product marketing books
Whether it’s a fine wine, single malt whiskey, or your favorite pair of Levi’s jeans you can’t say goodbye to, some things get better with time, and well-crafted literature continues to survive the test of time, too. .
There’s a lot to be learned by getting cozy in front of the fireplace and getting lost in a page turn, so with the support of pmms around the world, we’ve put together a list of recommended product marketing posts for help you improve. your knowledge, as you begin the next chapter of your pmm adventure. 😉
You are reading: Books on product marketing
Whether you want to improve your content marketing, marketing best practices, or take practical steps to improve your understanding of key concepts, our product marketing reading list includes must-read titles that will help you do just that. that.
Amazing product marketing headline slipped through the net? Share your recommendations with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or in our Slack community, and we’ll add them to our list of the best books available for product marketers; as we say, customer feedback is vital to help us understand our understanding of the market!
Amazon prices and jobs mentioned in this article were correct at the time of this writing.
misunderstanding: product marketing alliance
Applying common product marketing principles, this book is the only armor you need to ensure internal stakeholders just get the role – and value it.
Regardless of the country you’re in, the customers you serve, and the products you sell, we’ve learned that there’s a universal pain point in product marketing: People just don’t understand the value of the role. a mission to put an end to that. Reversing the roles and using industry-wide PMM principles such as positioning, research, and customer segmentation, this book reveals how you can elevate the role of product marketing in your business.
never be misunderstood again.
obviously awesome – april dunford
Aligning your product with would-be consumers isn’t a matter of following trends, snooping on the competition, or trying to attract the widest customer base.
which leads to the question: what is it? cue april dunford, positioning guru and technology executive, for a talk on the essentials of positioning.
mcdonald’s has their famous big mac sauce, and obviously impressive not only does it show you how to cook the “secret sauce” for your product, but it also shows you how to sell your sauce to customers desperate to get their hands on it. .
A seasoned executive with 16 product launches under her belt and a consultant (who has worked on dozens more), PMA Ambassador April Dunford flexes her positioning muscles and explains how to beat the noise of a crowded market.
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See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $7.16
paperback: $14.39
inspired: how to create tech products customers love – marty shit
Have you ever sat back and wondered how the heavy-hitters in the business such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Tesla continue to set the world alight by designing and developing products that have not only earned them a legion of loyal customers, but also a place in the history books?
In his inspired book, Marty Cagan not only explains how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization, but also how to discover and deliver technology products that will benefit your business and leave your customers eating the cake. your hand .
gwendolyn smith, senior director of product marketing at litera microsystems is one of the many people who have benefited from cagan’s book, stating:
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $19.47
Hardcover: $23.53
audio cd: $24.99
when coffee and kale compete: get great at making products people will buy – alan klement
There’s a reason behind every purchase a consumer makes.
When Coffee and Kale Compete by Alan Klement is the perfect guide for PMMs who aspire to create and sell better products.
what are the key points of this book? You’ll learn how to help companies increase profits, reduce waste, and stay competitive in your field.
will help the economy prosper and help provide stable jobs for employees and the families that depend on them. Get insights from leading entrepreneurs, business owners, and Alan himself, as they share their experiences of how they used work-to-do to help them create successful products.
The post provides examples of products and companies that have failed and seeing real-life cases where others have failed will help you make the best decisions for your own company or the company you work for.
Discover how to evaluate your competition and make customers feel, notice your product and part with their money. The knowledge in this book will help you fuel the growth of your product and business.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $7.63
paperback: $9.79
Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Major Clients – geoffrey a. more
Companies continue to risk millions of dollars, as well as endless hours trying to successfully market niche products to the mainstream marketplace.
With more high-tech products vying for the local market every day, it’s critical that marketers learn to deviate from outdated theories to reduce the likelihood of future failures.
nicola kinsella, director of product marketing at fluent commerce is a fan of the positioning framework explained in the book: p>
Based on the pioneering model derived from Geoffrey Moore’s extensive experience in high-tech markets, Crossing the Chasm is the definitive book on a vital, fast-growing but capricious market.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
paperback: $15.90
all salespeople are liars – seth godin
Legendary business writer Seth Godin has three essential questions for every marketer:
“what is your story?”
“Will the people who need to hear this story believe it?”
“Is it true?”
Marketers love to tell stories. when they do well, we believe them and buy their products. it’s the way the wheel turns.
But it’s not about bragging about features and benefits until you’re sad. godin emphasizes the importance of telling stories and how consumers want to believe them, regardless of whether they are true or not.
