Monday, March 27, 2017
7 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2017
Looking for some fresh perspectives to kick-off 2017? Check out these seven recommendations to help shape your digital marketing strategy.
1. Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets
The authors of this book preach that the product marketing and development game has changed. To build an impactful company in today's market necessitates you must define a new market category, and then dominate it from the start. In Play Bigger, the thesis is that having the best product is no longer enough.
2. Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets are Transforming the Economy - And How to Make Them Work for You
Companies that disrupt the established market paradigm - Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon, for example - are the ones with staying power. This book digs into the platforms on which the businesses were built, and how they've altered the way success is measured.
3. Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers
Jay Baer's latest latches on to the belief that today's businesses can't afford to ignore public displays of disappointment by customers. The book discusses how relationships have changed and tactics you can use to improve outcomes.
4. Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Why do certain products and ideas become successful? Author Jonah Berger discusses how advertising's stature has diminished as more people place value on word of mouth and the recommendations of their peers.
5. Digital Influencer: A Guide to Achieving Influencer Status Online
Successful marketers generate change. You can improve your level of influence online by implementing the strategies in this book. Through the methods described, you can boost your level of authority in a field, strengthen your online persona, and develop quality content.
6. Content, Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses
Author Joe Pulizzi flips the traditional model. In this book, he argues that you must first develop great content and build audience before creating a product. Through a six-step process, you'll learn how reversing the steps is key to market longevity, and can carry over into future endeavors.
7. X: The Experience When Business Meets Design
In his most recent release, author Brian Solis posits that great marketing, excellent products, and outstanding customer service are not enough for today's customers. What is more important is creating and delivering meaningful experiences through innovative design and a revised approach to thinking.
20 Perfect Books for Marketers to Read in 2017
20 Perfect Books for Marketers to Read in 2017
Many of us set out to be more something this year.
More productive. More efficient. More work-life balanced. More fit. Or maybe being more well-read was on your list.
If spending more time reading wasn't on your list, maybe it should be. Reading boosts your vocabulary, improves your memory, and puts you in an overall better mood.
On the Marketing Cloudcast, the marketing podcast from Salesforce, we ask every guest for their #1 book recommendation for fellow marketers. We shared 20 recommendations last year, and now we're back with 20 more.
So if your new-year, new-you goals also include more success as a marketer — whether that's getting a promotion or simply adding more value to your team — check out these book suggestions from past Marketing Cloudcast guests that may be the perfect fit for you.
And if you haven't already, subscribe to the Marketing Cloudcast for weekly conversations on marketing trends, research, and technology to help you in your daily job.
1. Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long by David Rock
“I found this book was a really practical and really interesting look at how our brains function when we have so much going on, and how to calm that so we can get more done.” Michele Linn, VP of Content at Content Marketing Institute
Amazon description: Meet Emily and Paul: The parents of two young children, Emily is the newly promoted VP of marketing at a large corporation while Paul works from home or from clients' offices as an independent IT consultant. Their lives, like all of ours, are filled with a bewildering blizzard of emails, phone calls, yet more emails, meetings, projects, proposals, and plans. Just staying ahead of the storm has become a seemingly insurmountable task. In this book, we travel inside Emily and Paul's brains as they attempt to sort the vast quantities of information they're presented with, figure out how to prioritize it, organize it and act on it.
Check out Michele's podcast episode.
2. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
“One of my favorite business books of the year.” Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of Growth Hacker Marketing
Amazon description: In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
Check out Ryan's podcast episode.
3. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
“It's a really killer book. But most importantly, Charles Dickens had one of the best understandings of his audience and how to hook them. That's a lesson we can all learn.” Shana Pearlman, Content Marketing Manager at Mulesoft
Amazon description: In this unflaggingly suspenseful story of aspirations and moral redemption, humble, orphaned Pip, a ward of his short-tempered older sister and her husband, Joe, is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentleman. And, indeed, it seems as though that dream is destined to come to pass — because one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of "great expectations." In telling Pip's story, Dickens traces a boy's path from a hardscrabble rural life to the teeming streets of 19th-century London, unfolding a gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, and love and loss.
Check out Shana's podcast episode.
4. The Green Mile by Stephen King
“I always try to refresh myself on classics. There's a reason that we learn about them and that they've stood for the time that they have.” Greg Murphy, Salesforce Product Manager, Mobile
Amazon description: The Green Mile is a 1996 serial novel written by Stephen King. It tells the story of death row supervisor Paul Edgecombe's encounter with John Coffey, an unusual inmate who displays inexplicable healing and empathetic abilities.
Check out Greg's podcast episode.
5. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
“It's really about how you can drive change inside an organization or even within a market, and how it isn't all about data or appealing to reason — and it isn't just about emotion. He gives a lot of great examples of how subtle things can influence and drive so much change." Jesse Noyes, Senior Director of Marketing at Upserve
Amazon description: In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people — employees and managers, parents and nurses — have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results. In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change.Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.
Check out Jesse's podcast episode.
6. Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris
"For people who are grammar nerds like me.” Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and bestselling author of Everybody Writes
Amazon description: Mary Norris has spent more than three decades in The New Yorker's copy department, maintaining its celebrated high standards. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is of practical advice.
Check out Ann's podcast episode.
7. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
“This book is amazing because it makes anybody step outside their comfort zone and be okay with the creative process — and putting yourself out there and seeing yourself succeed.” Kate Talbot, author of Oh Snap! You Can Use Snapchat for Business and marketing consultant
Amazon description: Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives.
Check out Kate's podcast episode.
8. Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M. Rogers
“It's all about why some innovations — whether It's a product, service, or even hybrid corn — catch on. So it's great data and great stories.” Jonah Berger, bestselling author of Contagious
Amazon description: In this renowned book, Everett M. Rogers, professor and chair of the Department of Communication & Journalism at the University of New Mexico, explains how new ideas spread via communication channels over time. The fifth edition addresses the spread of the Internet, and how it has transformed the way human beings communicate and adopt new ideas.
Check out Jonah's podcast episode.
9. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
“We’re all overwhelmed with too much to do. How do you really focus on the core essentials of your life?” Tim Kopp, Venture Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners
Amazon description: The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.
Check out Tim's podcast episode.
10. You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto by Jaron Lanier
“It’s clinical, it's brilliant, it's also crazy in a lot of places. It takes a lot of ideas surrounding our current digital culture and network culture and shakes it up completely. Reading that book, I think, opened my eyes. I would recommend his book for anyone who's looking for a new perspective or lens on all the changes that are happening in our connected culture.” Cal Newport, author of "Deep Work," an instant WSJ bestseller and Amazon’s Best Business Book for January 2016
Amazon description: A programmer, musician, and father of virtual reality technology, Jaron Lanier was a pioneer in digital media, and among the first to predict the revolutionary changes it would bring to our commerce and culture. Now, with the Web influencing virtually every aspect of our lives, he offers this provocative critique of how digital design is shaping society, for better and for worse.
Check out Cal's podcast episode.
11. Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker
“The amazing thing is he wrote this in 1984 and he basically predicted the entrepreneurial economy. I don't know why this book isn't on the bookshelf of every business owner in the world. It's the best entrepreneurial framework I've seen.” Mark Schaefer, author of The Content Code, marketing consultant, and speaker
Amazon description: This is the first book to present innovation and entrepreneurship as a purposeful and systematic discipline that explains and analyzes the challenges and opportunities of America's new entrepreneurial economy. Superbly practical, Innovation and Entrepreneurship explains what established businesses, public service institutions, and new ventures need to know and do to succeed in today's economy.
Check out Mark's podcast episode.
12. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
“How do habits exist, how are they formed, how do they change? It's a very helpful work strategy, as well as a personal strategy.” Angela Sanchez, Vice President of Consumer Relationship Marketing at Universal Music Group
Amazon description: Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.
Check out Angela's podcast episode.
13. Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs by Bill Hybels
“It's a leadership book with 76 short lessons for leadership. I think great marketers are great leaders.” Todd Lebo, Chief Marketing Officer at Ascend2
Amazon description: The best leaders not only lead well but also reflect on their leadership long enough and thoughtfully enough to articulate the philosophies that cause them to do so. Whether serving in the marketplace or in ministry, as executives or rank-and-file employees, as salaried staff or volunteer servants, good leaders can pinpoint the rationale for their actions and decisions with the ease of reciting their home address. Axiom brokers accessible wisdom from one leader’s journey, as well as emboldens you to nail down the reasons why you lead like you lead.
Check out Todd's podcast episode.
14. Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod
“It just changed me personally and professionally. It's one of the most remarkable books on creativity that i’ve ever read.” Jason Miller, LinkedIn's Global Content Marketing Leader
Amazon description: When Hugh MacLeod was a struggling young copywriter, living in a YMCA, he started to doodle on the backs of business cards while sitting at a bar. Those cartoons eventually led to a popular blog – gapingvoid.com – and a reputation for pithy insight and humor, in both words and pictures. MacLeod has opinions on everything from marketing to the meaning of life, but one of his main subjects is creativity. How do new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person? Now his first book, Ignore Everybody, expands on his sharpest insights, wittiest cartoons, and most useful advice.
Check out Jason's podcast episode.
15. Design for Real Life by Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Eric Meyer
“It’s product design-focused but has a lot of great takeaways about thinking compassionately about your designs to include the most users, as opposed to narrowing in too much on a perfect persona.” Lindsay Siovaila, Lead Solutions Developer at Salesforce
Amazon description: You can't always predict who will use your products, or what emotional state they'll be in when they do. But by identifying stress cases and designing with compassion, you'll create experiences that support more of your users, more of the time. Join Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Eric Meyer as they turn examples from more than a dozen sites and services into a set of principles you can apply right now.
Check out Lindsay's podcast episode.
16. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
"For inspiration, I like to go to more fanciful and inspired places — and then come back to earth with new ideas.” Rebecca Lieb, marketing analyst, author, and advisor
Amazon description: Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.
As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers.
Check out Rebecca's podcast episode.
17. Brand Hijack: Marketing Without Marketing by Alex Wipperfurth
“There's so many great marketing books, but [most people] might not come across this one.” Will Schafer, Beyond Meat’s Director of Marketing
Amazon description: Brand Hijack offers a practical how-to guide to marketing that finally engages the marketplace. It presents an alternative to conventional marketing wisdom, one that addresses such industry crises as media saturation, consumer evolution, and the erosion of image marketing.
Check out Will's podcast episode.
18. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
“While digital tactics and digital strategies are the topic du jour these days, and people always want to know more about tech and more about how to tailor the customer journey, at the end of the day the message behind those marketing programs is what really makes marketing campaigns successful. I think people lose sight of that sometimes." Kyle Christensen, VP of Marketing at Invoca
Amazon description: The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a "position" in a prospective customer's mind-one that reflects a company's own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors.
Check out Kyle's podcast episode.
19. So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
“The quest to discover how people end up loving what they do.” Chris Howard, VP of Digital Strategy and Design, Calamos Investments
Amazon description: With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love.
Check out Chris's podcast episode.
