Marketers, by nature, are experimenters. We try new things. We fail fast. We closely follow trends. And it’s all in the name of pushing boundaries and improving conversion.
But there are some things that will never go away in marketing. Fundamental marketing principles are the base that new and exciting trends build on, and we’ve got the perfect list for you to kick off 2024. Whether you’re revisiting one of these classics or reading them for the first time, you’ll find everything on this list to build a solid marketing foundation.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
Written by influence and persuasion expert DR. Robert B. Cialdini, this widely adopted classic delves into the six universal principles of influence and how you can use these principles to become a persuasion master. Influence is a complete guide to convincing your audience to change their behavior using devices like reciprocity, social proof, authority, and scarcity.
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
An oldy but a goody, Ogilvy on Advertising gives you insights into past Marketing strategies that still ring true today. Marketing tycoon, David Ogilvy, shares his secrets to his success. Learn practices that work, how to write successful copy, and so much more. Discover the history of Marketing and use that to map out where marketing is heading.
Marketing For Dummies by Jeanette Maw McMurtry
There’s really a “For Dummies” for everything, including Marketing. Updated as a 5th edition, this is the ultimate handbook for growing your business. With insights on how to find, reach, and engage your customers no matter the size of your organization, you’ll find whatever you need to transform your customer interactions.
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
Attention is the backbone of Marketing, so you have to be able to break through to a cynical, media-savvy audience. Create a position in a prospective customer’s mind that reflects your company’s benefits and drawbacks as well as those of your competition, and watch customers take notice. Don’t let your messaging come in second place. Put yourself in first with Positioning.
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The difference and why it matters by Richard Rumelt
Does your Marketing strategy feel like you’re throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks? It doesn’t have to. Good Strategy/Bad Strategy shows what good looks like, how to recognize bad strategy, and how to handle any situation that comes up in marketing planning. Use these tools to create a world-class marketing strategy that evolves as the market does.
The Marketing Imagination by Theodore M. Levitt
The Marketing Imagination was an instant classic, and for good reason. Covering how to maximize the product lifecycle and walk the thin line between innovation and imitation, Levitt shares the knowledge he gained as Harvard’s “guru of marketing.” Updated to include discussions around globalization and the award-winning essay “Marketing Myopia,” this book is a complete marketing guide developed by a deep thinker.
This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See by Seth Godin
You might know him from his blogs or online courses, but now you can get all of Seth Godin’s wisdom in one place. Packed full of marketing tips, this book centers around the philosophy that Marketers don’t sell products to customers; they sell solutions to problems. Learn to go from churning out content for content’s sake to making real connections with your audience.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
We make split-second decisions thousands of times a day. While these choices seem to happen without us thinking, it’s actually much more complicated than that. Blink outlines the psychology behind these decisions and why some people excel as decision makers and some fall flat. Learn how to make decisions the way the great decision marketers do.
The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd by Allan Dib
Do you make random acts of marketing, or do you have a plan for your strategy? You don’t need a lengthy outline. You can make a solid plan in only 1-page. Create a thorough plan simply and quickly by following The 1-Page Marketing Plan. Map out your own marketing plan and grow your business fast!
Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream by Geoffrey A. Moore
When you dissect the Technology Adoption Life Cycle, there is a noticeable gap between early adopters and the early majority. How do you make the jump over that gap to reach customers across every segment? The third edition of this classic, Crossing the Chasm, details dozens of examples of wins and losses and real-world stories and strategies for selling to a modern market.
