Must Read Books for Modern Marketers

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Navigating the labyrinth of human behaviour can be as complex as it is fascinating, and who better to guide us than Dr. Robert B. Cialdini with his masterpiece, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”. With more than four million copies sold, this book stands as a colossal pillar in the realm of influence and persuasion, both in the context of business and our daily lives. Cialdini, an undisputed expert in the field, presents the six universal principles of influence that aren’t just intriguing—they are also deeply practical.

He introduces us to the pull of reciprocation—the human instinct to return favours. We explore the binding force of commitment and consistency—the drive to act in ways that justify our choices and commitments. He dives into the power of social proof—our tendency to look to others for guidance, especially when in doubt. He reveals the strength of liking—the human propensity to agree with those we like and vice versa. Then there is the compelling might of authority—the powerful sway held by those perceived as knowledgeable or experienced. And finally, he unveils the allure of scarcity—the innate human desire for things that are rare or dwindling.

Cialdini ensures that understanding these principles is straightforward, and applying them ethically is a breeze. It’s not just theory; it’s backed by 35 years of rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific research, complemented by a three-year field study on what persuades people to change their behaviour. With this book in your arsenal, you’re not just learning to be a persuasive marketer—you’re learning to be an effective change-maker. It’s a fine art of influence that is as accessible as it is powerful. So prepare to amplify your abilities and sway the behaviour of others, because influence just became your superpower.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive, and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath

Have you ever wondered why certain ideas catch fire, spreading like a viral dance challenge, while others, despite their value, seem to evaporate faster than dew in the morning sun? If this question keeps you up at night, welcome to the club! And, welcome to the thought-provoking world of Chip and Dan Heath’s “Made to Stick”, a New York Times bestseller that explores the mesmerizing realm of sticky ideas.

Engagingly written, “Made to Stick” unfurls a fascinating tour of ideas that have truly stuck, magnetizing attention and effecting change. From the notorious “kidney theft ring” hoax to an inspirational coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to the visionary product ideas at Sony, the Heath brothers identify six shared traits that give these messages their ‘stickability’. They arm us with practical, proven ways to make our own ideas more adhesive, whether it’s by applying the human scale principle, triggering the Velcro Theory of Memory, or creating curiosity gaps that make people itch to learn more.

Throughout this thrilling journey, you’ll encounter eye-opening stories that are as entertaining as they are enlightening, making the learning process almost deceptively fun. You’ll discover the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who gulped down a glass of bacteria just to prove a point about stomach ulcers. You’ll learn about the charities that harness the ‘Mother Teresa Effect’ to power their causes. And, you’ll witness an elementary school teacher’s simulation that effectively curtailed racial prejudice.

This isn’t just a book; it’s a transformative experience that promises to change the way you communicate. “Made to Stick” is an invaluable guidebook for anyone looking to have their ideas command attention and truly make a difference. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a teacher, a politician, a journalist or a revolutionary-in-the-making, this book is a must-read if you’re keen to ensure your messages don’t just stick—they leave a mark.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

Have you ever scratched your head wondering why certain products, ideas, or YouTube videos go viral faster than a cat meme on a bored Monday morning? Or perhaps you’ve been perplexed by how a high-end steakhouse garnered fame through a budget-friendly cheesesteak. If these sorts of conundrums fascinate you, then Jonah Berger’s New York Times bestseller “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” is going to be the book equivalent of a delightful intellectual feast for you.

Berger, a Wharton marketing professor, doesn’t just know the science of social transmission – he owns it. He’s spent a decade delving into the intriguing question of what makes things popular, examining everything from why certain New York Times articles make the ‘Most E-mailed’ list, to why specific products get word of mouth, to how social influence shapes everything from the cars we buy to the clothes we wear to the names we bestow upon our children.