20. Age of Context: Mobile, Sensors, Data and the Future of Privacy by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel
“I was interested in the tech space for a long time, and this for me just put everything into place.” James Dearsley, founder of the Digital Marketing Bureau and expert in virtual reality
Amazon description: Social media is but one of five converging forces that promise to change virtually every aspect of our lives. You know these other forces already: mobile, data, sensors and location-based technology. Combined with social media they form a new generation of personalized technology that knows us better than our closest friends. There is no doubt about it: Big Data is watching you. The time to lament the loss of privacy is over. The authors argue that the time is right to demand options that enable people to reclaim some portions of that privacy.
Check out James's podcast episode.
For more helpful insights from marketing leaders like these — or to listen to the full episode of any of the marketers listed here — check out the Marketing Cloudcast on iTunes, or read the latest episode recaps.
Many of us set out to be more something this year.
More productive. More efficient. More work-life balanced. More fit. Or maybe being more well-read was on your list.
If spending more time reading wasn't on your list, maybe it should be. Reading boosts your vocabulary, improves your memory, and puts you in an overall better mood.
On the Marketing Cloudcast, the marketing podcast from Salesforce, we ask every guest for their #1 book recommendation for fellow marketers. We shared 20 recommendations last year, and now we're back with 20 more.
So if your new-year, new-you goals also include more success as a marketer — whether that's getting a promotion or simply adding more value to your team — check out these book suggestions from past Marketing Cloudcast guests that may be the perfect fit for you.
And if you haven't already, subscribe to the Marketing Cloudcast for weekly conversations on marketing trends, research, and technology to help you in your daily job.
1. Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long by David Rock
“I found this book was a really practical and really interesting look at how our brains function when we have so much going on, and how to calm that so we can get more done.” Michele Linn, VP of Content at Content Marketing Institute
Amazon description: Meet Emily and Paul: The parents of two young children, Emily is the newly promoted VP of marketing at a large corporation while Paul works from home or from clients' offices as an independent IT consultant. Their lives, like all of ours, are filled with a bewildering blizzard of emails, phone calls, yet more emails, meetings, projects, proposals, and plans. Just staying ahead of the storm has become a seemingly insurmountable task. In this book, we travel inside Emily and Paul's brains as they attempt to sort the vast quantities of information they're presented with, figure out how to prioritize it, organize it and act on it.
Check out Michele's podcast episode.
2. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
“One of my favorite business books of the year.” Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of Growth Hacker Marketing
Amazon description: In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.
Check out Ryan's podcast episode.
3. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
“It's a really killer book. But most importantly, Charles Dickens had one of the best understandings of his audience and how to hook them. That's a lesson we can all learn.” Shana Pearlman, Content Marketing Manager at Mulesoft
Amazon description: In this unflaggingly suspenseful story of aspirations and moral redemption, humble, orphaned Pip, a ward of his short-tempered older sister and her husband, Joe, is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentleman. And, indeed, it seems as though that dream is destined to come to pass — because one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of "great expectations." In telling Pip's story, Dickens traces a boy's path from a hardscrabble rural life to the teeming streets of 19th-century London, unfolding a gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, and love and loss.
Check out Shana's podcast episode.
4. The Green Mile by Stephen King
“I always try to refresh myself on classics. There's a reason that we learn about them and that they've stood for the time that they have.” Greg Murphy, Salesforce Product Manager, Mobile
Amazon description: The Green Mile is a 1996 serial novel written by Stephen King. It tells the story of death row supervisor Paul Edgecombe's encounter with John Coffey, an unusual inmate who displays inexplicable healing and empathetic abilities.
Check out Greg's podcast episode.
5. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
“It's really about how you can drive change inside an organization or even within a market, and how it isn't all about data or appealing to reason — and it isn't just about emotion. He gives a lot of great examples of how subtle things can influence and drive so much change." Jesse Noyes, Senior Director of Marketing at Upserve
Amazon description: In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people — employees and managers, parents and nurses — have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results. In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change.Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.
Check out Jesse's podcast episode.
6. Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris
"For people who are grammar nerds like me.” Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and bestselling author of Everybody Writes
Amazon description: Mary Norris has spent more than three decades in The New Yorker's copy department, maintaining its celebrated high standards. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is of practical advice.
Check out Ann's podcast episode.
7. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
“This book is amazing because it makes anybody step outside their comfort zone and be okay with the creative process — and putting yourself out there and seeing yourself succeed.” Kate Talbot, author of Oh Snap! You Can Use Snapchat for Business and marketing consultant
Amazon description: Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives.
Check out Kate's podcast episode.
8. Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M. Rogers
“It's all about why some innovations — whether It's a product, service, or even hybrid corn — catch on. So it's great data and great stories.” Jonah Berger, bestselling author of Contagious
Amazon description: In this renowned book, Everett M. Rogers, professor and chair of the Department of Communication & Journalism at the University of New Mexico, explains how new ideas spread via communication channels over time. The fifth edition addresses the spread of the Internet, and how it has transformed the way human beings communicate and adopt new ideas.
Check out Jonah's podcast episode.
9. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
“We’re all overwhelmed with too much to do. How do you really focus on the core essentials of your life?” Tim Kopp, Venture Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners
Amazon description: The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.
Check out Tim's podcast episode.
10. You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto by Jaron Lanier
“It’s clinical, it's brilliant, it's also crazy in a lot of places. It takes a lot of ideas surrounding our current digital culture and network culture and shakes it up completely. Reading that book, I think, opened my eyes. I would recommend his book for anyone who's looking for a new perspective or lens on all the changes that are happening in our connected culture.” Cal Newport, author of "Deep Work," an instant WSJ bestseller and Amazon’s Best Business Book for January 2016
Amazon description: A programmer, musician, and father of virtual reality technology, Jaron Lanier was a pioneer in digital media, and among the first to predict the revolutionary changes it would bring to our commerce and culture. Now, with the Web influencing virtually every aspect of our lives, he offers this provocative critique of how digital design is shaping society, for better and for worse.
Check out Cal's podcast episode.
11. Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker
“The amazing thing is he wrote this in 1984 and he basically predicted the entrepreneurial economy. I don't know why this book isn't on the bookshelf of every business owner in the world. It's the best entrepreneurial framework I've seen.” Mark Schaefer, author of The Content Code, marketing consultant, and speaker
Amazon description: This is the first book to present innovation and entrepreneurship as a purposeful and systematic discipline that explains and analyzes the challenges and opportunities of America's new entrepreneurial economy. Superbly practical, Innovation and Entrepreneurship explains what established businesses, public service institutions, and new ventures need to know and do to succeed in today's economy.
Check out Mark's podcast episode.
12. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
“How do habits exist, how are they formed, how do they change? It's a very helpful work strategy, as well as a personal strategy.” Angela Sanchez, Vice President of Consumer Relationship Marketing at Universal Music Group
Amazon description: Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.
Check out Angela's podcast episode.
13. Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs by Bill Hybels
“It's a leadership book with 76 short lessons for leadership. I think great marketers are great leaders.” Todd Lebo, Chief Marketing Officer at Ascend2
Amazon description: The best leaders not only lead well but also reflect on their leadership long enough and thoughtfully enough to articulate the philosophies that cause them to do so. Whether serving in the marketplace or in ministry, as executives or rank-and-file employees, as salaried staff or volunteer servants, good leaders can pinpoint the rationale for their actions and decisions with the ease of reciting their home address. Axiom brokers accessible wisdom from one leader’s journey, as well as emboldens you to nail down the reasons why you lead like you lead.
Check out Todd's podcast episode.
14. Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod
“It just changed me personally and professionally. It's one of the most remarkable books on creativity that i’ve ever read.” Jason Miller, LinkedIn's Global Content Marketing Leader
Amazon description: When Hugh MacLeod was a struggling young copywriter, living in a YMCA, he started to doodle on the backs of business cards while sitting at a bar. Those cartoons eventually led to a popular blog – gapingvoid.com – and a reputation for pithy insight and humor, in both words and pictures. MacLeod has opinions on everything from marketing to the meaning of life, but one of his main subjects is creativity. How do new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person? Now his first book, Ignore Everybody, expands on his sharpest insights, wittiest cartoons, and most useful advice.
Check out Jason's podcast episode.
15. Design for Real Life by Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Eric Meyer
“It’s product design-focused but has a lot of great takeaways about thinking compassionately about your designs to include the most users, as opposed to narrowing in too much on a perfect persona.” Lindsay Siovaila, Lead Solutions Developer at Salesforce
Amazon description: You can't always predict who will use your products, or what emotional state they'll be in when they do. But by identifying stress cases and designing with compassion, you'll create experiences that support more of your users, more of the time. Join Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Eric Meyer as they turn examples from more than a dozen sites and services into a set of principles you can apply right now.
Check out Lindsay's podcast episode.
16. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
"For inspiration, I like to go to more fanciful and inspired places — and then come back to earth with new ideas.” Rebecca Lieb, marketing analyst, author, and advisor
Amazon description: Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.
As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers.
Check out Rebecca's podcast episode.
17. Brand Hijack: Marketing Without Marketing by Alex Wipperfurth
“There's so many great marketing books, but [most people] might not come across this one.” Will Schafer, Beyond Meat’s Director of Marketing
Amazon description: Brand Hijack offers a practical how-to guide to marketing that finally engages the marketplace. It presents an alternative to conventional marketing wisdom, one that addresses such industry crises as media saturation, consumer evolution, and the erosion of image marketing.
Check out Will's podcast episode.
18. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
“While digital tactics and digital strategies are the topic du jour these days, and people always want to know more about tech and more about how to tailor the customer journey, at the end of the day the message behind those marketing programs is what really makes marketing campaigns successful. I think people lose sight of that sometimes." Kyle Christensen, VP of Marketing at Invoca
Amazon description: The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a "position" in a prospective customer's mind-one that reflects a company's own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors.
Check out Kyle's podcast episode.
19. So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
“The quest to discover how people end up loving what they do.” Chris Howard, VP of Digital Strategy and Design, Calamos Investments
Amazon description: With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love.
Check out Chris's podcast episode.
20. Age of Context: Mobile, Sensors, Data and the Future of Privacy by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel
“I was interested in the tech space for a long time, and this for me just put everything into place.” James Dearsley, founder of the Digital Marketing Bureau and expert in virtual reality
Amazon description: Social media is but one of five converging forces that promise to change virtually every aspect of our lives. You know these other forces already: mobile, data, sensors and location-based technology. Combined with social media they form a new generation of personalized technology that knows us better than our closest friends. There is no doubt about it: Big Data is watching you. The time to lament the loss of privacy is over. The authors argue that the time is right to demand options that enable people to reclaim some portions of that privacy.
Check out James's podcast episode.
For more helpful insights from marketing leaders like these — or to listen to the full episode of any of the marketers listed here — check out the Marketing Cloudcast on iTunes, or read the latest episode recaps.
10 Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read in 2017
10 Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read in 2017
Polina Marinova
Dec 23, 2016
Bill Gates recently released his favorite books of 2016. Claiming he averages about one book a week, the billionaire business magnate says reading is his “favorite way to learn about a new topic.”