The best stories are the ones we accept and share with others: the ultimate snowball effect.
but there is a fine line between stories, lies and fraud, be careful, and when you enter this territory, you are playing with your credibility.
In his book, godin writes: “stories make it easier to understand the world. stories are the only way we know to spread an idea. marketers did not invent storytelling. they just perfected it.”
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $4.99
paperback: $9.80
everyone writes: your guide to creating ridiculously good content – ann handley
Everybody Writes explains how to attract and retain customers via awesome online communication because let’s face it: in a world driven by content, we’re all writers – in one way or another.
if your web copy’s terrible bounce rates increase, if your blog content isn’t great, your target audience’s attention will decline, if your social media posts aren’t great, say au revoir to the coveted traction.
you realize: we all need to produce amazing content.
In Everyone Writes, marketing veteran Ann Handley provides expert guidance and insights into the process and strategy of creating, producing, and publishing content, with actionable tips designed to get you results.
These lessons and rules apply to all of your online assets, such as web pages, home pages, landing pages, blogs, email, marketing offers, and on facebook, twitter, linkedin, and other social networks.
Ann deconstructs strategy and offers a hands-on approach to creating ridiculously compelling and competent content. is designed to be the go-to guide for anyone creating or publishing any kind of content online, whether they’re a big brand or a small, solo one.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $16.87
Hardcover: $12.49
cd mp3: $14.99
building a historic brand: clarifying your message so customers hear it – donald miller
Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process solves the struggles leaders encounter when discussing their businesses. It’s a favorite amongst PMMs in our Slack community, with Ashley Herbert, Product Marketing Manager at Recruitee, singing its praises:
The Miller Method connects customers and gives readers the ultimate competitive advantage, unlocking the secret to helping your customers understand the compelling benefits of using your products, ideas, or services.
branding focuses on the seven universal story points that all humans respond to, the real reason customers buy, how to simplify a brand message so people understand it and how to create the most effective message for websites, brochures, and social media.
Whether you’re a VP of Product Marketing or an entry-level PMM, creating a story brand will grab your attention and make you think about how you speak about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring. to your customers.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $12.71
Hardcover: $18.74
paperback: $17.39
cd mp3: $16.26
the mom test: how to talk to customers & find out if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you – rob fitzpatrick
Looking for a quick, practical guide to save you time, money, and heartbreak?
maybe it’s time to retake rob fitzpatrick’s mom quiz.
the mom test focuses on customer communication, one of the essential skills of customer development and lean startup, and has been recommended by grace chi, co-founder of pulsedive cyber threat intelligence:
In the book, fitzpatrick shows readers how customer communication can go wrong and, more importantly, how to improve it.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
on: $10.02
rustic: $27.13
the product marketing manager: responsibilities and best practices in a technology company – lucas weber
PMMs play a critical role in defining the positioning, messaging, and USPs of a product or product line.
perhaps you are a product marketing manager? if so, put it on your reading list; is aimed at people like you.
In addition to explaining the nooks and crannies of the role, Weber outlines practical applications of the information presented, before presenting a personal perspective with life lessons and anecdotes of his own, as well as contributions from experts in the field.
p >
Perfect for novices and seasoned professionals alike, Product Marketing Manager is essential reading for pmm of all levels.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $5.58
paperback: $6.95
purple cow: transform your business by being remarkable – seth godin
We appreciate Seth Godin’s made a couple of appearances on our list already, but he isn’t paying us commission – he just writes awesome books!
purple cow: transform your business by highlighting why companies need to add something great to their work, something that stands out and is impossible to ignore.
his purple cow.
heed seth godin’s advice and build something really flashy.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $12.99
See Also: 10 Spanish Book Websites to Support Reading at Home
paperback: $16.20
hardcover: $16.20
start with why: how great leaders inspire everyone to take action – simon sinek
“Why?”
is the question that can take product sellers down endless paths and open up many opportunities.
In his book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek focuses on why some people and organizations are more innovative than others, why some are more influential, and why others they earn more money.
an exploration of the foundation on which successful companies are built, start with why: how great leaders inspire everyone to take action, consider how martin luther king, steve jobs, and other inspiring leaders started with a question from gold:
why?
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $12.99
paperback: $11.69
Hardcover: $17.69
audio cd: $27.34
so what?: how to communicate what really matters to your audience – mark magnacca
Communicating well with your audience is an essential part of product marketing; some find it a stroll in the park, but for others, it’s enough to make their palms sweat.