In this riveting book, Berger unveils the secret behind why some things become all the rage while others fizzle out in the ether of indifference. His secret? Six basic principles that drive all sorts of things to become contagious. You’ll learn how an unassuming video about a blender turned into viral gold, shared by more than 200 million consumers. You’ll ponder why anti-drug commercials might have actually fueled drug use.

“Contagious” is more than just a book about why things become popular. It’s a treasure trove of actionable techniques designed to help you amplify the reach of your messages, advertisements, and content. Whether you’re a manager aiming to magnify your company’s impact, a small business owner striving to spike awareness, a politician eager to rally votes, or a health official trying to broadcast an important message, “Contagious” is a must-read. It’s not just about getting people to hear your message, it’s about making it so irresistible they’ll want to pass it on.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller

In our modern, fast-paced, digitally-driven world, it’s not the business that speaks the loudest that gets attention – it’s the one that speaks the clearest. Enter “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” by Donald Miller.

New York Times bestselling author and marketing virtuoso Donald Miller has designed a map to clarity in marketing messages, an antidote to the cacophony of confusing brand narratives that clog up our feeds and fizzle out on landing pages. He gets it – as a business owner, you’re not just competing for market share, you’re wrestling for mindshare against an avalanche of distractions that each vie for your customer’s precious attention.

Miller’s answer to this conundrum is as profound as it is simple: harness the power of storytelling. After all, humans have responded to stories for millennia; they’re hardwired into our psyche. The StoryBrand Framework, as he calls it, is a seven-part process that aligns your brand message with the universal elements of powerful stories. Suddenly, your brand is not just selling a product or service – it’s the guide in the epic story of your customer, the hero.

Reading this book is like having an expert whisperer in your ear, revealing the real reasons why customers make purchases, and how to translate that understanding into compelling, crystal-clear brand messages. This isn’t just about making your brand understood, it’s about making it memorable, resonating with your customers on a human level.

You’ll learn how to distill your brand message into simple, impactful bites that cut through the noise and stick in the minds of your customers. You’ll discover how to craft effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media, illuminating the unique value your brand brings to the table.

So, whether you’re a marketing maestro at a multibillion-dollar company, the owner of a fledgling startup, a politician setting the stage for your campaign, or the lead singer of a rock band trying to stand out in the crowd, “Building a StoryBrand” will revolutionize the way you communicate your value proposition. And remember, in a world where everyone is shouting, it’s the clear voice that gets heard.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

There are products we like, products we need, and then there are products we can’t help but use again and again. You know the ones – those irreplaceable items or apps that weave seamlessly into our daily routines, making our lives smoother and maybe even a bit more enjoyable. But what makes these products so irresistible? Why do they hook us? Enter Nir Eyal’s book, “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products.”

Eyal’s intriguing exploration into the patterns underlying our technology habits might be the Rosetta Stone of product engagement. In this enlightening guide, Eyal illuminates the mysterious realm of habitual use with his “Hooked Model,” a four-step process that savvy companies exploit to build customer habits. In other words, it’s not magic or luck that keeps users coming back to platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest—it’s science.

“Hooked” offers invaluable insights to anyone keen on understanding the intricate mechanisms that encourage our behaviours. If you’re a product manager, designer, marketer, or startup founder, this book is your treasure map to creating products that not only enchant users but also entice them to return time and time again, without the need for costly advertising or forceful messaging.

This book is a synthesis of years of research, consulting, and practical experience, infused with Eyal’s wisdom as a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. He puts a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, offering actionable strategies to create user habits that stick.

In this second edition, Eyal takes the value up a notch, adding an extra case study specifically focused on building health habits. By the time you’re through, you’ll have the keys to create products that are more than just useful or beautiful – they’re habit-forming. And in the world of product design, there’s no higher compliment than that.

So, grab your explorer’s hat and prepare for a deep dive into the fascinating world of habit-forming products. Because sometimes, the best way to get people hooked on your product is to understand what hooks them in the first place.