We were inspired to put together our own reading list of some of the best-selling business books of the year. Here’s a selection of 10 must-reads that we think have the potential to transform your business and take it to the next level.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
A Bill Gates favorite, Shoe Dog offers an inside look at Phil Knight’s entrepreneurial journey and how he built his startup Nike into the global brand it is today.
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
In his latest book, entrepreneur and strategist Tim Ferriss shares the productivity secrets of the more than 200 “world-class performers” he has interviewed on his podcast.
Related: Try Starting Your Day Like Tim Ferriss
The Power of Broke by Daymond John
Shark Tank star and Fubu founder Daymond John explains that starting a business with limited resources is a competitive advantage, not a liability.
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani
What if everything you thought about love, work, and life is wrong? Vishen Lakhiani, founder of MindValley, challenges your most entrenched beliefs in an effort to help you redefine the meaning of personal success.
Disrupted by Dan Lyons
This is a messy, tell-all account of what happens when a seasoned journalist from an established news magazine takes a job at a software marketing startup. He chronicles his time at Hubspot where he encountered “devilish angel investors, fad-chasing venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and ‘wantrapreneurs.’”
Related: My Year In Startup Hell
Originals by Adam Grant
Author and professor Adam Grant examines how people can reject conformity and improve the status quo by generative creative, original ideas.
Hustle by Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits, and Jonas Koffler
This New York Times bestseller guides readers through the process of “breaking free from the drudgery” in their daily lives and turning potential into opportunity.
Grit by Angela Duckworth
Psychologist Angela Duckworth claims that success is the result of passion and persistence, not talent and luck.
Building the Internet of Things by Maciej Kranz
This is a practical handbook for entrepreneurs who are focused on the business implications of the Internet of Things.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Though originally published in 2011, this book continues to be a best-seller in 2016. Renowned psychologist Daniel Kahneman does a deep dive analysis of the two cognitive systems that shape the judgments and decisions we make in our everyday lives.
Polina Marinova
Dec 23, 2016
Bill Gates recently released his favorite books of 2016. Claiming he averages about one book a week, the billionaire business magnate says reading is his “favorite way to learn about a new topic.”
We were inspired to put together our own reading list of some of the best-selling business books of the year. Here’s a selection of 10 must-reads that we think have the potential to transform your business and take it to the next level.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
A Bill Gates favorite, Shoe Dog offers an inside look at Phil Knight’s entrepreneurial journey and how he built his startup Nike into the global brand it is today.
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
In his latest book, entrepreneur and strategist Tim Ferriss shares the productivity secrets of the more than 200 “world-class performers” he has interviewed on his podcast.
Related: Try Starting Your Day Like Tim Ferriss
The Power of Broke by Daymond John
Shark Tank star and Fubu founder Daymond John explains that starting a business with limited resources is a competitive advantage, not a liability.
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani
What if everything you thought about love, work, and life is wrong? Vishen Lakhiani, founder of MindValley, challenges your most entrenched beliefs in an effort to help you redefine the meaning of personal success.
Disrupted by Dan Lyons
This is a messy, tell-all account of what happens when a seasoned journalist from an established news magazine takes a job at a software marketing startup. He chronicles his time at Hubspot where he encountered “devilish angel investors, fad-chasing venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and ‘wantrapreneurs.’”
Related: My Year In Startup Hell
Originals by Adam Grant
Author and professor Adam Grant examines how people can reject conformity and improve the status quo by generative creative, original ideas.
Hustle by Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits, and Jonas Koffler
This New York Times bestseller guides readers through the process of “breaking free from the drudgery” in their daily lives and turning potential into opportunity.
Grit by Angela Duckworth
Psychologist Angela Duckworth claims that success is the result of passion and persistence, not talent and luck.
Building the Internet of Things by Maciej Kranz
This is a practical handbook for entrepreneurs who are focused on the business implications of the Internet of Things.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Though originally published in 2011, this book continues to be a best-seller in 2016. Renowned psychologist Daniel Kahneman does a deep dive analysis of the two cognitive systems that shape the judgments and decisions we make in our everyday lives.
10 Books Every Marketer Needs to Have in Their Library
In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of inbound marketing, the key to success is to always be observing, adapting, and learning. You need to be a lifelong student of the industry and how it changes. And sometimes, like all great students, that means you need to hit the books.
There is a wealth of business and marketing books out there for new or even seasoned marketers to indulge in, but with so many options, it can be difficult to know which ones deserve the time of day.
In this article, I’ve shared a collection of ten must-reads that every marketer should have on their business bookshelf.
From growth hacking and copywriting to performance and PR, each title touches upon an essential part of the inbound methodology, in hopes that you’ll walk away with a well-rounded understanding of it as you turn the last page.
Don’t worry; there won’t be a pop quiz after this, but I can’t guarantee it won’t show up on the test during your next team meeting.
So, grab your Kindle (or if you’re like me, your old school bookmark), here are the 10 books every marketer needs to have in their library.
1) Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
When I first started at IMPACT, this is all that anyone would talk about. I just sat there thinking “Dang, am I the only one who’s never seen a purple cow before?”
Ok, no. I never really thought that, but I would’ve considering how popular the book was in the office and throughout the industry.
In Purple Cow, world-renowned Marketer and Author, Seth Godin, urges businesses big and small to create remarkable products (or offer remarkable services); things that people in their industry would talk about and would ultimately market and sell themselves.
While the book offers a great deal of inspiration and noteworthy examples, it also ends with an actionable checklist for creating a remarkable product.
Overall, it is a must-read for any budding entrepreneur.
2) Inbound Marketing: Attract, Engage and Delight Customers Online by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah
No one is more at the forefront of inbound marketing than HubSpot’s Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. In this must-read, the technology giants outline the intricate Inbound Methodology in a way that is easy to understand and follow.
From using your website as a marketing hub to attract leads, right down the sales funnel, this read from Halligan and Shah is a wonderful introduction to the world of inbound marketing for any beginner.
3) All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin
Another page-turner from Seth Godin, All Marketers Are Liars talks about the importance of authentic storytelling as a brand and the role it plays in inbound marketing.
It is scientifically proven that human beings respond to stories. They make messages easier to remember and make a deeper emotional impact than standalone statements. It is because of this that Godin, contrary to his title, calls all great marketers storytellers, not liars.
He then goes on to use examples of organic products, the Goodyear Blimp, and even Cold Stone Creamery to illustrate the power of marketing an authentic story and how to do so effectively.
4) Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne
In Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne explore the idea that success lies in making your competition irrelevant. In other words, businesses need to create “clear waters”, free of competition, in order to corner their market and thrive.
As the team explains, this is achieved through offering unmatched value using these four principles:
Creating uncontested market space by reconstructing market boundaries,
Focusing on the big picture,
Reaching beyond existing demand
Getting the strategic sequence right
5) Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday
Much like Purple Cow, Growth Hacker Marketing starts from the ground-up, arguing that great marketing starts with the product at hand. If you’re creating a product that people actually want and need, then half of your battle is already won; you won’t have to sell it to the masses, they’ll demand it.
With this strong product to begin with, Holiday teaches that businesses then need to think-outside of the traditional marketing avenues and make use of low-cost digital alternatives. He helps illustrate his point using examples from his own meteoric rise in marketing as well as stories from tech giants like Hotmail, Dropbox, and Instagram.
6) Marketing Performance Blueprint by Paul Roetzer
While in it, Paul Roetzer of PR 20/20 tackles inbound from more of an agency standpoint, Marketing Performance Blueprint has a number of valuable insights for marketers in general.
Aside from his personal research and experience, Roetzer shares the processes, tools, and strategies needed to build successful, performance-driven organizations, while also touching upon creating remarkable customer experiences and building a strong team.
7) The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott
This addition to our collection is now in its fifth edition -- so I think it’s safe to say that it’s just that good.
In this must-read, international best-selling author and marketer, David Meerman Scott, teaches traditional marketers how to use both new and old methods to reach modern buyers. From social media and blogs to press releases and online video, Scott lays out all of the basics for any marketer looking to balance the inbound and outbound worlds.
8) Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
I have to admit; I’m a bit of F-Ann Girl.
Inbound marketing success depends greatly on the quality of content that you produce, and quite frankly, no one produces more high-quality content than Ann Handley in my book.
In her baby, Everybody Writes, Ann teaches readers how to write more valuable, relatable copy that will truly resonate with their target audience and increase conversions. In addition to these content creation tips, Ann also includes a long list of resources that you can use to keep learning and get your message out to even more people.
(Not to mention, with her unique sense of humor and pop culture references this one’s full of tweet-worthy quotes.)
9) Youtility by Jay Baer
Are you helping or selling? That’s the question Jay Baer poses to businesses in this New York Times Best-Seller.
As he explains, Baer believes that if you sell a product to someone, you get a customer for today, but if you help that person through valuable content, a unique experience, and a high-quality product, you’ll have a customer for life.
With this in mind, his book teaches businesses how to be “genuinely and inherently useful” in order to stand out from their competition. In an age where everyone (and their mom) can create and share content, this is the only way your brand can stand out from the noise and Jay wants to make sure you do.
10) The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout
Last, but not least, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing strives to investigate the “science” behind marketing success. According to the authors, all successful marketing campaigns can attribute their accomplishments to the 22 laws outlined in their book.
Using examples from big brands like Nordstrom and Crest, Ries and Trout help prove their point and show you how to apply the 22 laws to any organization’s marketing.
20 Essential Books Every Marketer Should Read
20 Essential Books Every Marketer Should Read
If you’re in marketing, whether that’s as part of a global organisation, an SME, or you own your own business, I’m sure you’ll agree that staying on the cutting edge of ideas is vital.
There are a lot of great blogs, podcasts and other media to be consumed in the marketing world. But books are a little different.
I found that there are plenty marketing books out there. But, when people put together “Best of Marketing Book” lists and things like that, they go with older, more traditional style books.
This list of 20 essential books that every marketer should read, not only contains marketing classics, but also books from online marketers and a younger generation of writers.
Pat Flynn – Will It Fly?
Pat Flynn labels himself as “the crash test dummy” of marketing. His website, Smart Passive Income, is full of exciting experiments that outline what does and doesn’t work when it comes to online marketing. Needless to say, I was excited for his book, and it didn’t disappoint.
Pat’s book encourages people to stop rushing into half-baked business and marketing ideas. Split into five parts leading to “all systems go”, Will It Fly will challenge you to think critically, act deliberately, and dare greatly when it comes to your business and marketing ideas.
Order Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn on Amazon today
Seth Godin – Permission Marketing
Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur, marketer and public speaker. His blog attracts hundreds of thousands of readers on a daily basis. Without doubt, he’s a leading edge marketer.
Permission Marketing is based around the idea of offering consumers incentives in return for permission to market to them. TV ads, newspapers, magazine adverts and most traditional advertising methods are based around interrupting our viewing and taking our attention. Permission marketing enables companies to build long term relationships with customers, create trust and build brand awareness.
Order Permission Marketing by Seth Godin on Amazon today
Eugene Schwartz – Breakthrough Advertising
Breakthrough-Advertising
Eugene Schwartz was an art collector and author who wrote 10 books over his career. His book, Breakthrough Advertising was wrote in 1966 and is no longer widely available, so be prepared to hunt high and low to find it. It’s worth it.
