Five Must Read Books for Marketers

As a marketer, you are always seeking ways to improve your professional skills and gain new insights that can make your marketing campaigns more effective. You are well aware that the marketing landscape is always changing so, for marketers, you’re always learning the new and best techniques. The good news is that there are many valuable resources out there to help guide you through the waters of marketing.

In this article, I’ll introduce you to my must-read 5 marketing books for digital marketers that are sure to help you up your marketing strategies and career.

The Purple Cow is a classic in the marketing industry and for good reason. For me personally, The Purple Cow was one of the first books that really challenged me to think about how others view and think about the products and services I sell.

In this book, Seth Godin challenges businesses to be remarkable in order to succeed, encouraging marketers to not be afraid to stand out from the crowd – hence the title, “Purple Cow”. The book teaches marketers to think outside the box and to take calculated risks to make their products and services stand out from the competition.

My biggest takeaway in The Purple Cow is the concept of creating products that are worth talking about. Seth Godin argues that marketers should focus on creating unique, standout products that draw attention and inspire conversation, rather than just relying on traditional marketing strategies to increase visibility. This shift in thinking requires marketers to fundamentally reconsider their approach to product development and promotion, necessitating creativity, innovation, and a willingness to take risks. It’s a challenge that requires stepping into the unknown, but one that can potentially lead to phenomenal success.

I’d also like to add that all of Seth’s books are fantastic reads for anyone looking to increase their marketing.

I have really enjoyed all of Chip Heath and Dan Heath’s books – it was hard to just put one on this list (see honorable mentions).

Switch is great, and though and not strictly a marketing book, Switch is a book that teaches effective change management by appealing to both the emotional and rational sides of the brain. The concepts discussed in this book can be applied to all areas of your marketing strategies, helping you to persuade your target audience to take action and make positive changes.

At its core, the book reinforces the importance of addressing both the emotional and logical aspects of decision-making to motivate action. If you’re marketing a product, service or brand, it can challenge you to consider both the emotional appeal and logical reasoning in your communication and marketing strategies.

For instance, a marketing campaign for a fitness product could evoke emotion by showcasing the joy of a healthy lifestyle, and satisfy the logical aspect by presenting concrete facts and statistics about how living a healthy life will greatly impact the quality of life.

The Heaths’ concepts of ‘finding the bright spots’ and ‘scripting the critical moves’ are instrumental in identifying successful marketing tactics and defining clear, actionable steps for generating and changing your marketing strategies as the digital world expands.

Contagious is a fascinating read that explores the power of word-of-mouth marketing and how to make your campaigns go viral. I would argue that the question that I get asked the most is, “How do I make a viral video?” to which I always say, “Build an audience that will buy from you and not just a video with a lot of view.” Contagious helps lay out a framework for allowing your marketing to spread.

The book explains the psychology behind why people share certain messages and content, providing valuable insights into creating content that is more likely to be shared and talked about online.

A key takeaway from “Contagious” by Jonah Berger is the concept of ‘Social Currency.’ This idea revolves around creating content that makes people feel special or in-the-know when they share it. By making your marketing campaigns align with your audience’s identity, you can encourage them to share your content, thereby enhancing your brand’s visibility and reach.

Another insightful takeaway is the significance of ‘Triggers.’ Triggers are stimuli that prompt people to think about related things. Berger suggests using prevalent triggers to keep your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds. For example, associating your marketing message with something frequently encountered in your audience’s daily environment can serve as a reminder of your brand, thereby engendering constant engagement.

I’d also like to mention that Jonah Berger has another book called “The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind” which is another great read. If you’ve read “Contagious” then be sure to check out “The Catalyst”.

Blue Ocean Strategy is a comprehensive guide to creating new, uncontested market spaces and making the competition irrelevant. This book encourages marketers to create new demand in order to grow their businesses, emphasizing innovation and creating value for consumers.

One of my core takeaways from Blue Ocean Strategy is the idea of ‘value innovation’. Instead of focusing on beating the competition, the authors, Kim and Mauborgne, advocate focusing on making the competition irrelevant by creating a leap in value for both the company and its customers. In today’s digital world, this could be applied by uniquely integrating digital technologies in your product or service offering, finding ways to deliver superior value by converging technology and user needs. For instance, a brand might leverage AI technology to create a personalized user experience that is significantly more valuable than anything offered by competitors, effectively creating a new, uncontested market space – their very own ‘blue ocean’.

“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” is an in-depth book about the psychology behind our actions, particularly the factors that lead us to say “yes”. Written by Dr. Robert Cialdini, who is the father of the science of persuasion, this book provides marketers with insights into the six principles of persuasion that they can use when creating their marketing strategy: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus.

Understanding these six principles can significantly enhance a marketer’s ability to influence and persuade their audience and influence them into becoming  customers. For example, the principle of reciprocity suggests that people feel obliged to give back when they receive something. Marketers can use this principle of reciprocity by offering something for free. For example an ebook, product, or a discount code to website visitors, which can compel them to reciprocate – potentially by purchasing a product or signing up for a service.

Cialdini’s “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” is a must-read for any marketer aiming to understand the underlying psychological drivers that compel consumers to make purchase decisions, and how to ethically and effectively apply these principles in marketing strategies.

I’m including Peak on this list because I think it’s a book everyone should read – especially those who are really trying to master something. Peak uses scientific evidence and looks at what truly makes people great at something and dives into the concept of deliberate practice and the expert performance revolution. This book provides a breakdown of how to excel at anything in your life (like marketing, video production, pickleball, business, etc.) by focusing on excellence and engaging in consistent practice to improve your skills and abilities, making it perfect for marketers looking to continually improve their professional skills.

I first read The Power of Moments in 2022 and it honestly has been a book I’ve kept thinking about ever since. This entire book is a fascinating read where Chip Heath and Dan Heath do a great job at discussing creating impactful moments in our life.

I have listed this as an honorable mention because my intention was to compile a list of the best books for marketers. However, similar to Peak, I believe this book is exceptional and highly recommend it to everyone, regardless of their profession.

The Power of Moments explores how marketers can create powerful, memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression on their target audience. This book provides valuable insights into how to create moments of peak engagement that keep your target audience coming back for more.

And, as stated earlier, I don’t think The Power of Moments applies only to people in marketing – if you’re a leader of any type or even a parent, there are many takeaways from this book that you could apply throughout your life.