Hacking Growth: How Today’s Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown

Gather ’round, business enthusiasts, because we’re about to crack open the secrets behind some of the fastest-growing companies on the planet. From Airbnb to Pinterest, LinkedIn to Uber, what do these giants have in common, apart from disrupting their respective industries? The answer is simpler than you might think: a methodical and deliberate approach to growth known as Growth Hacking. And “Hacking Growth,” authored by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown, the pioneers of this methodology, is the definitive guidebook on this disruptive business approach.

These companies didn’t skyrocket to their remarkable levels of success by sheer luck or divine intervention. No, they ascended the business Olympus by implementing a careful and calculated growth strategy. They built phenomenal products, no doubt, but they also intertwined their success with a scientific approach to attaining, retaining, and engaging customers. And this book breaks it all down for you.

“Hacking Growth” is to market-share growth what the Lean Startup method is to product development, and what Scrum is to productivity. It incorporates cross-functional teams, rapid experimentation, iteration, and a laser-sharp focus on customers. From getting them on board, making them stay, ensuring they are engaged, to motivating them to buy more, this methodology has it all covered.

This book is no mere theoretical treatise; it’s a practical toolkit designed for application. No matter the size or sector of your business, “Hacking Growth” provides a roadmap to increase your customer base and market share. It guides you through creating and executing your custom-made growth hacking strategy, replacing those wasteful, haphazard, “throw spaghetti on the wall and see what sticks” approaches with a more consistent, replicable, cost-effective, and data-driven strategy.

Whether you’re a marketer looking to drive sustainable growth, an entrepreneur hoping to gain a competitive edge, or a manager seeking to innovate in your area, this book is an absolute must-read. Unleash the power of growth hacking and see how far your business can really go. Because in today’s fast-paced business world, slow and steady doesn’t win the race—fast and strategic does. And growth hacking, dear reader, is the fast lane.

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne

Imagine a vast ocean, where the water is clear and blue, and there’s not another competitor in sight. This serene, untouched market space represents all the industries not in existence today. “Blue Ocean Strategy,” an iconic and globally acclaimed book by management gurus W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, serves as your map to these unexplored territories.

Having sold over 4 million copies, recognized as a strategy classic, and published in an unprecedented 47 languages, this book has undoubtedly made waves. Now updated and expanded with new content, “Blue Ocean Strategy” continues to challenge everything we thought we knew about strategic success.

The crux of the Blue Ocean Strategy is this: Stop bloodying the waters in the red ocean of known market space where growth is increasingly limited due to fierce competition. Instead, chart a course for the blue ocean of untapped market space, where the competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set.

The authors have built their theory based on an extensive study of 150 strategic moves across more than 100 years and 30 industries. The book presents a systematic approach to making your competition irrelevant and provides principles and tools to create and capture your blue oceans. The expanded edition includes a new preface, updates on all cases and examples, and additional chapters that address the most pressing questions raised by readers over the past decade.

Whether you are an executive leading your organization towards innovative horizons, or a student of business eager to learn about the most groundbreaking strategy, this book is an invaluable guide. It isn’t just about thinking outside the box, but realizing that you can redefine the box itself.

This Is Marketing by Seth Godin

Seth Godin, an inspiring figure in the field of marketing, brings a new perspective to marketing, sales, and advertising in his book “This Is Marketing.” Known for his groundbreaking ideas such as Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, and The Dip that have permeated into the business world, Godin encapsulates the essence of his marketing wisdom in this book. It serves as a guide for individuals from various walks of life – tech startup founders, small business owners, or key players in large corporations, encouraging them to create work they can be proud of.

Godin’s approach to marketing is different from the traditional path. Rather than exploiting consumers to address the company’s problems, he believes that marketing should be about solving other people’s problems. His approach centers on empathy, connection, and emotional labor as opposed to attention-stealing ads and email bombardment.