Breakthrough Advertising is not just a book for marketing professionals and business owners, it’s a book for everyone in the business world. Put simply, Breakthrough Advertising addresses universal business problems that people are still trying to solve today. How to write a great headline, how to cut through the noise and how to open up a whole new market.
Chris Ducker – Virtual Freedom
Chris Ducker is an entrepreneur and business owner with both physical bricks and mortar businesses and online business. He’s also a podcast host and the founder of the Youpreneur network, a membership site for business owners.
Entrepreneurs often suffer from “superhero syndrome.” Thinking they have to do everything within their business themselves. Inevitably, this leads to burnout. Virtual Freedom helps you explore the options when it comes to hiring digital staff and outsourcing work.
Order Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker on Amazon today
Joe Pulizzi – Content Inc
Joe Pulizzi is the first author that has 2 books featured on this list. He’s the founder of the Content Marketing Institute and is responsible for the World’s largest in-person content marketing event, Content Marketing World. And if you ever see him in person, he’ll be wearing orange.
Content Inc explores a 6 step process that many business and entrepreneurs use to dominate the market without selling anything in the first instance. Joe shows you how to position yourself as a leader within your chosen niche and develop content that delivers results.
Order Content Inc by Joe Pulizzi on Amazon today
Joe Pulizzi – Epic Content Marketing
Epic Content Marketing helps businesses and marketers develop strategies and use stories to leverage the widespread distribution of social networks, Google and the mainstream press. Just like Content Inc, there’s a step by step process to the delivery that gets you results.
Order Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi on Amazon today
Gary Vaynerchuk – Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
And just like that, we’re up to 2 books by 2 authors. Gary Vaynerchuk’s life goal is to buy the Jets (the NFL team.) He started his career as a marketer at Wine Library, we’re he invented the now famous Wine Library TV.
In Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary shares advice on how to connect with your customers while beating your competition. This book will provide you with a blueprint and marketing strategy that will lead you or your business to social media success.
Order Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk on Amazon today
Gary Vaynerchuk – Crush It!
Crush It is about finding your one true passion, and crushing it. The point in Gary’s book is that anything can be achieved if you truly want to. He encourages you to find out what you really want in life, and hunt it down. The lessons in Crush It could be applied to many marketing campaigns and business goals.
Order Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk on Amazon today
Jay Baer – Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help Not Hype
Jay Baer is a keynote speaker that works with organisations around the world to help them get more customers and win more business. His book, Youtility is a New York Times best-seller. He also runs one of the most respected marketing blogs in the world over at Convince and Convert.
Youtility offers a new approach to winning business. Rather than being pushy and vying for everyone’s attention with interruptive advertising, Jay’s book asks you to think “How can we help?” Youtility encourages you to cut through advertising clutter and make lifelong customers. By genuinely helping people, you can create customers for life.
Order Youtility by Jay Baer on Amazon today
Michael Hyatt – Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
Michael Hyatt is one of the top business bloggers in the world. Over at his website michaelhyatt.com, Michael provides near daily articles to help both marketers and people that have their own business. He’s providing real value while helping people get the life they want.
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. The book is about building a platform that serves as a foundation for your business. He shows you what marketers, authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs and more are doing today to make themselves stand out in a crowded market space.
Order Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt on Amazon today
Ryan Levesque – Ask
Ryan Levesque is a marketing expert, coach and consultant and is the creator of RocketMemory and SurveyFunnel among others. Ryan has been featured in CNBC, Yahoo Finance, The Miami Herald, The San Francisco Chronicle and more.
Ask is based on the idea that you shouldn’t have to guess what your prospects and leads are thinking. In the book, Ryan provides a system known as The Ask Formula that helps you discover exactly what people want from you, and how to deliver it to them. Other authors on this list, such as Pat Flynn, have raved about Ryan’s book, and even reviewed it on his TV show, spiTV.
Order Ask by Ryan Levesque on Amazon today
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan – The ONE Thing
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan are regular collaborators and as well as The ONE Thing, they’ve wrote a number of other books together such as The Millionaire Real Estate Investor.
The ONE Thing deviates from their pattern of releasing real estate themed books and has been very well received the world over. In this book you’ll learn to cut through clutter, build momentum towards your goals, dial down on stress and master what matters to you. “The ONE Thing is a New York Times bestseller which delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life.”
Order The ONE Thing by Gary Kellyer and Jay Papasan on Amazon today
David Meerman Scott – The New Rules of Marketing and PR
David Meerman Scott is an online marketing strategist. David is an internationally acclaimed bestseller whose books and blogs are must reads for marketing professionals. If you’re looking to grow your business or strive in the role you work in, David’s material is for you.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR offers a step by step plan to help you harness the power of modern marketing methods. The New Rules of Marketing and PR is full of compelling case studies, real world examples of using content to success and inbound marketing strategies and tactics. The book was written for marketing professionals and entrepreneurs who want to grow their business or create success.
Order The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott on Amazon today
Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie was a writer and lecturer renowned for his courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training and more. He wrote several books over his career, including one of the first best-selling self-help books, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
How to Win Friends and Influence people was published in 1936, and it’s content is still as relevant today as it was then. The book itself contains a list of expectations at the beginning, explaining to the reader what they’ll get out of reading it. Among them are, increasing your popularity, how to make connections quickly and easily, increase earning power, winning new clients and more. The book promises to your your relationships around and improve interaction with everyone in your life.
Order How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie on Amazon today
Ann Handley – Everybody Writes
Ann Handley is a veteran of creating and managing digital content and relationships. As well as being a Wall Street Jorunal bestseller, Ann is a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine.
Everybody Writes is the go to guide to developing leads, attracting customers and retaining relationships through the written word. Ann explains in her book that in this digital, content drive age, we’re all writers. By reading Everybody Writes, you’ll learn how to write better, improve your grammar, learn best practises and more. Everybody Writes is the ultimate field guide for businesses that know great content is key.
Order everybody writes by Ann Handley on Amazon today
Ekaterina Walter – The Power of Visual Storytelling
Ekaterina Walter has led strategic and marketing strategies for Fortune 500 companies Intel and Accenture. A Wall Street Journal bestseller, Ekaterina is a regular contributor to Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., The Huffington Post and more.
The Power of Visual Storytelling best summed up by the quotes of some other writers on this list:
“This book is not only a complete overview of [visual storytelling] but, most importantly, the key to doing it right, a total Right Hook!” Gary Vaynerchuk
“A valuable guide to understanding how to develop powerful marketing programs using the art of visual storytelling.” Guy Kawasaki
Order The Power of Visual Storytelling by Ekaterina Walter on Amazon today
Russell Glass and Sean Callahan – The Big Data-Driven Business
Russell Glass is the head of products at LinkedIn and is the co-author of The Big Data Driven Business alongside Sean Callahan.
The Big Data Driven Business makes the case that big data is for real and as business owners and marketers, you should be using it. It uses case studies and examples from Apple to Blackberry to demonstrate the future of the big data revolution. In the book, you’ll learn what big data is, what corporations have done with big data and how you can use it to drive your business forward.
Order The Big Data Driven Business by Russell Glass and Sean Callahan on Amazon today
Napoleon Hill – Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill was an American author working in the new thought movement area of study. When he died in 1970, his most successful book was, and remains, Think and Grow Rich.
Think and Grow Rich is labelled as “the most important financial book ever written.” In the book, Hill researches and writes about more than forty millionaires to find out about their journey, and how they got to millionaire status. It’s an interesting look into the psyche of people and once you’ve read the book, you’ll understand more about human nature and willing than ever before.
Order Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on Amazon today
Jonah Berger – Contagious
Jonah Berger is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His primary field of study is around word of mouth, social and viral marketing. Making the title of his book, Contagious, highly relevant.
Contagious is a study into why some products and/or ideas are talked about more than others. Jonah tries to answer the question of virality. What makes a YouTube video spread like wildfire? Whether you’re in the marketing department at a Fortune 500 company, an SME or own your own business, Contagious will help you succeed, and understand how you can best put your advertising budget to use.
Order Contagious by Jonah Berger on Amazon today
Guy Kawasaki – The Art of Social Media
We all know Guy Kawasaki. If you don’t, he was one of the marketing executives at Apple that were responsible for marketing their Macintosh computer in 1984. He’s also on the Board of Trustees at Wikimedia.
His book, The Art of Social Media, is a no-nonsense guide to becoming a social media superstar. It’s no secret that social networks can have a make or break effect on your business. The Art of Social media is filled with more than 100 practical tips and tricks to help you rock your chosen social network.
Order The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki on Amazon today
There are huge amounts of marketing books, and we might have missed out some great books. If you have any recommendations that you’d like to see added to the list, let us know if the comments below.
If you’re in marketing, whether that’s as part of a global organisation, an SME, or you own your own business, I’m sure you’ll agree that staying on the cutting edge of ideas is vital.
There are a lot of great blogs, podcasts and other media to be consumed in the marketing world. But books are a little different.
I found that there are plenty marketing books out there. But, when people put together “Best of Marketing Book” lists and things like that, they go with older, more traditional style books.
This list of 20 essential books that every marketer should read, not only contains marketing classics, but also books from online marketers and a younger generation of writers.
Pat Flynn – Will It Fly?
Pat Flynn labels himself as “the crash test dummy” of marketing. His website, Smart Passive Income, is full of exciting experiments that outline what does and doesn’t work when it comes to online marketing. Needless to say, I was excited for his book, and it didn’t disappoint.
Pat’s book encourages people to stop rushing into half-baked business and marketing ideas. Split into five parts leading to “all systems go”, Will It Fly will challenge you to think critically, act deliberately, and dare greatly when it comes to your business and marketing ideas.
Order Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn on Amazon today
Seth Godin – Permission Marketing
Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur, marketer and public speaker. His blog attracts hundreds of thousands of readers on a daily basis. Without doubt, he’s a leading edge marketer.
Permission Marketing is based around the idea of offering consumers incentives in return for permission to market to them. TV ads, newspapers, magazine adverts and most traditional advertising methods are based around interrupting our viewing and taking our attention. Permission marketing enables companies to build long term relationships with customers, create trust and build brand awareness.
Order Permission Marketing by Seth Godin on Amazon today
Eugene Schwartz – Breakthrough Advertising
Breakthrough-Advertising
Eugene Schwartz was an art collector and author who wrote 10 books over his career. His book, Breakthrough Advertising was wrote in 1966 and is no longer widely available, so be prepared to hunt high and low to find it. It’s worth it.
Breakthrough Advertising is not just a book for marketing professionals and business owners, it’s a book for everyone in the business world. Put simply, Breakthrough Advertising addresses universal business problems that people are still trying to solve today. How to write a great headline, how to cut through the noise and how to open up a whole new market.
Chris Ducker – Virtual Freedom
Chris Ducker is an entrepreneur and business owner with both physical bricks and mortar businesses and online business. He’s also a podcast host and the founder of the Youpreneur network, a membership site for business owners.
Entrepreneurs often suffer from “superhero syndrome.” Thinking they have to do everything within their business themselves. Inevitably, this leads to burnout. Virtual Freedom helps you explore the options when it comes to hiring digital staff and outsourcing work.
