10 Marketing Books Every Marketer Should Read

Marketing Books

Books are undoubtedly a significant source of knowledge, they have been with us for a long time, training from infants to doctors, is the best resource if we are talking about knowledge that lasts over time, stories that go beyond reality and techniques that can help professionals cultivate their knowledge.

They can also be a historical record of our knowledge development over time, we can revisit theories from previous years, which can be a way to strengthen a current knowledge or lead us to create a better construction of the ideas we have. 

Marketing is not far behind in topics to write about and teach in books. This is a very fascinating way to learn about the subject because human beings have changed a lot in the way we communicate, therefore also the way we sell and buy, that is why we decided to recommend 10 books that every marketer should read.

Marketing 4.0 and 5.0 by Philip Kotler

This book presents a new stage of marketing, where the best of both worlds, traditional marketing and digital marketing, must be taken to gain the support, recognition, and trust of the customer, creating and showing humanized and ethical brands.

In version 5.0, the authors discuss the major technological changes, how they affect the market and the change in both customer behavior and business models. They also offer tips and tools for implementing effective marketing strategies.

This is marketing by Seth Godin

The author invites to know the concept of marketing to know how it works, he also offers a guide to create bonds of trust with the customer.

He points out that brands should put themselves at the service of the customer and rethink the way a product or service is presented to the public, in case they hear some complaints or do not see positive results.

What is most interesting is that the author talks about marketing as something positive, not as a form of cynical manipulation, but rather with passion, being faithful to solutions and connections.

The Purple Cow by Seth Godin

Yes, another Seth Godin book because this writer is considered one of the most important marketing theorists of the 21st century.

In this book, he gives us the concept of the purple cow, where one seeks to be different and attract attention.

Companies tend to go for what is already known, repeating over and over again strategies that they already know work, that’s why you don’t see many ideas that are purple cows.

The bad thing about purple cows is that they don’t have infinity, they are ideas that are then replicated by others until they become part of traditional strategies.

Godin changes the old concept of the 4Ps of advertising, to link a new one which is the P of Purple, the purple cow.

We recommend: Digital Marketing Strategy For B2B Companies

Influence by Robert C. Cialdini

Based on the 6 principles proposed by the author, which are significant to understand how and when automatic influence is applied, that is, when the user simply does things without much reasoning.

The six principles are: 

  • Reciprocity
  • Congruence
  • Social consensus
  • Taste
  • Authority
  • Scarcity

We recommend that you read this text to better understand how these six principles affect the construction of marketing and sales strategies.  

The Art of Captivation by Guy Kawasaki

The book clarifies that it is not manipulation, he prefers to believe that skeptics should be converted into cynical believers.

It provides guidelines for initiating a strategy to captivate customers, employees, and, if desired, the boss. In fact, his strategies can be applied to personal marketing, a start-up or a large company.

The author challenges the wisdom of the crowd culture, teaches you to know what is important to your business, and that believing in your business is the best tool of persuasion.

Growth hacker marketing by Ryan Holiday

In this book, Holiday teaches the way to achieve more with less. It is especially for those who work with startups, as it provides several very valuable tips. 

One of the most essential tips is to get a product out there and measure how customers use it and what they think about it to improve their experience. If the user has a good experience, you drive them to use word of mouth, which in the end, is the strongest marketing strategy.

He also stresses the importance of generating massive traffic in the digital world to see faster growth.

With this book, you will learn how to use strategic tools such as email, paid Google Ads or social networks, API platforms, positioning management, effective web design, among others. 

Read: How To Implement A SEO And SEM Strategy?

Totem by Andy Stalman

The totem was an important symbol in a tribe or social group, today many companies have become totems for our society, thanks to the new way of doing business and the way of presenting them to the public.

The author analyzes how the biggest and most beloved companies are created and built, explaining what branding looks like for this new decade.

He advises that the customer must become a believer because there is no success if the brand does not communicate its reason for being, the customer is not interested.

This book is perfect to learn and develop brand ideas.

75 cautionary marketing stories by Giles Lury

In this issue, you can find marketing experiences that show how a brand is made, maintained and dies.

It is different from the previous entries, but we want you to remember that stories also teach and the power of good stories, definitely this text is an alternative to traditional marketing readings.

The most interesting thing is that with each moral you can put together a to-do list, which questions the performance of your brand, and at the same time helps to improve it.

Its light reading is ideal for students or those who are just entering the world of marketing.

Read: Understanding The Marketing Environment At Times Of Adversity

Marketing for Dummies by Patricia de Andrés

The books for dummies… It is the perfect book to start in the world of marketing, even to update concepts of someone very experienced.

It invites you to learn about the specialties of marketing, and includes everything from classic theories to the newest trends in marketing, in order to create a complete and effective marketing strategy.

The best thing about books for dummies is that they have clear examples that help to better understand the concepts that professionals use on a daily basis, contain concepts that can be revisited in the future and help to build a solid theory in a simple way. 

Lovemarks by Kevin Roberts

Love is a key element for the success of companies, or at least that is what Roberts postulates in his book, that is why creating exceptional products and experiences are very important to create emotional and lasting bonds with customers.

This text teaches how to use the senses to make consumers fall in love, and to develop intimacy with them, because intimacy creates empathy.

It postulates that brands belong to their consumers and not to their companies.

It indicates to brands that the ability to reinvent themselves strengthens, that customer loyalty must be inspired without placing rationality in the middle, demonstrating passion for what is done by involving consumers and celebrating their loyalty through success stories, as this creates benefits, from the creation of new meanings and connections to feelings.

Don’t make me think by Steve Krug

This book is perfect to learn the basic principles of user experience, we recommend this book for designers and programmers who develop their careers in the marketing area.

With this book, you can have a guide with which to build an effective UX, without having to have a team of more than 30 people, as it offers examples of everything it explains, which can be applied in any case. 

One of the maxims of this book is the creation of content thinking about the inner conversations of the user and the way in which they consume the web, since there is no real reading, but scanning. 

Brainfluence by Roger Dooley

If you want to learn how to influence your customers’ decisions, and persuade them to know that your product or service is the best, Brainfluence is the right choice for you.  

This book teaches readers how to apply neuromarketing strategies to build a strong brand, reach more customers and build customer loyalty. 

Thanks to this book, you will have 100 examples or ideas to use neuromarketing in your business, pricing tips and other important things that will make you stay competitive.  

We hope this selection motivates you to investigate the gigantic world of marketing, PyM as a digital marketing agency, we specialize in the management of different fields of your company’s marketing, from social media, through web design, to growth hacking.   

Our recommendations are based on our experience Have you read any of the titles we have recommended? Let us know what you think of our marketing recommendations.

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