No matter the nature of your product or service, this book helps shift your perception about how it’s presented to the world, helping you build meaningful connections with the intended audience. Godin, using his unique combination of insight, observation, and unforgettable examples, elucidates several concepts.

He explains the importance of building trust and gaining permission from your target market, marking the first step in the marketing journey. He discusses the art of positioning, emphasizing that a significant part of marketing is knowing who your product is for and importantly, who it is not for.

Godin suggests that aiding others in becoming who they aspire to be is the most efficient way to achieve your own objectives. He points out why old-school advertising and branding methods are falling out of favor, and elaborates on the often-overlooked role of tension in influencing a customer’s decision to purchase or not. Lastly, he underscores that marketing fundamentally revolves around the stories we tell about our social standing.

“This Is Marketing” transcends the idea of merely selling products; it’s about doing meaningful work for people who genuinely care. This book serves as a guide, showing the path to transform your marketing strategy and make a lasting impact.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib

In “The 1-Page Marketing Plan,” serial entrepreneur and innovative marketer Allan Dib presents a revolutionary method to marketing planning that is both simple and quick. He emphasizes the importance of having a concrete plan for swift business growth, as opposed to engaging in random acts of marketing.

Creating a marketing plan has traditionally been a laborious process often left undone. Dib changes this narrative with his 1-page marketing plan. It’s a single page divided into nine squares, which lets you sketch out a sophisticated marketing plan and elevate your marketing efforts from non-existent to exemplary.

Dib’s book offers value to both newcomers and seasoned entrepreneurs, serving as the simplest and quickest way to construct a marketing plan that spurs business growth. It’s a guide to personalizing your own marketing plan, filled with tactics that work for small and medium-sized businesses.

In this groundbreaking book, Dib offers insights on how to acquire new customers and generate more profit from existing ones. He cautions against adopting “big business” style marketing, arguing it could be detrimental to your venture. He provides strategies on how to close sales in a manner that is neither pushy nor obnoxious, and instead leaves prospects eager to do business with you.

The 1-page marketing plan concept is simple, yet powerful. You follow a step-by-step process and fill in each of the nine squares to create your unique marketing plan. Dib also shares tactics on how to render competition irrelevant, making your business the only logical choice for customers.

Furthermore, Dib shares the secrets of direct response marketing, a method to achieve outstanding results on a small budget. He also discusses how to set high prices for your products and services, in a way that not only resonates with customers but also makes them thankful for the value they receive. This book is designed to help you effectively navigate the journey from zero to marketing hero.

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Rise and Jack Trout

“Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind” by Al Ries and Jack Trout is a seminal work in the world of marketing, providing an innovative approach to how companies should relate to their competitors and the public. It is the first book that grapples with the challenges of reaching a public that has become skeptical due to an oversaturation of media messages.

The book introduces a groundbreaking method to create a “position” in the potential customer’s mind that not only mirrors a company’s strengths and weaknesses but also considers those of its competitors. In their distinctive, engaging style, marketing maestros Ries and Trout delineate how to strategically position both industry leaders and followers in a way that resonates with the market.

The leaders, they suggest, should craft their name and message such that it permeates the collective subconscious of their market and remains entrenched. The followers, on the other hand, should find and occupy a niche that the leader hasn’t claimed.

They caution against letting a second product leverage the reputation of an established one, as it may dilute the positioning of both. The book also provides key insights on how to leverage leading ad agency strategies to secure the largest market share and establish your product as a household name.

Ries and Trout advocate for building your strategy around your competition’s vulnerabilities, using your existing position to your utmost benefit, and wisely choosing your product’s name. They also explore why, at times, less can be more when it comes to positioning and brand messaging.

In addition, they analyze recent trends that might influence your positioning and provide numerous case studies of some of the most outstanding successes and failures in advertising history. Since its initial publication, the book has been updated to incorporate significant developments in the field over the last five years.

“Positioning” is a must-read for anyone in business today, serving as an essential guide to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and consumer engagement.