Fortunately, for the latter, people like Mark Magnacca are dedicated to making life a lot easier when communicating with the public. kara parkinson, head of audience marketing is among her many followers:
In his book, So What?: How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience, magnacca clarifies the basics of customer communication and shares a wealth of valuable tips, techniques, examples, and exercises that are sure to improve your communication and, above all, your client portfolio.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $9.49
paperback: $8.89-$9.99
b2b product marketing for tech startups: understanding and executing product marketing activities with minimal resources for maximum business growth – andreas schroeter
Starting a business isn’t a piece of cake. No siree. It’s a physical and emotional challenge.
Add to that, it can be quite expensive; countless entrepreneurs have bitten the silver bullet due to the lack of resources at their disposal.
Andreas Schroeter’s book offers a deep understanding of how to execute product marketing activities and maximize business growth, regardless of whether you’re short on cash.
So if you have a background in fintech, you’ll get a number of key takeaways from this book, with positioning, pricing, and promotion among the topics covered.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $3.08
buyer personas: how to gain insight into your customers’ expectations, align your marketing strategies and win more business – adele revella
We ain’t gonna go into too much detail about how important buyer personas are for product marketers. If you wanna know more about them, we’ve covered them in full detail in our previous pieces.👍
If you’re looking for more information on buyers, Adele Revella’s book was named one of Fortune’s Top 5 Business Books in 2015.
not bad, right?
A practical guide, the book provides detailed explanations on how to complete buyer studies and research different types of customers.
So, put the days of “flying” behind you. it’s time to do things right.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
on: $17.81
Hardcover: $17.17
play big: how pirates, dreamers and innovators create and dominate markets – al ramadan, dave peterson, christopher lochhead, kevin maney
Some product marketers place their hopes of success solely on ousting their rivals.
Let’s be honest, competitor analysis and the like go a long way to success. but it’s not all a product marketer needs to do to be the best they can be.
Sometimes, you have to go the extra mile and leave your rivals reeling with an idea so impressive that it hasn’t been seen anywhere else.
Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets highlights the importance of inventing an entirely new ballgame, rather than being the best in a particular area.
You can’t create an epic company without creating an epic category.
don’t just play. play bigger.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $16.99
Hardcover: $29.15
audio cd: $22.70
hooked: how to create habit-forming products – nir eyal & ryan vacuum cleaner
Ever wondered how companies create products people can’t get enough of?
after all, we live in a society where iphones, game consoles, etc. are constantly flying off the shelves.
but what makes us commit to the products? what is the magic behind the method of consumerism?
In her book, Nir Eyal answers a host of questions by explaining the hook model, a four-step process built into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. These methods help these products meet their goal of engaging users over and over again without relying on expensive ads or excessive messaging.
hooked is written for product managers, designers, marketers, startup founders, and anyone interested in understanding how products influence our behavior.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $13.99
Hardcover: $18.40
audio cd: $18.50
Hacking Growth: How Today’s Fastest Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success – sean ellis & morgan brown
If a company stands still and doesn’t progress, it’s a sure-fire sign of failure – right?
organizations continually strive to grow; it is one of the first things that investors, shareholders and market analysts consider when they a) assess performance or b) value a company.
turn your mind back to lean startup, a book that focuses on product development. hacking growth does the same thing, but for market share growth, with ellis and brown taking the product out of the spotlight and emphasizing the most important piece of the pmm puzzle: the customer.
An indispensable reference for companies to use in their growth strategy, Growth Hacking highlights how to set up and manage your growth team, identify and test growth levers, as well as how to take a proactive approach to results.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $12.99
hardcover: $26.10
paperback: $14.15
audio cd: $16.01
influence: the psychology of persuasion – robert. bcialdini
Written by Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, an expert in influence and persuasion, Influence delves into the intricacies of the psychology of what causes people to say ‘yes’, explaining how to apply these principles within your practice.
Within the book, cialdini outlines six areas of influence, revealing how readers can use them and become prestigious persuaders.
keith brooks, product evangelist and b2b mentor have reaped the benefits of cialdini’s work:
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $12.99
hardcover: $6.25
paperback: $14.49
audio cd: $30.09
training a manager: what to do when everyone is looking at you – julie zhou
Irrespective of whether you’re earning your crust in product marketing or not, many strive for the title of Manager.
but what do you do once you reach the top of your career?
