6 Books For Marketers to Read Now

This time of year, I really put that Audible subscription to work. The Christmas rush is over and everyone is out on holiday. I read a lot, so while I search for my next favorite marketing books, check out my list of six books for marketers to read now.

1. Ogilvy On Advertising

I’ve written a few times about why I read Ogilvy on Advertising every year. And this year is no different. Every time I read it, I get something new from it. I like the evidence-based, approach Ogilvy had to his advertising and messaging. And because humans think the same way now as they did then, many of the lessons are still relevant.

2. Are You Buying This?

If you’re in B2C marketing, then this new book by J. J. Robertson is a good one to add to your list. Are You Buying This? is reviews what American consumers care about right now, based on a massive, comprehensive study on American attitudes, values and perceptions. Not only is there a lot of interesting data and insights, but it’s very funny and entertaining.

3. Contagious: Why Things Catch On

If you have not already read this book from Jonah Berger, then you’re in for a treat! Contagious is a well-researched, well-written book on how marketers create viral marketing content. Berger even goes so far as to lay out the elements that make for content that spreads across the internet. I think of it as the application of Daniel Kahneman’s more theoretical, Thinking Fast, And Slow (one of my all time favorite books).

4. Epic Content Marketing

If you are a regular visitor to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), you’re going to be very familiar with Joe Pulizzi’s book on content marketing. He actually has several books on the subject, but I think Epic Content Marketing is his best for small businesses and part-time marketers because it’s full of ideas to test out and easy enough to implement and scale regardless of the size of your business.

5. Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing

Harry Beckwith’s classic service marketing book is still as relevant today as it was when it came out more than 10 years ago. Guy Kawasaki has a similar chapter in Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions (a must-read for start-ups), but Selling the Invisible is richer and more hands on.

6. Honorable Mention: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

I recently listened to this book on my drive to and from work, and although I don’t do a lot of work directly in branding and public relations, I still found it had a lot of insights to offer me as a content marketer. Especially with my fast-growing clients looking to expand their business.

What do you think? Do you have any marketing books you’d recommend for me to read in 2017? Let me know in the comments.

April Lisonbee

April is a marketing consultant who has been helping small and medium sized companies develop and execute cross-channel marketing strategies for more than five years. April’s work with sales and marketing started with integrating innovating marketing strategies into existing Fortune 500 B2B sales teams’ activities in order to improve revenue. April has since developed a passion for new technology and digital media that has led her to work with startups in building, managing and growing their influence and tie marketing into sales, experiences she writes about on several blogs. With a strong strategic mindset and wide marketing experience, April now helps clients which range from established leaders in manufacturing looking to defend their market share, to e-commerce companies expanding their digital product line.