If you are in the marketing field, you already know that no matter how many hours you put to listening to your professors at college or studying the prescribed chapters in your syllabus, it clearly does not help much in real life. The real-life problems can only be improved by experiences that you collect on the way. Well, we have compiled a list of books wherein top marketers and strategists share their experiences to help you enhance your skills!
This list of best books on marketing is for anyone who wants to market their products, start a new business, or simply enhance their existing skills. So, let’s have a look at how you are going to excel in your field with the help of these!
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries, Jack Trout
If there are rules for everything, why can’t we have rules for marketing as well? Considered as one of the best books on marketing, This book highlights the basic principles of marketing. Author Al Ries and Jack Trout are renowned marketing consultants and the best in their field. In this book, they share their wisdom to market your product well and reach your goals.
The important laws that this book covers are: Law of Leadership, Law of Category, Law of the Mind, Law of Focus, and Law of Perception. The book clearly states how marketing principles change over time and not merely work on the saying that your product is the best!
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Hooked by Nir Eyal is one of the best books on marketing in recent times. It is a short read that covers all the basic elements of marketing. It also focuses on the various techniques that keep customers engaged in a certain product and how technology plays its part in the same. It is a short book on all the underlying elements that govern the marketing of a product including psychology.
Nyal presents The Hook Model which is a four-step process that lies in the development of many companies. The basics of this are the trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. The book is based on years of research and the author’s own experiences making Hooked a valuable book for businessmen, marketers, entrepreneurs, or simply avid readers.
Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing by Harry Beckwith
This is a thoroughly researched book that contains practical knowledge about marketing as a whole. The author Beckwith gives several examples to support his theories of marketing and also covers various anecdotes that are a result of the author’s own experiences. Selling the Invisible is easy to read, entertaining, and very powerful making it one of the best books on marketing.
This book by Harry Beckwith will open your eyes to new and profound ideas on marketing. It also emphasizes on the fact why strategies like focus groups and discount pricing usually fail while marketing a product. He henceforth provides alternatives to the same and gives deep insight into the marketing world.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
In his book, Influence: the psychology of persuasion, Dr. Cialdini applies his knowledge at best in the art of persuasion. Considered as the best in the field of persuasion and influence, he gives a brief insight into the psychology of people who tend to say yes to everything. He has put his years of research, studies, and experience in this highly acclaimed book.
Cialdini makes use of six basic principles to make us understand the concept of persuasion and how it can be used well in marketing your products. Whether you are new in this field or an experienced marketer, this book will help you in every walk of life and guide you towards success. This book is highly recommended.
Made to Stick : Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Made to Stick is basically based on the concept of making your ideas memorable either while promoting your product, designing a new one, or simply forwarding an idea to the public. Chip and Dan Heath suggest ways and means to make your idea more effective in the long run, in simple words, for your idea to stick by. Use of principles like Velcro Theory of Memory, Human Scale Principle, and so on helps in the process.
This book is not at all monotonous since it not only focuses on research methods and experiments but also narrates the success stories of individuals who went out of their way to achieve their goals. It is an eye-opener and gives you a new perspective on marketing making it one of the best books on marketing.
How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding by Douglas B. Holt
Being an associate professor at Harvard Business School, Holt is one of the best in the field of marketing. All the brands that have made it big globally including Nike, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and their principles that helped them be so popular are mentioned in the book. These are not just big brands but also cultural icons. Holt actually shows us How Brands Become Icons by employing identity myths.
He extensively talks about cultural branding and its role in society. He emphasizes on advertising, creating myths and stories among the public, and henceforth, marketing a particular brand. According to Holt, creative stories play an important role in achieving success even for small brands. This extensive perspective makes this one of the best books on marketing.
Hacking Growth: How Today’s Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown
All the big companies around the world that are popular around the world did not achieve their position in a day or two. Uber failed at the start when it failed to cope up with New York City’s ongoing service of Yellow cabs. Linkedin was not heard of for many years since its launch. So, how did they make it big? The answer is growth hacking!
Sean Ellis is the founder of the growth hacking community and preaches it to many. Growth hacking involves the process of attaining customers and retaining them so that they come back for more. This book follows a series of instructions that will help you create a growth hacking strategy of your own. Highly recommended for businessmen, marketers, and start-up owners.
Future Marketing: Winning in the Prosumer Age by Jon Wuebben
Coming from the mind of a well-known marketer, Jon Wuebben, this book gives a clear picture of marketing in the coming years. Thus, it has a special mention in the best books on marketing. According to the author, this is the best time to be a marketer because the marketing industry is going to change manifolds in the coming years. Answering questions like the impact of cultural trends on marketing as to why the prosumer will be the prime customer, this book is unique in itself.
There are clear and profound philosophies and examples that Jon provides from thirty books or so to predict the future of marketing. It certainly offers a new definition of marketing that will be more effective in the future. It is the perfect handbook to identify the upcoming trends in marketing.
The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed our Minds by Michael Lewis
Based on the groundbreaking research of two Israeli scientists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, this book talks about the field of behavioral economics. It narrates the logic behind our behavior, why we do what we do, and so on. Moreover, it focuses on how simple algorithms can yield better than complicated formulas in life.
They also discovered that when people make decisions in uncertain times, they are influenced by certain biases. This whole aspect can be used in marketing strategies to yield better. A lot of psychological terms are discussed in this book which can be employed in the marketing world to influence customers.
Contagious: Why Things Catch on by Jonah Berger
Next in our list of best books on marketing is a New York Times bestseller, Contagious. Have you ever wondered what makes things popular? What are the factors that make something go viral? What is the secret behind word of mouth? Jonah answers just the right questions in this book. Our social influences shape and change the way we buy things.
Jonah talks about the six major principles that function behind every idea or product that goes viral. All the secrets that make something contagious! With breathtaking research and interesting stories, this makes for a great book. If you are anyone who wants to get an idea out in the open or wants to make their product the next big sensation in town, this book is certainly for you.
If you enjoyed this blog post, you will also enjoy our list of best books for start-up entrepreneurs, here.