Building a Manager is based on the experiences of Julie Zhou, who explains what makes a great manager, offers tips on hiring staff, advice on how to build a team you can trust, as well as what to do if you lose faith in yourself and don’t know where to turn.
elena turovskaya, product marketer at dashly/carrot quest drew on zhou’s teachings and lyrical about her experience reading the book:
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $13.99
Hardcover: $15.29
paperback: $19.37
mastering the craft of writing: how to write with clarity, emphasis and style – stephen wilbers
Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders or crafting copy, effective communication is a core skill for all product marketers.
pmms needs to make every word on the page as memorable as possible; Regardless of whether you’re writing an email or a report, your writing needs to grab your audience’s attention, a view shared by jd prater, head of product marketing at quora:
Each of the techniques included in Stephen Wilbers’ book is designed to refine your writing style and create prose that will keep prospects’ eyes glued to the page.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $14.99
paperback: $15.20 – $19.48
the challenging client: sell to the hidden influencer who can multiply your results: brent adamson, matthew dixon, pat spenner, nick toman
“The Challenger Customer helps us think about how to re-think value propositions in face of the increasingly complex sale and how to think in terms of “commercial insight” and apply it in our messaging.”
daniel kuperman, director of product marketing at snowflake
Sometimes it’s tempting to hit the ‘low hanging fruit’ and seek immediate profit.
But what about potential customers who might not be too excited about buying your product?
the challenging customer explores why companies should build relationships with prospects in this subgroup, with research indicating that the most successful sales teams turn their attention to skeptical customers, rather than sure winners.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $14.99
hardcover: $14.16
paperback: $18.32
audio cd: $13.23
conversations that win the complex sale: using powerful messages to create more opportunities, differentiate your solutions and close more deals – erik peterson, tim riesterer
Brand commoditization is one of the biggest dangers facing companies in the modern age; it’s vital to set yourself apart from your competitors, otherwise, you’ll find yourself face down in the mud – so to speak.
customer engagement is essential for companies that aspire to establish themselves as the benchmark company in their respective industry; people don’t necessarily always want to hear your story. the customer story is often much more compelling.
In Conversations Winning Complex Selling, Peterson and Riesterer explain how to give people what they want, while navigating the increasingly competitive world of complex selling.
angela d’ercole, director of product marketing at nielsen, is one of many pmms who continues to implement the teachings of peterson and rieserer in her product marketing team:
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
on: $16.97
Hardcover: $8.29 – $19.44
traction – gabriel weinberg and justin mares
A start-up company can have the makings of a fantastic product or service, but if it’s unable to generate traction, it’ll be destined for failure, as opposed to success.
Drawing on their own experiences, Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares avoid buzzwords and clichés, instead focusing their efforts on providing employers with critical information in areas including:
- find and use offline ads and other channels your competitors probably aren’t using.
- how to acquire targeted media coverage to drive personalization.
- targeting on how to increase the effectiveness of email marketing campaigns by automating staggered sets of alerts and updates.
- seo tips and online tools and research your search engine rankings and advertising through online tools and research.
traction, a publication that avoids suggesting a one-size-fits-all solution, acknowledges the respective challenges companies face as they strive to establish their product and sustain growth.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $12.99
Hardcover: $17.33
paperback: $16.05
audio cd: $23.99
this is marketing: you can’t be seen until you learn to see – seth godin
Seth Godin drives home the message: marketing is all around us.
From our youngest years to the present day, we have been shaped by marketing and the way it is presented in multiple forms, be it street signs, movie theaters, television shows, etc.
and it’s gotten to the point, in godin’s mind, where we take it for granted, “we can’t see what’s going on and how it’s changing us.”
this is marketing explores the ways we can adapt marketing, make it better, and drive change in the world.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $14.99
Hardcover: $15.79
paperback: $20.21
audio cd: free with audible trial
made to stay: why some ideas survive and others die – chip heath and dan heath
Made to Stick is a guide offering practical advice on how to communicate effectively, taking inspiration from psychosocial studies on memory and motivation with one goal in mind: making ideas unforgettable.
In a world made up of ‘fake news,’ chip heath and dan heath pull out all the aces to help the reader remember key principles and understand why some ideas are ‘stickier’ than others.
From acronyms to urban legends, it’s a diverse, fun, and well-researched read.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $12.99
Hardcover: $7.92
paperback: $10.75
audio cd: $21.04
significant: the story of ideas that fly – bernadette jiwa
Some ideas fall flat on their face, while others continue their ascendency to the summit.
bernadette jiwa explores why some ideas resonate with an audience while others give up without so much groaning; what is the secret of success?
in sense, jiwa asks the question: do you need the best ideas and the biggest budgets to get to the top? Or can an average concept be transformed into something truly memorable?
