Marketing is an ever evolving industry. Trends come and go, tactics change, and technology keeps evolving. However, our team believes the underlying principles of marketing are long-lasting. That’s why we are sharing our all-time favorite must-reads, 7 books we think are the best for marketers.

These books were meticulously written by authors and researchers who spent countless hours researching, writing and putting together the most useful information for marketers and businesses. Although there are a lot of resources and blogs you can read online to educate yourself, nothing will ever beat a good book that holds timeless knowledge.

If you are looking to expand your marketing knowledge – here are our 7 picks for the best marketing books to turn you into a kick-ass marketer.

 

1. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen – By Donald Miller

“In every line of copy we write, we’re either serving the customer’s story or descending into confusion; we’re either making music or making noise.”

We’re all familiar with the effect of storytelling. A great story can impact people by giving them a new or changed perspective. It works for almost everything, especially marketing.

Donald Miller’s Building a Story Brand gives business  and marketing leaders proven solutions. It’s packed with useful information that provides readers with a practical step-by-step guide to Miller’s Story Brand 7 framework. The guide shows how you can implement these steps in your marketing operations in order to make your company’s message it clear, concise, and emotionally engaging for your customers. It’s a revolutionary and timeless method that will truly give your business an edge and advantage against the competition.

Miller also reveals the secret to helping your customers understand what they gain from buying your products or services in the most compelling way possible. It’s all based on the psychology of how humans perceive and empathize with our product or service offerings through storytelling.

This book is our number one read at Just Digital. Anyone can benefit from this book, no matter the industry. It will change the way you bring value to your customers forever.

 

2. The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd – By Allan Dib

“Focusing on the cause (value) rather than the effect (making money) will lead to much greater long-term success.”

The 1-Page Marketing Plan is a must-read for start-up founders, small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to grow their business. It can be difficult and daunting to create and implement your own marketing plan when you have so many other things to manage. Allan Dib’s 1-Page Marketing Plan breaks down the process of creating one into small chunks to make the process easier.

The book is essentially a compilation of different marketing ideas and resources that Dib categorizes into a nine-step model.

Dib’s nine-step model talks about user persona, value proposition, acquisition channels, nurturing systems, LTV strategies, CAC thoughts and recurrence. The nine-step model is then categorized into three major sections, the before phase, the during phase, and the after phase to give entrepreneurs a real step-by-step guide.

It’s an extraordinary read, especially if you’re a starting and managing your own business. This book thoughtfully compiles key marketing advice scattered throughout the internet and in different books that would’ve otherwise taken many years to read.

 

3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition – By Robert B. Cialdini, PH.D.

“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor, we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”

People who understand how to influence and persuade others make great business leaders and marketers. They have the power to get people’s attention, hold it, and get them to respond favorably.

If you want your company to flourish, you will need this skill. This book will teach you the six universal principles of influence and apply it to your business and everyday situations. At the end of the book, you’ll be able to understand how your customers think and perceive your brand.

We’d rate this book a five out of five! It’s interesting, and it breaks down psychology in a straightforward, comprehensible way.

 

4. DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online (1st Edition) – By Russel Brunson

“The problem is you can’t spend enough to acquire a customer, and the way to fix that problem is to fix your sales funnel.”

Dubbed as “The Underground Playbook For Growing Your Company Online,” ClickFunnels founder Russell Brunson shares his secrets to helping countless entrepreneurs grow their companies online.

The book gives you a clear vision who your business swerves, and why. As you read it, you will learn how to attract, obtain, and retain customers online, the goal of the majority of marketing managers and CMOs these days.

It’s perfect for companies and marketers that have a strong digital presence, or even for those who are looking to venture into the digital sphere. It has everything you need to launch a full online marketing campaign and more.

 

5. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE – By Phil Knight

“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”

Bill Gates named this book as one of his top five favorite books in 2016, and we think it’s still worth reading today!

It won’t give a rundown of marketing, nor the secrets and strategies to accomplishing success for your business. If you’re looking for that, this isn’t the book for you.

Instead, you get a real look at the struggle and story of one of the most successful companies in the world and what it took to get to the top. This book will teach you life lessons and might even leave you in tears.

Shoe Dog is a must-read, not only for marketers and entrepreneurs, but for everyone. You’ll end the book feeling inspired, and you’ll gain a different perspective of what makes a brand successful.

 

6. How to Write Copy That Sells: The Step-By-Step System for More Sales, to More Customers, More Often – By Ray Edwards

“By the time they’re done with your copy, they need to see that the only way they can reasonably expect to get to that end state is… by using your product.”

Every marketer and business owner goes through a slump. We’ve all been through days when you get truly frustrated because no one seems to be listening to you or buying your products. If you’re currently suffering from that slump, or if you want to prevent it from happening, now is the perfect time to read this book.

This book will teach you how to write fast and effective copy without sounding too “salesy”. The step-by-step guide demonstrates how you can write copy by presenting facts and using stories to get people to flock to your business.

By the end of this book, you will discover that you don’t have to trick people into buying your products or services. It’s a fun read, and we can assure you that you’ll get more than what you paid for from this book.

 

7. Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy – By Martin Lindstrom

“When we brand things, our brains perceive them as more special and valuable than they actually are.”

Why do you buy the things you buy? Why do you prefer one brand over another? These are questions you can find answers to in Buyology. The book gives you an in-depth look into influence and the factors that affect decision-making.

Understanding the factors that impact decision-making will teach you how to fully utilize the resources available, ultimately improving your marketing game.

In the book, Lindstrom shares experiments done with different brands and companies, as well as their results. Through these experiments, we can see the different approaches marketers make when persuading a consumer. Once you read it, you will understand how these factors influence consumers in a real life setting.

It’s a fast and fascinating read that uncovers how you can influence your market, and also uncover your own buying behavior.

*Bonus* The Client Acquisition Blueprint: A SIMPLE, Step-By-Step Blueprint For Creating an EPIC Marketing Strategy & Online Presence – By Hugo Fernandez

“Your ability to create value, communicate it, and exchange it will determine your success. In order to live out your dreams, you need to build and maintain the vehicle that honors the value formula.”

As a bonus, we included our very own CEO and awesome human being Hugo Fernandez’s book.

If you want to learn the secret to predictable and sustainable growth for your company, this book is for you! Growing your business is no easy feat, it takes someone like Hugo who’s accomplished exactly that, to share his real life experiences and guide you through the process.

The book features an easy-to-follow blueprint that will help your business grow, no matter what your business is. At the end of the book, you’ll have a solid marketing strategy for your own business.

 

Conclusion

There are many marketing books out there, the ones in this list the best marketing books we’ve found so far. These books have given our team a variety of perspectives and insights on marketing. We hope they will offer you many lessons that you can apply to your marketing operations and companies, so make sure to add them to your reading list.

Our team is always looking to learn, and we know the list of great marketing books out there is longer than just seven. We’d love to hear your book recommendations, so please leave them in the comments below. And if you need help organizing your digital marketing operations and getting the best ROI make sure to contact us!