Order Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker on Amazon today
Joe Pulizzi – Content Inc
Joe Pulizzi is the first author that has 2 books featured on this list. He’s the founder of the Content Marketing Institute and is responsible for the World’s largest in-person content marketing event, Content Marketing World. And if you ever see him in person, he’ll be wearing orange.
Content Inc explores a 6 step process that many business and entrepreneurs use to dominate the market without selling anything in the first instance. Joe shows you how to position yourself as a leader within your chosen niche and develop content that delivers results.
Order Content Inc by Joe Pulizzi on Amazon today
Joe Pulizzi – Epic Content Marketing
Epic Content Marketing helps businesses and marketers develop strategies and use stories to leverage the widespread distribution of social networks, Google and the mainstream press. Just like Content Inc, there’s a step by step process to the delivery that gets you results.
Order Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi on Amazon today
Gary Vaynerchuk – Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
And just like that, we’re up to 2 books by 2 authors. Gary Vaynerchuk’s life goal is to buy the Jets (the NFL team.) He started his career as a marketer at Wine Library, we’re he invented the now famous Wine Library TV.
In Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary shares advice on how to connect with your customers while beating your competition. This book will provide you with a blueprint and marketing strategy that will lead you or your business to social media success.
Order Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk on Amazon today
Gary Vaynerchuk – Crush It!
Crush It is about finding your one true passion, and crushing it. The point in Gary’s book is that anything can be achieved if you truly want to. He encourages you to find out what you really want in life, and hunt it down. The lessons in Crush It could be applied to many marketing campaigns and business goals.
Order Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk on Amazon today
Jay Baer – Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help Not Hype
Jay Baer is a keynote speaker that works with organisations around the world to help them get more customers and win more business. His book, Youtility is a New York Times best-seller. He also runs one of the most respected marketing blogs in the world over at Convince and Convert.
Youtility offers a new approach to winning business. Rather than being pushy and vying for everyone’s attention with interruptive advertising, Jay’s book asks you to think “How can we help?” Youtility encourages you to cut through advertising clutter and make lifelong customers. By genuinely helping people, you can create customers for life.
Order Youtility by Jay Baer on Amazon today
Michael Hyatt – Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
Michael Hyatt is one of the top business bloggers in the world. Over at his website michaelhyatt.com, Michael provides near daily articles to help both marketers and people that have their own business. He’s providing real value while helping people get the life they want.
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. The book is about building a platform that serves as a foundation for your business. He shows you what marketers, authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs and more are doing today to make themselves stand out in a crowded market space.
Order Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt on Amazon today
Ryan Levesque – Ask
Ryan Levesque is a marketing expert, coach and consultant and is the creator of RocketMemory and SurveyFunnel among others. Ryan has been featured in CNBC, Yahoo Finance, The Miami Herald, The San Francisco Chronicle and more.
Ask is based on the idea that you shouldn’t have to guess what your prospects and leads are thinking. In the book, Ryan provides a system known as The Ask Formula that helps you discover exactly what people want from you, and how to deliver it to them. Other authors on this list, such as Pat Flynn, have raved about Ryan’s book, and even reviewed it on his TV show, spiTV.
Order Ask by Ryan Levesque on Amazon today
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan – The ONE Thing
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan are regular collaborators and as well as The ONE Thing, they’ve wrote a number of other books together such as The Millionaire Real Estate Investor.
The ONE Thing deviates from their pattern of releasing real estate themed books and has been very well received the world over. In this book you’ll learn to cut through clutter, build momentum towards your goals, dial down on stress and master what matters to you. “The ONE Thing is a New York Times bestseller which delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life.”
Order The ONE Thing by Gary Kellyer and Jay Papasan on Amazon today
David Meerman Scott – The New Rules of Marketing and PR
David Meerman Scott is an online marketing strategist. David is an internationally acclaimed bestseller whose books and blogs are must reads for marketing professionals. If you’re looking to grow your business or strive in the role you work in, David’s material is for you.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR offers a step by step plan to help you harness the power of modern marketing methods. The New Rules of Marketing and PR is full of compelling case studies, real world examples of using content to success and inbound marketing strategies and tactics. The book was written for marketing professionals and entrepreneurs who want to grow their business or create success.
Order The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott on Amazon today
Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie was a writer and lecturer renowned for his courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training and more. He wrote several books over his career, including one of the first best-selling self-help books, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
How to Win Friends and Influence people was published in 1936, and it’s content is still as relevant today as it was then. The book itself contains a list of expectations at the beginning, explaining to the reader what they’ll get out of reading it. Among them are, increasing your popularity, how to make connections quickly and easily, increase earning power, winning new clients and more. The book promises to your your relationships around and improve interaction with everyone in your life.
Order How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie on Amazon today
Ann Handley – Everybody Writes
Ann Handley is a veteran of creating and managing digital content and relationships. As well as being a Wall Street Jorunal bestseller, Ann is a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine.
Everybody Writes is the go to guide to developing leads, attracting customers and retaining relationships through the written word. Ann explains in her book that in this digital, content drive age, we’re all writers. By reading Everybody Writes, you’ll learn how to write better, improve your grammar, learn best practises and more. Everybody Writes is the ultimate field guide for businesses that know great content is key.
Order everybody writes by Ann Handley on Amazon today
Ekaterina Walter – The Power of Visual Storytelling
Ekaterina Walter has led strategic and marketing strategies for Fortune 500 companies Intel and Accenture. A Wall Street Journal bestseller, Ekaterina is a regular contributor to Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., The Huffington Post and more.
The Power of Visual Storytelling best summed up by the quotes of some other writers on this list:
“This book is not only a complete overview of [visual storytelling] but, most importantly, the key to doing it right, a total Right Hook!” Gary Vaynerchuk
“A valuable guide to understanding how to develop powerful marketing programs using the art of visual storytelling.” Guy Kawasaki
Order The Power of Visual Storytelling by Ekaterina Walter on Amazon today
Russell Glass and Sean Callahan – The Big Data-Driven Business
Russell Glass is the head of products at LinkedIn and is the co-author of The Big Data Driven Business alongside Sean Callahan.
The Big Data Driven Business makes the case that big data is for real and as business owners and marketers, you should be using it. It uses case studies and examples from Apple to Blackberry to demonstrate the future of the big data revolution. In the book, you’ll learn what big data is, what corporations have done with big data and how you can use it to drive your business forward.
Order The Big Data Driven Business by Russell Glass and Sean Callahan on Amazon today
Napoleon Hill – Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill was an American author working in the new thought movement area of study. When he died in 1970, his most successful book was, and remains, Think and Grow Rich.
Think and Grow Rich is labelled as “the most important financial book ever written.” In the book, Hill researches and writes about more than forty millionaires to find out about their journey, and how they got to millionaire status. It’s an interesting look into the psyche of people and once you’ve read the book, you’ll understand more about human nature and willing than ever before.
Order Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on Amazon today
Jonah Berger – Contagious
Jonah Berger is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His primary field of study is around word of mouth, social and viral marketing. Making the title of his book, Contagious, highly relevant.
Contagious is a study into why some products and/or ideas are talked about more than others. Jonah tries to answer the question of virality. What makes a YouTube video spread like wildfire? Whether you’re in the marketing department at a Fortune 500 company, an SME or own your own business, Contagious will help you succeed, and understand how you can best put your advertising budget to use.
Order Contagious by Jonah Berger on Amazon today
Guy Kawasaki – The Art of Social Media
We all know Guy Kawasaki. If you don’t, he was one of the marketing executives at Apple that were responsible for marketing their Macintosh computer in 1984. He’s also on the Board of Trustees at Wikimedia.
His book, The Art of Social Media, is a no-nonsense guide to becoming a social media superstar. It’s no secret that social networks can have a make or break effect on your business. The Art of Social media is filled with more than 100 practical tips and tricks to help you rock your chosen social network.
Order The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki on Amazon today
There are huge amounts of marketing books, and we might have missed out some great books. If you have any recommendations that you’d like to see added to the list, let us know if the comments below.
20 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2017
20 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2017
As 2016 winds down, it’s time to take a moment and consider the things for which we are truly thankful. Marketers in particular have plenty of reasons to feel grateful. Social media gives us unlimited opportunities to connect. Tech is making it easier to personalize at scale. The tools at our disposal are more intuitive and powerful, helping us redefine what’s possible.
More than any of these, though, we can be thankful for a vocation that rewards constant growth. There’s always something new to learn. Every lesson learned, every new skill mastered, can translate directly to better marketing with more meaningful results.
Each of the books on this list is a teacher in your continuing marketing education. We’re thankful for each of them, and for the authors who took the time to recommend their own favorites.
1. The Content Formula: Calculate the ROI of Content Marketing & Never Waste Money Again, by Michael Brenner & Liz Bedor
Making a business case for content marketing is still a challenge for many marketers. The Content Formula shows how to build ROI measurement into the process. It’s a blueprint for creating a content marketing program that will last, earning and proving its value over and over again.
Michael Recommends: Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing by Robert Rose & Carla Johnson
“I recommend it because it helps lay out the picture of how marketing is changing dramatically from interruption and promotion to storytelling that people actually might want to read and share. And this will truly drive transformation across the entire business - from one focused on pushing products, to one focused on solving customer problems through end-to-end experiences.”
2. Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing, by Andy Crestodina
Content Chemistry is both a collection of great content marketing advice, and an example of what you can get by following that advice. Andy used the methods he outlines in this creative, engaging book to create the book itself; its success is proof positive that his advice is sound.
Andy Recommends: Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact by Feras Alhlou, Shiraz Asif & Eric Fettman
“It covers everything, including things like ’multi-channel funnel conversion segments’ ...so I'll admit, not all of it is relevant to everyone. But most of it is. This book is a goldmine of simple explanations into everything you need to know about GA. It's 600 pages so it won't fit into a stocking, but a lot of marketers, beginner and advanced, should have this on their holiday gift list.”
3. Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age, by Gini Dietrich
“Authenticity” may be the buzziest buzzword in 2016, but it’s still a challenge for many brands. Gini was ahead of the trend in 2014. She makes the simple but powerful point that people don’t like a manufactured, artificial message. Spin Sucks is an instruction manual for letting go of perfection and communicating with honesty and integrity, to form honest relationships with consumers.
Gini Recommends: Hug Your Haters by Jay Baer
“I really didn’t think I needed to read this. It’s a customer service book and I run a PR firm with a handful of clients, all of whom we have personal relationships with and almost know what they’re thinking before they do. But a colleague recommended it for our internal monthly book club and I was pleasantly surprised at the different things my entire team took from it. If you have customers, this is a must-read.”
4. Full Funnel Marketing, by Matt Heinz
Marketing has historically been more concerned with the early stages of buying—creating awareness and generating leads. To prove our value to the C-suite, though, we need to be concerned with the entire buyer’s journey. We must know exactly how our efforts contribute to revenue, and that means owning a bigger part of the process and working more closely with sales. Matt’s book is a great primer on how to make it happen.
