so you’ve decided to pursue a career in marketing. Congratulations! it’s one of the most rewarding (and dare we say fun) careers out there with so many different opportunities for various skill sets.
The world of marketing is constantly evolving. being a salesperson means being in a state of almost constant learning. you’ll always be refining your craft and on the lookout for the next big thing.
You are reading: Marketing books for beginners
How can you start learning your craft? stick your nose in a book, of course. While there are so many media outlets and blogs out there with great ideas and advice, I’ve also found that the following books offer great lessons, guidance, and food for thought.
From marketing theory to the latest trends, here are some of my favorite books that can help you jump into marketing with confidence.
It’s not about marketing per se, but Berman offers some great advice in this book.
After shadowing some of the most successful people and leaders in the business world, Berman learned that success is about facing your fears and overcoming your own limits, and later, teaching the people around you. team to exceed their limits as well. .
It is a great lesson for any sector or position, and certainly for marketing.
This text offers a fantastic explanation of the importance of marketing in a service-oriented economy. selling (and marketing) something you can’t see is a whole different game, but it’s a skill that should be in every marketer’s arsenal.
Is it really possible to take a company from good to great? What? This is the question that Jim Collins unpacks in this fantastic book-novel-slash on management.
Collins breaks down the pillars of successful companies and cites situations where companies made decisions that took them from success into another stratosphere.
It’s not a book about marketing specifically, but the lessons it does offer intersect, especially early in your career.
This bestseller, written by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, breaks down that age-old question: how can a company do everything right and still lose to a competitor?
This book breaks down the whys and hows that are crucial to success in our hyper-competitive world.
Have you ever had an idea take off? In his book, Malcolm Gladwell discusses the “perfect storm”: when ideas, trends, and social behavior spread like wildfire and cause rapid change.
This book is more about sociology than marketing, but it’s important to understand the mindsets and trends that drive consumers.
An important read for our viral world, Berger’s book breaks down the six principles that make things buzz, from work buzz and consumer products to social media sensations.
I think it’s a must read for any budding salesperson, and veteran professionals as well.
david ogilvy is the founder of one of the most successful advertising agencies in the world and is often referred to as “the father of advertising”.
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This fantastic book breaks down everything you need to know at every point in your career, from the basics (how to strategize advertising that works and write creative copy), as well as things you’ll need to know as your career progresses. : how to run an agency and what the future holds for the industry.
This book looks at the psychology of why we say yes and how we can get others to say yes too. If you’re interested in influencer marketing, understanding these concepts should be your first stop.
This is a marketing beginner’s bible and a great place to start if you’re new to marketing. This book offers step-by-step content marketing strategies that you can emulate and implement in your first job.
every marketer knows that the devil is in the details, or in our case, the analytics. analytics and data prove campaigns work, or not, and it’s hard to argue with numbers.
This book takes the fear out of those graphs and lines and makes Google Analytics accessible to new marketers.
if seo sounds more like a car part than a marketing tactic, this is the book for you.
capala, baldwin, and lee break down the basics of what you need to do to get your website ranked well in search engines (and get more customers), which is a must for many brands and organizations today. .
samantha stone is all about revenue and her specialty is rapid growth and tangible results (read: big sales and fast). This book is about marketing for high growth in competitive markets, and she gives her all the tools she needs to get there.
In a world where we’re all online, our writing has never mattered more. one of the greats in marketing guides you through the art of writing in this fantastic book and will show you how to write content that attracts (and retains) new customers.
customer experience is king: our customers want more from companies and are not afraid to ask for it. matt watkinson discusses the fundamentals of positive customer experiences.
This should be one of the first books you read as you venture into the world of marketing.
Did you know that the most influential people, the ones who tell you what to eat, where to buy and what to buy, are not the richest or best educated people in the world?
Edward Keller’s book looks at influencing America and how to harness word of mouth marketing, one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal.
Don’t be intimidated by the title! One of the most powerful voices in marketing today, Seth Godin’s All Marketers Are Liars, says that three questions will tell you everything you need to know about a business: What is your story? Will the people who need to hear this story believe it? It is true?
This book looks at the way marketing really works and focuses on leveraging authenticity to get results.
This book details the career of prolific entrepreneur and influencer Gary Vaynerchuk. The unique part is that Vaynerchuk walks readers through his failings and the ways he could have made “good” “even better.”
what results is a very humanizing story that should inspire marketers of any age and skill level.
This book provides an incredible foundation in business that is important to any marketer by breaking down why some ideas are successful and others are not.
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It also looks at opportunities and how to turn them into successes, which is always important in the world of marketers, no matter how commercial your business is.
This how-to guide is the perfect addition to any marketer’s arsenal. provides information about social media marketing, how it has changed and developed, and a process to help you use social media to get more leads (and convert those leads into sales).
david meerman scott has worked in public relations and marketing and knows a thing or two about adapting and changing.
This guide is a marketer’s bible, offering a blueprint for using the internet to communicate with customers, increase reach and visibility, and most importantly, drive sales.
meerman scott discusses the magic of marketing: sending the right message to the right people at the right time.
Have you ever wondered why some people write so well? This book breaks down the elements of good writing and, even better, offers examples of common sentence structures and corrections.
It’s a must-have for any bookshelf, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned marketer.
“We create, consume and critique faster than ever,” says zain raj in this fascinating commentary on consumers in our new digital world.
according to raj, the most successful companies can identify what the customer wants and give it to them. explains how to use modern channels to engage with customers, the latest thinking in the world of marketing, and why these strategies are working.
Storytelling is fundamental to humanity: our ideas about who we are and what we want to do drive our actions, dreams and ambitions. they build our relationships and one could even say that they govern our lives.
will storr explores the fundamentals of good storytelling and how people use stories to manipulate, coerce, and influence, from ancient texts to modern examples. it’s a powerful read.
Social media is a crucial part of any modern marketing plan. Legendary former Apple chief evangelist and social media pioneer Guy Kawasaki explains the art of social media and how to make the most of your time, effort and money.
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There is a lot of content available, but why does some content really connect with people? wendy covey discusses how shoppers research before buying a product and how to educate (and influence) your audience through content marketing.
Yes, this is a long list, but don’t be discouraged! With nearly twenty years of marketing career behind me, I’ve done my fair share of reading.
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As you begin your own journey, choose a few of the above that sound most interesting to you, and if you learn something valuable, choose another.
Happy reading!
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