You can learn anything from books. I’m so confident of this I’m sure you can find more than one book about learning from books. Marketing is one the most expansive subjects in business and there are many books to learn about that too. Marketing is more than advertising. It involves a complex mix of psychology, strategy, branding, communication, customer relations and as if all that wasn’t enough a touch of scientific study methods too. I’ve got a list here of the top 10 books about marketing you should read.
Made to stick
In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds–from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony–draw their power from the same six traits. This book will improve your marketing ideas.
Influence
Influence is the ultimate book on the psychology of persuasion so it should really be no surprise that it made this list. I will continue to encourage people to read this book because it is a collection of lessons drawn from academic studies. In fact, I would say read it multiple times.
Positioning
Positioning of the act of placing a product or business in a specific place in a customer’s mind. That also happens to be what this great practical book is all about. Market leader, giant slayer, low-cost option, luxury option are some of the types of market positions that products or businesses can occupy. Read this one if you’re trying to figure out your position in the market or trying to maximise on it.
Hooked
Hooked is based on Eyal’s years of research, consulting, and practical experience. He wrote the book he wished had been available to him as a start-up founder—not abstract theory, but a how-to guide for building better products. Hooked is written for product managers, designers, marketers, start-up founders, and anyone who seeks to understand how products influence our behaviour. The book is ridiculously practical using real-life examples most people would be familiar with.
Blink
Malcolm Gladwell is regarded by many as a genius and you can count me amongst them. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant – in the blink of an eye – that actually aren’t as simple as they seem. This can be applied to our businesses and products. Blink takes us through how to employ “the little things” to influence decisions.
The 1-page marketing plan
Whether you’re just starting or are an experienced entrepreneur, The 1-Page Marketing Plan is the easiest and fastest way to create a marketing plan that will propel your business growth. Allan Dib reveals a marketing implementation breakthrough that makes creating a marketing plan simple and fast. It’s literally a single page, divided up into nine squares. With it, you’ll be able to map out your own sophisticated marketing plan and go from zero to marketing hero. You really have to try this out!
Crushing it
Gary Vaynerchuk started something with his 2009 bestseller Crush it! He continues the journey in Crushing it. It’s not just an updated version of the former. Yes, it provides more relevant examples. He really delves into how much personality is important in the social media age and why your business needs to develop it.
This is marketing
This book teaches you how to identify your smallest viable audience; draw on the right signals and signs to position your offering; build trust and permission with your target market; speak to the narratives your audience tells themselves about status, affiliation, and dominance; spot opportunities to create and release tension, and give people the tools to achieve their goals. The book goes a long way in separating myth from fact and reminding us that whether it’s online or offline the same principles still matter.
The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences
The title of the book really says it all. We’ve spoken many times before about how happy customers are one of your best marketing tools. Pleasing customers in the ways that matter is one of the best things you can do. This book is principles-based which I prefer because it’s difficult to apply every idea to every business but principles can be adapted to various situations.
Guerrilla marketing
I had to save the best for last. If you’re in a small business this is the best marketing book you will ever read and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on, metaphorically speaking of course. The book is practical and applicable. Levinson breaks down your business marketing into the specific items you have at your disposal and how to use them. I also love the philosophy that he shares at the end of the book.
It’s a pity we had to limit the list to 10 and there were some books that I had to leave out. Are there any books on the subject of marketing that you would recommend? Would love some recommendations so please let me know in the comments.