Matt Recommends: The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results by Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner & Nick Toman
“It’s a sequel of sorts to The Challenger Sale, and really gets into how to navigate internal buying committees at complex B2B targets. Super-important for companies selling into B2B, tackling account-based marketing, etc.”
5. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days, by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky & Braden Kowitz
Sprint isn’t a marketing book in the strictest sense. But it teaches a method of organizing work that is especially useful for marketers. Sprinting is intended to foster creativity and encourage innovation, all while keeping the focus on deliverables. It’s a model many agencies are beginning to adopt with impressive results.
Jake Recommends: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport
“It’s a thoughtful examination of how to do the work that matters.”
6. Digital Influencer: A Guide to Achieving Influencer Status Online, by John Lincoln
Have you ever envied the people in your industry who not only have a sizable following, but can move that audience to action? If you want to develop a powerful personal brand, this book can help you get there. If you would rather stay out of the limelight, the tips found here can help you develop your corporate brand’s influence, too.
John Recommends: Winning by Jack Welch & Suzy Welch
“I was totally blown away. Although I do have an MBA and I've been working in business for quite a few years, I've never been exposed to business at the level Jack talks about in his book. Although the book talks about business in general, there's some really good insight for people in marketing. This book can teach marketers how every specific segment of business applies to the overall organization. Marketers can apply this information to their everyday tasks such as reporting, projections, marketing plans and dealing with key talent on the marketing side. I read a lot of great books on marketing but this one is unique in that it gives you that top-level business experience that you can't find anywhere else.”
7. Buyer Personas: How to Gain Insight into Your Customer’s Expectations, Align Your Marketing Strategies, and Win More Business, by Adele Revella
All too often, marketers base buyer personas on intuition and guesswork instead of data. We end up creating these compelling characters that have little relationship to how people make purchasing decisions. Buyer Personas brings some much-needed discipline and science to the creation of personas, reclaiming their purpose and their usefulness.
Adele Recommends: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini
“I love this simple explanation of the science behind a persuasive argument. For marketers who believe that engagement alone is insufficient, and that we need to do more to affect our customer’s buying decision, this is a must read.”
8. Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become?, by Michael Schrage
The question in this book’s title suggests a far deeper approach to understanding an audience than we’re used to. It’s not “What do you want your customer to do?” Rather, Michael asks us to consider how we are planning on changing a customer’s life.
Michael’s Recommendation: Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy—And How to Make Them Work for You by Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne & Sangeet Paul Choudary
“It does an excellent job not just of synthesizing and summarizing how the underlying economics dynamics of ‘platforms’ are different than ‘service’ and/or ‘product’ businesses, but explains and explores how ‘network effects’ redefine how users can add value for other users. This is a major theme of my own research and advisory work and, indeed, one of the reasons why companies like LinkedIn, Amazon, Netflix and Uber command such marketplace premiums. The strategic/operational/cultural challenges of ‘platformizing’ one’s product/service portfolios—not merely ‘digitizing’ them—will increasingly consume more time and thought from enterprise leaderships.”
9. It’s Not Rocket Science: 7 Game-Changing Traits for Uncommon Success, by Mary Spio
Mary Spio started as a barefoot girl in Ghana and now runs a cutting-edge virtual reality company. Along the way she worked with the government and scrappy startups like Boeing. And, yes, became an actual bona-fide rocket scientist. This book is all about accomplishing extraordinary things; it’s instructive and unbelievably inspiring.
Mary’s Recommendation: Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives by Randi Zuckerberg
“I Love Dot Complicated because it’s insightful and thought provoking yet an easy read for all audiences. It’s also an inside view of Facebook’s early days from their then Director of Market Development and spokesperson – Randi Zuckerberg.”
10. Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time, by Rory Vaden
Marketers are busy people. We seldom have the luxury to put our feet up and waste time. This book isn’t about throwing away productive time, though; it’s about taking a more thoughtful approach to how we allocate effort. Some strategic procrastinating can help us prioritize tasks and ultimately get more done in a day.
Rory’s Recommendation: The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line, by David Horsager
“In this book David shares a very researched view into how much trust can be a competitive business advantage or a huge business liability. Marketers have the opportunity to instantly build or detract from the trust of their brand, so this is a must read!”
For inspiring, informative, and entertaining reading material every day of the year, subscribe to the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions blog.
As 2016 winds down, it’s time to take a moment and consider the things for which we are truly thankful. Marketers in particular have plenty of reasons to feel grateful. Social media gives us unlimited opportunities to connect. Tech is making it easier to personalize at scale. The tools at our disposal are more intuitive and powerful, helping us redefine what’s possible.
More than any of these, though, we can be thankful for a vocation that rewards constant growth. There’s always something new to learn. Every lesson learned, every new skill mastered, can translate directly to better marketing with more meaningful results.
Each of the books on this list is a teacher in your continuing marketing education. We’re thankful for each of them, and for the authors who took the time to recommend their own favorites.
1. The Content Formula: Calculate the ROI of Content Marketing & Never Waste Money Again, by Michael Brenner & Liz Bedor
Making a business case for content marketing is still a challenge for many marketers. The Content Formula shows how to build ROI measurement into the process. It’s a blueprint for creating a content marketing program that will last, earning and proving its value over and over again.
Michael Recommends: Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing by Robert Rose & Carla Johnson
“I recommend it because it helps lay out the picture of how marketing is changing dramatically from interruption and promotion to storytelling that people actually might want to read and share. And this will truly drive transformation across the entire business - from one focused on pushing products, to one focused on solving customer problems through end-to-end experiences.”
2. Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing, by Andy Crestodina
Content Chemistry is both a collection of great content marketing advice, and an example of what you can get by following that advice. Andy used the methods he outlines in this creative, engaging book to create the book itself; its success is proof positive that his advice is sound.
Andy Recommends: Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact by Feras Alhlou, Shiraz Asif & Eric Fettman
“It covers everything, including things like ’multi-channel funnel conversion segments’ ...so I'll admit, not all of it is relevant to everyone. But most of it is. This book is a goldmine of simple explanations into everything you need to know about GA. It's 600 pages so it won't fit into a stocking, but a lot of marketers, beginner and advanced, should have this on their holiday gift list.”
3. Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age, by Gini Dietrich
“Authenticity” may be the buzziest buzzword in 2016, but it’s still a challenge for many brands. Gini was ahead of the trend in 2014. She makes the simple but powerful point that people don’t like a manufactured, artificial message. Spin Sucks is an instruction manual for letting go of perfection and communicating with honesty and integrity, to form honest relationships with consumers.
Gini Recommends: Hug Your Haters by Jay Baer
“I really didn’t think I needed to read this. It’s a customer service book and I run a PR firm with a handful of clients, all of whom we have personal relationships with and almost know what they’re thinking before they do. But a colleague recommended it for our internal monthly book club and I was pleasantly surprised at the different things my entire team took from it. If you have customers, this is a must-read.”
4. Full Funnel Marketing, by Matt Heinz
Marketing has historically been more concerned with the early stages of buying—creating awareness and generating leads. To prove our value to the C-suite, though, we need to be concerned with the entire buyer’s journey. We must know exactly how our efforts contribute to revenue, and that means owning a bigger part of the process and working more closely with sales. Matt’s book is a great primer on how to make it happen.
Matt Recommends: The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results by Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner & Nick Toman
“It’s a sequel of sorts to The Challenger Sale, and really gets into how to navigate internal buying committees at complex B2B targets. Super-important for companies selling into B2B, tackling account-based marketing, etc.”
5. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days, by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky & Braden Kowitz
Sprint isn’t a marketing book in the strictest sense. But it teaches a method of organizing work that is especially useful for marketers. Sprinting is intended to foster creativity and encourage innovation, all while keeping the focus on deliverables. It’s a model many agencies are beginning to adopt with impressive results.
Jake Recommends: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport
“It’s a thoughtful examination of how to do the work that matters.”
6. Digital Influencer: A Guide to Achieving Influencer Status Online, by John Lincoln
Have you ever envied the people in your industry who not only have a sizable following, but can move that audience to action? If you want to develop a powerful personal brand, this book can help you get there. If you would rather stay out of the limelight, the tips found here can help you develop your corporate brand’s influence, too.
John Recommends: Winning by Jack Welch & Suzy Welch
“I was totally blown away. Although I do have an MBA and I've been working in business for quite a few years, I've never been exposed to business at the level Jack talks about in his book. Although the book talks about business in general, there's some really good insight for people in marketing. This book can teach marketers how every specific segment of business applies to the overall organization. Marketers can apply this information to their everyday tasks such as reporting, projections, marketing plans and dealing with key talent on the marketing side. I read a lot of great books on marketing but this one is unique in that it gives you that top-level business experience that you can't find anywhere else.”
7. Buyer Personas: How to Gain Insight into Your Customer’s Expectations, Align Your Marketing Strategies, and Win More Business, by Adele Revella
All too often, marketers base buyer personas on intuition and guesswork instead of data. We end up creating these compelling characters that have little relationship to how people make purchasing decisions. Buyer Personas brings some much-needed discipline and science to the creation of personas, reclaiming their purpose and their usefulness.
Adele Recommends: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini
“I love this simple explanation of the science behind a persuasive argument. For marketers who believe that engagement alone is insufficient, and that we need to do more to affect our customer’s buying decision, this is a must read.”
8. Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become?, by Michael Schrage
The question in this book’s title suggests a far deeper approach to understanding an audience than we’re used to. It’s not “What do you want your customer to do?” Rather, Michael asks us to consider how we are planning on changing a customer’s life.
Michael’s Recommendation: Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy—And How to Make Them Work for You by Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne & Sangeet Paul Choudary
“It does an excellent job not just of synthesizing and summarizing how the underlying economics dynamics of ‘platforms’ are different than ‘service’ and/or ‘product’ businesses, but explains and explores how ‘network effects’ redefine how users can add value for other users. This is a major theme of my own research and advisory work and, indeed, one of the reasons why companies like LinkedIn, Amazon, Netflix and Uber command such marketplace premiums. The strategic/operational/cultural challenges of ‘platformizing’ one’s product/service portfolios—not merely ‘digitizing’ them—will increasingly consume more time and thought from enterprise leaderships.”
9. It’s Not Rocket Science: 7 Game-Changing Traits for Uncommon Success, by Mary Spio
Mary Spio started as a barefoot girl in Ghana and now runs a cutting-edge virtual reality company. Along the way she worked with the government and scrappy startups like Boeing. And, yes, became an actual bona-fide rocket scientist. This book is all about accomplishing extraordinary things; it’s instructive and unbelievably inspiring.
Mary’s Recommendation: Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives by Randi Zuckerberg
“I Love Dot Complicated because it’s insightful and thought provoking yet an easy read for all audiences. It’s also an inside view of Facebook’s early days from their then Director of Market Development and spokesperson – Randi Zuckerberg.”
10. Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time, by Rory Vaden
Marketers are busy people. We seldom have the luxury to put our feet up and waste time. This book isn’t about throwing away productive time, though; it’s about taking a more thoughtful approach to how we allocate effort. Some strategic procrastinating can help us prioritize tasks and ultimately get more done in a day.