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
on: $1.98
paperback: $7.99
imagine: how creativity works – jonah lehrer
Ever wondered how to measure imagination? Or how to quantify an epiphany?
You’re in luck.
Imagine: How Creativity Works is an exploration of how research has helped us understand the human imagination, focusing on the inventive nature of the human mind and how it helps us navigate the world we live in. at the time of publication, positioning: the battle for your mind has transformed the face of marketing strategy.
This revised edition includes comments from the authors that offer new insights into why it’s essential to nail down your product positioning, while also providing campaign examples to reinforce risk and trout theory.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
Hardcover: $13.93
rustic: $36.41
audio cd: $45.96
signal and noise: why so many predictions fail, but some don’t – nate silver
Drawing on his own groundbreaking work, which has seen him predict baseball performances and the 2008 election, Nate Silver examines the world of prediction, investigating how we can distinguish a true signal from a universe of noisy data.
Case predictions often succumb to failure, often at great cost to society, because most of us have a poor understanding of probability and uncertainty. experts and laymen alike confuse the safest predictions with the most accurate ones. but overconfidence is often the reason for failure. if our appreciation of uncertainty improves, our predictions may also improve.
signal and noise describe how tipsters think and what bonds they share, wondering what’s behind their success. Is your gift genuine or can it be attributed to sheer luck? what patterns have they unraveled? and above all, are their forecasts real?
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $13.99
Hardcover: $10.56 – $18.70
paperback: $9.87 – $10.39
creativity, inc. Overcoming the invisible forces that stand in the way of true inspiration – Ed Catmull, Edwin E. catmull and amy wallace
Management is considered a key trait in product marketing, and beyond. So, what does it mean to manage well, and how can this benefit a company?
creativity, inc. is essential reading for managers eager to take their team to new heights – a key text for those who strive for originality.
a look at creative culture, creative, inc. is a fascinating book, from one of the great minds in entertainment.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $14.99
hardcover: $10.64
paperback: $34.95
positioning: the battle for your mind – al ries, jack trout
At the time of publication, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind transformed the face of marketing strategy.
This revised edition includes comments from the authors that offer new insights into why it’s essential to nail down your product positioning, while also providing campaign examples to reinforce risk and trout theory.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
on: $16.68
Hardcover: $12.78
rustic: from $26.07
don’t make me think, revisited: a common sense approach to web usability – steve krug
In his 2000 book Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug explored core concepts of web usability, gaining critical acclaim amongst web designers and developers, respectively.
In Don’t Make Me Think: Revisited, Steve ‘revises’ his initial concepts explored in the first edition, replacing outdated information with examples that have more relevance in the modern marketplace. short, funny and with nice images, it is the perfect book for pmm who want to review their web usability.
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignite: $16.20
rustic: from $21.08 – $28.36
badass: making users cool – kathy sierra
Do enduring successful products and services share common attributes? Can we learn by studying them? Can we reverse-engineer “sustainable success”? Not exactly.
The answers to what makes a successful seller sustainable are not in the successful product. the answers lie with the users of the successful product. what matters most is not the success of the product, but the successful results of those who use it. repeatedly. consequently. sustainable.
The answer to sustainable sales success is to shift the focus from making an amazing product to making an amazing user of that product. the answer lies in helping users get badass not just in using the product, but in whatever the product can help them do and be.
Some of those answers are surprising and counterintuitive, but anyone can implement them at any stage of product development. Even if you can’t improve your product, you can still improve your user experience by designing for what happens after they use it.
badass: making users awesome is a course on how to create a context in which users can become more skilled and, more importantly, stay motivated to keep moving forward. everything our users experience is part of that context, and even the smallest improvements can have a dramatic impact.
preview courtesy of the editor
See Also: Best Books on Resilience | Everyday Health
available on amazon here
ignition: $22.77
paperback: $15.55
product marketing, simplified: a customer-centric approach to bringing a product to market – srini sekaran
Product Marketing, Simplified is a complete and comprehensive guide to product marketing – it covers topics from messaging to influencing the product roadmap while ensuring the voice of the customer is always at the center of it.
In this book, Srini shares detailed examples that all marketers and product managers can learn from.
See Also: Anatomy of a book cover – 99designs