Best Marketing Books
View our curated list of the best marketing books that can help you increase your marketing knowledge, learn a new marketing skill, or spark innovative ideas. The image links will send you to Amazon where you can learn more and help support this site.
Best Marketing Books of 2012
Best Marketing Books of 2011
Best Marketing Books of 2010
The Power of Habit
This is an excellent book on how habits work with examples from the marketing field such as how the marketers of Pepsodent and Febreze were able to create new consumer habits. (Amazon Rating 4.3)
Startup of You
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and Ben Casnocha argue that an entrepreneurial mindset is necessary to be successful in the new economy. It provides great actionable tips for building a great network and growing the startup that is your career. (Amazon Rating 4.4)
Start With Why
Simon Sinek makes the case that the best companies start by determining what they believe and then proving it with their actions and words. (Amazon Rating 4.6)
Opportunity Screams
Tom Asaker explains how to connect and engage with consumers in a meaningful way in today’s economy of ideas. (Amazon Rating 5.0)
Content Rules
Ann Handley and CC Chapman explain how to leverage content for effective marketing with actionable tips and concrete examples. (Amazon Rating 4.6)
Branding Basics for Small Business
Maria Ross provides a good crash course on branding for small businesses and a good review of important concepts in branding. (Amazon Rating 4.7)
The Referral Engine
John Jantsch explains the steps to creating a referral generating system, focusing on small businesses but with concepts applicable to larger businesses. (Amazon Rating 4.5)
The 24-Hour Customer
Adrian Ott discusses the role of time in consumer decisions and how marketers can use limited time and attention to their advantage. (Amazon Rating 4.9)
Flip The Funnel
Joseph Jaffe argues that retention is the new acquisition and marketing spend should be shifted from new customers to existing customers. Read our review.
The Next Evolution of Marketing
Bob Gilbreath lays out a new framework for marketing in which the marketing itself in valuable. Read our review of The Next Evolution of Marketing.
Inbound Marketing is a good introduction to the concepts of inbound marketing and is written by the founders of HubSpot who have leveraged these concepts to build a leader in the marketing software industry.
Trust Agents
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith discuss how to use social media to build business relationships.
Switch is a great book by Chip and Dan Heath about how to effectively bring about change in people’s behavior.
Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz is one of the very best books on word of mouth marketing.
Yes! provides a lot of interesting research, studies, and ideas on how to influence people to say yes.
New Rules of Marketing and PR
David Meerman Scott explains how marketers can use new media tools and content to reach customers with their message.
Predictably Irrational
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely discusses research that provide insights into why consumers often make irrational decisions.
Groundswell provides helpful case studies showing how companies effectively use social technologies to help customers and achieve business goals.
World Wide Rave
David Meerman Scott explains how to leverage online marketing tools to spread your story.
Upside of Irrationality
Dan Ariely continues his discussion of human’s irrational behavior and highlights studies that provide keen insights that can be applied to marketing.
War in the Boardroom
Al and Laura Ries discuss the conflict between executives who are primarily right brain dominant thinkers and marketers who are primarily left brain dominant.
Purple Cow
The classic Seth Godin book about why you must be remarkable to be noticed in the crowded marketplace.
Made to Stick
A must read book for marketing professionals that lays out a framework for getting ideas to stick in the mind.
Recommended Business Books
Delivering Happiness Tony Hsieh describes his journey from building Link Exchange which sold to Microsoft for $200+ million to building Zappos which was acquired by Amazon for about $1 billion.
Rework Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson encourage people to rethink the traditional ways of doing business.