Rory’s Recommendation: The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line, by David Horsager
“In this book David shares a very researched view into how much trust can be a competitive business advantage or a huge business liability. Marketers have the opportunity to instantly build or detract from the trust of their brand, so this is a must read!”
For inspiring, informative, and entertaining reading material every day of the year, subscribe to the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions blog.
20 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2015
20 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2015
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about.” – Benjamin Franklin
In the ever-evolving word of content marketing, it is more important than ever to be current on the latest trends and tips from those in the know.
Here you will find a collection of books from authors who not only continue to make waves in our industry, but consistently create helpful content to share findings and inspire marketers around the globe.
We have curated a list of must-reads from the top 10 marketing authors – their personal penned works, plus I've asked them to "pay-it-forward" by recommending their favorite reads for marketers (outside their own, of course). The result: A library of content goodness to consume year-round. Enjoy!
Marketing Books Worth a Look: Recommended Reading from Top Authors
1. Ann Handley
EverybodyWrites
Her work: Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
Ann's new book was our very first "Marketing Book Worth a Look" feature this year. So naturally we can't say enough good things about it.
NewRules
Her recommendation: The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott
In Ann's words: This book changed the way I think about marketing and inspired me to write Content Rules. I can't recommend it enough.
2. Jay Baer
Youtility
His work: Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype
One of my favorite takeaways from this marketing must-read: "If you sell something, you make a customer today. But if you help someone, you create a customer for life." Super helpful all around.
Audience
His recommendation: Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans and Followers by Jeff Rohrs
3. Ekaterina Walter
VizStory
Her work: The Power of Visual Storytelling: How to Use Visuals, Videos, and Social Media to Market Your Brand
Best-selling author Ekaterina Walter teamed up with Jessica Gioglio to not just tell but show us how to capture the power of visual storytelling, in the most visually compelling way possible. So many great examples in this one!
brainsonfirepassionconvo
Her Recommendation: Brains on Fire and The Passion Conversation by the team at the word of mouth marketing agency Brains on Fire
In Ekaterina's words: The books remind us that we are in the people business and show us what it takes to make people fall passionately in love with your organization or cause and how to create and nurture a movement around your brand.
4. Jason Miller
WelcomeFunnel
His work: Welcome to The Funnel: Proven Tactics to Turn Your Social and Content Marketing up to 11
You may recognize Jason's new "big rock" of content from our October feature in the "Marketing Book Worth a Look" series.
IgnoreEverybodyHis recommendation: Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
In Jason's words: While this isn’t necessarily a book about marketing or social media, I found it to be incredibly relevant as it brings a very fresh perspective on how to think differently and stand out from the crowd. MacLeod offers 39 Keys to Creativity that changed the way I think about social, content, work, life and pretty much everything in between. This one was a game changer for me.
5. Lee Odden
optimize
His work: Optimize: How to Attract and Engage More Customers by Integrating SEO, Social Media, and Content Marketing
I'm privileged to have received a copy of this one direct from Lee, and can honestly say -- the man knows how to help marketers optimize their efforts to attract, engage and convert customers.
thinkgrow
His recommendation: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
In Lee's words: A classic with plenty of relevant lessons for business, marketing and entrepreneurship.
6. Brian Solis
wtfbusiness
His work: What's the Future of Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences
If we're not in the business of creating amazing experiences for our customers, what business are we really in? I love how Brian makes us pause and think in this great read.
IgnoreEverybody
His recommendation: Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
(Yep, that's two votes for Hugh. Go Hugh!)
7. Pam Didner
globalcontentmarketing
Her work: Global Content Marketing: How to Create Great Content, Reach More Customers, and Build a Worldwide Marketing Strategy that Works
Scaling content marketing effort globally has become increasingly important in today's connected age, and Pam provides the strategic insight to set marketers up for success.
pirate
Her recommendation: The Pirate's Dilemma: How Youth Culture is Reinventing Capitalism by Matt Mason
In Pam's words: It's a fun read and explores various youth movements impact our society.
8. Sean Callahan
big data drivenHis work: The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors, and Boost Profits
This new big data book from co-authors Sean Callahan and Russell Glass was a big hit as our November "Marketing Book Worth a Look."
challengersale
His recommendation: The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson of CEB
In Sean's words: The book takes a buzz saw to the conventional view of salespeople as relationship builders. Instead, Dixon and Adamson make the case that the most effective salespeople challenge the status quo and bring their prospects new and useful ideas, which are sometimes difficult to accept at first. As the pair write in the book, “Customer have been demanding more depth and expertise. They expect salespeople to teach them things they don’t know.” While the book is obviously for salespeople, it’s also critically important for marketers, who can help the sales team craft presentations that deliver challenging flashes of insight to prospects.
9. C.C. Chapman
contentrules
His work: Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
If you haven't read this essential guide to all things content, co-authors C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley will make you believe.
madetostick
His recommendation: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip & Dan Heath
In C.C.'s words: Only when you fully understand and appreciate the concepts in this book can you be truly successful in today's online media world. It is the first book I tell everyone they should read when entering this space.
10. Joe Pulizzi
epic
His work: Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less
Joe knows how to throw a Content Marketing bash in Cleveland. He also knows how to deliver an epic resource in this book for content marketers.
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about.” – Benjamin Franklin
In the ever-evolving word of content marketing, it is more important than ever to be current on the latest trends and tips from those in the know.
Here you will find a collection of books from authors who not only continue to make waves in our industry, but consistently create helpful content to share findings and inspire marketers around the globe.
We have curated a list of must-reads from the top 10 marketing authors – their personal penned works, plus I've asked them to "pay-it-forward" by recommending their favorite reads for marketers (outside their own, of course). The result: A library of content goodness to consume year-round. Enjoy!
Marketing Books Worth a Look: Recommended Reading from Top Authors
1. Ann Handley
EverybodyWrites
Her work: Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
Ann's new book was our very first "Marketing Book Worth a Look" feature this year. So naturally we can't say enough good things about it.
NewRules
Her recommendation: The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott
In Ann's words: This book changed the way I think about marketing and inspired me to write Content Rules. I can't recommend it enough.
2. Jay Baer
Youtility
His work: Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype
One of my favorite takeaways from this marketing must-read: "If you sell something, you make a customer today. But if you help someone, you create a customer for life." Super helpful all around.
Audience
His recommendation: Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans and Followers by Jeff Rohrs
3. Ekaterina Walter
VizStory
Her work: The Power of Visual Storytelling: How to Use Visuals, Videos, and Social Media to Market Your Brand
Best-selling author Ekaterina Walter teamed up with Jessica Gioglio to not just tell but show us how to capture the power of visual storytelling, in the most visually compelling way possible. So many great examples in this one!
brainsonfirepassionconvo
Her Recommendation: Brains on Fire and The Passion Conversation by the team at the word of mouth marketing agency Brains on Fire
In Ekaterina's words: The books remind us that we are in the people business and show us what it takes to make people fall passionately in love with your organization or cause and how to create and nurture a movement around your brand.
4. Jason Miller
WelcomeFunnel
His work: Welcome to The Funnel: Proven Tactics to Turn Your Social and Content Marketing up to 11
You may recognize Jason's new "big rock" of content from our October feature in the "Marketing Book Worth a Look" series.
IgnoreEverybodyHis recommendation: Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
In Jason's words: While this isn’t necessarily a book about marketing or social media, I found it to be incredibly relevant as it brings a very fresh perspective on how to think differently and stand out from the crowd. MacLeod offers 39 Keys to Creativity that changed the way I think about social, content, work, life and pretty much everything in between. This one was a game changer for me.
5. Lee Odden
optimize
His work: Optimize: How to Attract and Engage More Customers by Integrating SEO, Social Media, and Content Marketing
I'm privileged to have received a copy of this one direct from Lee, and can honestly say -- the man knows how to help marketers optimize their efforts to attract, engage and convert customers.
thinkgrow
His recommendation: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
In Lee's words: A classic with plenty of relevant lessons for business, marketing and entrepreneurship.
6. Brian Solis
wtfbusiness
His work: What's the Future of Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences
If we're not in the business of creating amazing experiences for our customers, what business are we really in? I love how Brian makes us pause and think in this great read.
IgnoreEverybody
His recommendation: Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
(Yep, that's two votes for Hugh. Go Hugh!)
7. Pam Didner
globalcontentmarketing
Her work: Global Content Marketing: How to Create Great Content, Reach More Customers, and Build a Worldwide Marketing Strategy that Works
Scaling content marketing effort globally has become increasingly important in today's connected age, and Pam provides the strategic insight to set marketers up for success.
pirate
Her recommendation: The Pirate's Dilemma: How Youth Culture is Reinventing Capitalism by Matt Mason
In Pam's words: It's a fun read and explores various youth movements impact our society.
8. Sean Callahan
big data drivenHis work: The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors, and Boost Profits
This new big data book from co-authors Sean Callahan and Russell Glass was a big hit as our November "Marketing Book Worth a Look."
challengersale
His recommendation: The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson of CEB
In Sean's words: The book takes a buzz saw to the conventional view of salespeople as relationship builders. Instead, Dixon and Adamson make the case that the most effective salespeople challenge the status quo and bring their prospects new and useful ideas, which are sometimes difficult to accept at first. As the pair write in the book, “Customer have been demanding more depth and expertise. They expect salespeople to teach them things they don’t know.” While the book is obviously for salespeople, it’s also critically important for marketers, who can help the sales team craft presentations that deliver challenging flashes of insight to prospects.
9. C.C. Chapman
contentrules
His work: Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
If you haven't read this essential guide to all things content, co-authors C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley will make you believe.
madetostick
His recommendation: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip & Dan Heath
In C.C.'s words: Only when you fully understand and appreciate the concepts in this book can you be truly successful in today's online media world. It is the first book I tell everyone they should read when entering this space.
10. Joe Pulizzi
epic
His work: Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less
Joe knows how to throw a Content Marketing bash in Cleveland. He also knows how to deliver an epic resource in this book for content marketers.
20 Best Marketing Books Of All Time
What are the best marketing books of all time?
It's a question that I get asked, multiple times per week via email. It seems like people just coming out of school or professionals looking to up their game want to know not just what the latest and greatest books are, but which ones would be considered the seminal books on the subject of marketing. So, if I were putting together a MBA program with a focus on marketing, and was gifted the privilege of providing the reading list, these would be the ones that make the final cut.
The 20 Best Marketing Books Of All Time (in alphabetical order):
1. The Anatomy Of Buzz by Emanuel Rosen.
Before word of mouth marketing became a profession unto itself, Rosen was busy trying to figure out why certain brands get attention and how they do it. This is one of those classic business books that every marketer should read.
2. The Art Of The Pitch by Peter Coughter.
If you are in marketing, you will have to get good at presenting and selling your ideas. I've read countless books on the topic, and this is the only one worthy of reading, studying and applying. Woe the marketer that doesn't heed these words.
3. The Cluetrain Manifesto by Chris Locke, Doc Searls, David Weinberger and Rick Levine.
If you could point your finger at one book that changed the face of marketing, it would be this one. The entire social media movement came out of this book. Long before Facebook and Twitter, this visionary book told the tale of everything we believe and hold dear in these times of inter-connectedness.
