate with them across various platforms.
Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company-and Revolutionized an Industry
The book provides a good overview of Salesforce’s beginnings and how Benioff took his decisions. You can use strategies to do innovative marketing. This book will offer you ideas to use technology, business, and philanthropic models to create a unique and better change. In general, its writing is OK.
- It may come too self-centered and even the lessons seem to be too personal and not an easy to follow plan. If you are looking for a playbook look elsewhere.
- It is an inspiring and thought-provoking book. How much you will like it depends on what you want to get out of it. If you want an easy read about a very successful company then go for it. It can inspire people with different jobs to improve their productivity to create innovation towards success. You will also read the story of a successful company is and its climb to the top.
Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A Moore is among the best books on marketing that you can trust for your marketing needs! It comes with examples of successes and failures in the marketing world. It also helped improve my productivity. It also allows you to enhance your knowledge, which you can use to achieve success with your marketing business.
- It is a bit tedious to read. Also, take note to buy the latest Edition as the older one may sound too old or outdated to you.
- It comes with deep insights that you can use in today’s modern and digital generation. You may apply many of its concepts to the modern business challenges, i.e. such as timing, focus or allocation of resources. If you want to stay ahead in the competition in the business world, understand product development and innovation, this book can be your essential partner.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
This book will guide you to the core human psychology on what makes us say yes that is beyond marketing. Having this in mind for your campaigns can make you a skilled persuader and can help you in all walks of life.
- It is not an easy read as it contains a lot of information. Some people have also complained of poor paper quality. I got the Audible version and I was OK.
- The book has excellent content you can use for effective marketing, selling or negotiations.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk!
This book is featured as a classic in many “must-read” lists and it fits for beginners and managers. In this book, you will learn the laws of marketing that can help you to achieve success. You will find the basic concepts of marketing that are timeless and tested and then try to use them to your business’s advantage.
- Although the book was published in 1993 and it is considered a classic, you may find that it is outdated.
- In marketing, some core principles do not change. How you write your message, how you present your brand or service to your customers are pillars of your marketing strategy. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing will give you gold nuggets of information.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Dan Ariely is awesome! His book is an eye-opener. Ariely presents a wide range of irrational tendencies and psychological traps to which we fall prey. It is relatively easy to read (except some parts) and can motivate you to rethink stuff and make more informed decisions.
- The book is a little bit wishy-washy in some parts. For example, you have to get through much tedious and filler material to get to an interesting point.
- Predictably Irrational is divided into chapters each dealing with one irrational behavior. Dan proposes not to read the entire book, in a heartbeat. Instead, Ariely proposes to reflect on each chapter’s conclusion and temporarily pause.
- If you are looking for a motivation to improve your decision-making skills then you will love this book. It can also help you improve your life circumstances by making the right decisions.
Scientific Advertising
This is among the top marketing books you can avail in the market. This is a true classic and Claude Hopkins is an advertising genius. You will read the basis for direct-mail advertising and although written many years ago it can boost your advertising skills.
- Beware some of the print editions out there as it is not the original book. There are typo errors and the page margins in the print make it hard to read. If you are worried about those you may get the audiobook.
- You can level up your marketing strategies with this book. Hopkins shares the principles of psychology to make effective advertising. If you are tired of ineffective advertising campaigns, this book will change the game. Although it was written in the 1920’s it will make a difference in your understanding of advertising and will help you create a positive ad ROI.
The Boron Letters
Gary C. Halbert was a well-known writer of successful direct-mail sales letters and one of the world’s best copywriters. In 1984, Halbert served to Boron prison for tax fraud. While there Halbert wrote these letters (hence Boron Letters) to his son Bond. Reading these letters you will learn a lot about direct-mail marketing, business, and advice on navigating life’s difficulties.
- Its paper editions are a bit poor along with bad editing in some cases. Also, you may get more info on making a good impression or tips on life than copywriting itself.
- It is an awesome introduction to copywriting, marketing, and sales. They are also presented as the letters Halbert sent to his son and include advice to health, well-being, and life.
The 48 Laws of Power
Robert Greene wrote this classic marketing book that contains the laws of power which feature the philosophies of Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and other infamous strategists. In theory, it can help you with ultimate control over your marketing. With these 48 laws, you can have a clear vision of the world. I can say that reading this book can help you to have full control over the situations that happen to you.
- I think it may not be for everyone. It can give you some superpowers and tricks on how to affect behavior. So read with caution.
- The 48 Laws of Power was useful to me for dealing with the real world. It helped me with improving my attitude and understand these laws better and apply them to achieve success. This book also features humorous and mind-blowing stories of people in history who practice these laws.
Writing That Works; How to Communicate Effectively In Business
Another classic book to help you improve your communication skills and writing. Roman provides comprehensive content about written communication such as speeches, letters, business memos, reports, and emails. It is also easy to understand.
- You may find it too theoretical. Also, it may be a bit outdated.
- We all need reminders of how to write effectively, and it is a skill that is difficult to master. It has good content that can enhance your communication skills and you can use it as a great reference. Roman’s book can definitively help you to improve your communication skills and clarity.
Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers
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 on how to build trust with other people, not spamming them and respecting their time and space.
Godin explains the strategies of permission marketing, as well as the advantages and difficulties. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, purchasing Permission Marketing is a good idea. It will enhance your marketing skills to encourage others to choose your product or service. With this, you also have the chance to build strong relationships with other people, especially your customers.
- The content of the book is outdated for some readers.
- A great intersection of past knowledge (written in 1999) and relevancy. This book allows you to improve your confidence and establish good relationships with your customers. With that, they can start valuing your time and trust you for your business. Thus, the trust of your customers is important to boost your business success. So, you must develop long-term relationships and establish excellent brand recognition.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Shoe Dog is the story of how Nike started and grew. You will read about the constant battle, stress, and challenges of building a business. Knight also describes how important creative individuals are along with awesome management for an organization.
- Shoe Dog offers a long story covering Knight’s life that some times drugs a lot.
- It is an inspirational book you can use to achieve success. You’ll end up with many insights on what it means to be an entrepreneur, and how success does not come in a day or it is not just luck that helps, but you need perseverance.
Before you go…
As you can see, there are many great books out there for marketers to choose from.
But have you considered how having a strong foundation in both marketing and psychology, as well as top-notch negotiation skills, could benefit you in your career? Our post on the best strategy and negotiation books can help you develop these crucial abilities. So why not take a look and see how you can improve your skills and become even more effective in your role? You’ll be glad you did!