4. Seth Godin.
I am cheating here (so, sue me). Not only could I not choose just one book by Seth Godin, but I found it hard to choose only five. So, I made my life easy by doing this. Buy and read everything Godin has published. Permission Marketing? Yes! Purple Cow? Of course! Unleashing The Ideavirus? You better! Linchpin? If you're interested in a future, yes! The Icarus Deception? How could you not? I could go on and on (The Dip!), but I'm hopeful that you get the idea. Buy all of his books. You won't regret it!
![Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by [Godin, Seth]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JSMt7FEUL.jpg)
5. Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky.
This book is not for the timid. Shirky is more academic than fluff, and this book dives deep into technology and social media with beautiful and high-brow writing. So well written and researched. It is a gem.
6. Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan.
When was the last time that you read a business book and laughed out loud? Yes, this book is that funny, but it's also one of the best books out there on what makes an ad great, and how to push yourself to create a great one as well. Written by a copywriter, this book demonstrates the power of words and the power of spending the time to find the right words.
7. Influence by Robert Cialdini.
An incredible book about how we make decisions and what influences them (hint: it's not what you think)... and this was published long before behavioral economics became so very cool. This is profoundly powerful because of all of the science and research behind this book. Most marketers haven't paid any attention to this book, and it shows in the vast majority of terrible work that we're exposing the public to.
8. The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen.
Marketing isn't just about the ads. Marketing is also about the product and how to bring it to market. So many companies do everything right and yet still lose market share. If you're interested in marketing and you haven't read this book, it is a must-read.
9. Life After The 30-Second Spot by Joseph Jaffe.
Another one of those seminal books that you can look back at and marvel at just how prescient it was. This one is almost a decade old, but still resonates with some very deep thinking about where advertising is going.
10. The Little Red Book Of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer.
Don't be fooled by the title. This simple, fun and short book is full of how to better position, market and sell both yourself and the products and services that you represent. In fact, anything by Gitomer is well-worth your time. This just happens to be one that I re-read each and every year.
11. Made To Stick by Chip And Dan Heath.
There have been countless books written on viral marketing and how brands should tell a better story. None of them hold a candle to this one. Perhaps one of the best books ever written on how a brand can (and should) tell a story (and how to do it).
12. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi.
A key component to better understanding the power marketing is to learn about how to network and connect with others. I devoured Never Eat Alone when it first came out, and recommend that anyone trying to figure out how to better market themselves pick up this book. Stop eating lunch at your desk and get out there!
13. The New Rules Of Marketing And PR by David Meerman Scott.
This book has been updated by Scott many times over. If you're looking for the ultimate primer on social media, what it means and what it can do, this is the perfect book to bring you up to speed.
14. Ogilvy On Advertising by David Ogilvy.
What would a list like this be without a nod to one of the most well-known Mad Men of our time? David Ogilvy had a passion for advertising. He believed that it was a noble pursuit and a profession that should be taken seriously. This book is a great example of how to think like an advertising executive whose sole purpose it was to help brands sell more. Sometimes, in our digital times, it's fun to read books like this and re-think all of the analytics and optimization talk we have and get back to the advertising as a form of art.
15. Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
This is one of the "must have" books if you're in marketing. It covers a ton of space on the topic of how to brand products and services and how to place them both in market and in the mind's eye of the consumer. This should be the first book that anyone reads when they enter a Marketing 101 course.
16. Re-Imagine! by Tom Peters.
Not exactly a full-bore marketing book, but still Peters delivers in spades with this one. It's also beautifully designed, which makes it fun to read. There are countless brand stories about excellence in this one.
17. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
A wise individual once said to me that Gladwell has a knack for writing books that business leaders feel stupid for not having on their bookshelves. Pretty poignant and true. The Tipping Point is great because it helps marketers better understand the inflection point that happens when a product is ho-hum and how it then takes off like a rocket. It's not really science so much as cultural, but it's fascinating.
18. Waiting For Your Cat To Bark? by Bryan and Jeffrey Einsenberg.
The Eisenberg brothers posses an expertise unlike any other. They are experts at understanding and explaining the power of marketing optimization. Sadly, this is one of the most important aspects of the marketing sphere that most professionals spend little-to-no-time working on. This book is chock full of practical and powerful advice about consumers and how to help them by making your marketing easier to follow.
19. Web Analytics 2.0 by Avinash Kaushik.
If you have spent more than two minutes reading any of my content, you will know that I am an unabashed fanboy of Avinash Kaushik, the digital marketing evangelist at Google. In fact, the notion of Sex With Data from CTRL ALT Delete was heavily inspired by Kaushik's work/thinking. Most marketers eyes glaze over when they hear the word 'analytics,' but thankfully Kaushik is here to help make it fascinating and important. This book is packed with ideas about how to think better about your marketing and what it's capable of doing.
20. Where The Suckers Moon by Randall Rothenberg.
Most people in my world know Rothenberg as the President and CEO of the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau). What most people don't know is that in 1995, he authored this book. A book that is, without a doubt, one of the best books on the advertising industry.
Anything missing? What would you add?
It's a question that I get asked, multiple times per week via email. It seems like people just coming out of school or professionals looking to up their game want to know not just what the latest and greatest books are, but which ones would be considered the seminal books on the subject of marketing. So, if I were putting together a MBA program with a focus on marketing, and was gifted the privilege of providing the reading list, these would be the ones that make the final cut.
The 20 Best Marketing Books Of All Time (in alphabetical order):
1. The Anatomy Of Buzz by Emanuel Rosen.
Before word of mouth marketing became a profession unto itself, Rosen was busy trying to figure out why certain brands get attention and how they do it. This is one of those classic business books that every marketer should read.
2. The Art Of The Pitch by Peter Coughter.
If you are in marketing, you will have to get good at presenting and selling your ideas. I've read countless books on the topic, and this is the only one worthy of reading, studying and applying. Woe the marketer that doesn't heed these words.
3. The Cluetrain Manifesto by Chris Locke, Doc Searls, David Weinberger and Rick Levine.
If you could point your finger at one book that changed the face of marketing, it would be this one. The entire social media movement came out of this book. Long before Facebook and Twitter, this visionary book told the tale of everything we believe and hold dear in these times of inter-connectedness.
4. Seth Godin.
I am cheating here (so, sue me). Not only could I not choose just one book by Seth Godin, but I found it hard to choose only five. So, I made my life easy by doing this. Buy and read everything Godin has published. Permission Marketing? Yes! Purple Cow? Of course! Unleashing The Ideavirus? You better! Linchpin? If you're interested in a future, yes! The Icarus Deception? How could you not? I could go on and on (The Dip!), but I'm hopeful that you get the idea. Buy all of his books. You won't regret it!
5. Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky.
This book is not for the timid. Shirky is more academic than fluff, and this book dives deep into technology and social media with beautiful and high-brow writing. So well written and researched. It is a gem.
6. Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan.
When was the last time that you read a business book and laughed out loud? Yes, this book is that funny, but it's also one of the best books out there on what makes an ad great, and how to push yourself to create a great one as well. Written by a copywriter, this book demonstrates the power of words and the power of spending the time to find the right words.
7. Influence by Robert Cialdini.
An incredible book about how we make decisions and what influences them (hint: it's not what you think)... and this was published long before behavioral economics became so very cool. This is profoundly powerful because of all of the science and research behind this book. Most marketers haven't paid any attention to this book, and it shows in the vast majority of terrible work that we're exposing the public to.
8. The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen.
Marketing isn't just about the ads. Marketing is also about the product and how to bring it to market. So many companies do everything right and yet still lose market share. If you're interested in marketing and you haven't read this book, it is a must-read.
9. Life After The 30-Second Spot by Joseph Jaffe.
Another one of those seminal books that you can look back at and marvel at just how prescient it was. This one is almost a decade old, but still resonates with some very deep thinking about where advertising is going.
10. The Little Red Book Of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer.
Don't be fooled by the title. This simple, fun and short book is full of how to better position, market and sell both yourself and the products and services that you represent. In fact, anything by Gitomer is well-worth your time. This just happens to be one that I re-read each and every year.
11. Made To Stick by Chip And Dan Heath.
There have been countless books written on viral marketing and how brands should tell a better story. None of them hold a candle to this one. Perhaps one of the best books ever written on how a brand can (and should) tell a story (and how to do it).
12. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi.
A key component to better understanding the power marketing is to learn about how to network and connect with others. I devoured Never Eat Alone when it first came out, and recommend that anyone trying to figure out how to better market themselves pick up this book. Stop eating lunch at your desk and get out there!
13. The New Rules Of Marketing And PR by David Meerman Scott.
This book has been updated by Scott many times over. If you're looking for the ultimate primer on social media, what it means and what it can do, this is the perfect book to bring you up to speed.
14. Ogilvy On Advertising by David Ogilvy.
What would a list like this be without a nod to one of the most well-known Mad Men of our time? David Ogilvy had a passion for advertising. He believed that it was a noble pursuit and a profession that should be taken seriously. This book is a great example of how to think like an advertising executive whose sole purpose it was to help brands sell more. Sometimes, in our digital times, it's fun to read books like this and re-think all of the analytics and optimization talk we have and get back to the advertising as a form of art.
15. Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout.
This is one of the "must have" books if you're in marketing. It covers a ton of space on the topic of how to brand products and services and how to place them both in market and in the mind's eye of the consumer. This should be the first book that anyone reads when they enter a Marketing 101 course.
16. Re-Imagine! by Tom Peters.
Not exactly a full-bore marketing book, but still Peters delivers in spades with this one. It's also beautifully designed, which makes it fun to read. There are countless brand stories about excellence in this one.
17. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
A wise individual once said to me that Gladwell has a knack for writing books that business leaders feel stupid for not having on their bookshelves. Pretty poignant and true. The Tipping Point is great because it helps marketers better understand the inflection point that happens when a product is ho-hum and how it then takes off like a rocket. It's not really science so much as cultural, but it's fascinating.
18. Waiting For Your Cat To Bark? by Bryan and Jeffrey Einsenberg.
The Eisenberg brothers posses an expertise unlike any other. They are experts at understanding and explaining the power of marketing optimization. Sadly, this is one of the most important aspects of the marketing sphere that most professionals spend little-to-no-time working on. This book is chock full of practical and powerful advice about consumers and how to help them by making your marketing easier to follow.
19. Web Analytics 2.0 by Avinash Kaushik.
If you have spent more than two minutes reading any of my content, you will know that I am an unabashed fanboy of Avinash Kaushik, the digital marketing evangelist at Google. In fact, the notion of Sex With Data from CTRL ALT Delete was heavily inspired by Kaushik's work/thinking. Most marketers eyes glaze over when they hear the word 'analytics,' but thankfully Kaushik is here to help make it fascinating and important. This book is packed with ideas about how to think better about your marketing and what it's capable of doing.
20. Where The Suckers Moon by Randall Rothenberg.
Most people in my world know Rothenberg as the President and CEO of the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau). What most people don't know is that in 1995, he authored this book. A book that is, without a doubt, one of the best books on the advertising industry.
Anything missing? What would you add?
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