Top 5 Marketing Books Every Marketer Must Read!

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In the last days of summer while sitting by the pool, what’s a marketer to read? Here are 5 recommendations from someone who reads… A LOT. Check these out if you are a marketer, an ad man (or woman!), or anyone in digital anything really!

1.Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy 

This book is a must-read that many marketers have never even heard of… seriously, you need this in your life. Known as the “Father of Advertising,” British ad tycoon David Ogilvy was trained at Gallup and attributed the success of his ad campaigns to meticulous research into consumer habits. 

Even today, Ogilvy is arguably the top advertising agency in the world. Confessions of an Advertising Man has been called a “How to Guide for Advertising”. All I know is that I read this book every few years and each time, I learn something new. 

2. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

Ann Handley doesn’t just explain why you should write, but instead, dives into how to write. Everybody Writes is a how-to manual with all the tips and tools you could never need to become a great (or better) writer. She explains in her book that writing can be taught and that everyone can do it, with these basic tips. In fact, I recommend this book each time I lecture to Georgetown’s MBA program. A must-read for marketers. 

3. Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships  by Andrew Davis

Brandscaping is a guide on how to create a content market strategy that actually works. It is all about learning how to focus on your target audience, rather than focusing on your brand. Davis explains how partnering with other marketers within your niche will help you to grow your current audience faster and easier than doing it all on your own. Davis and I have had several conversations about marketing and he REALLY knows his stuff! 

4. Purple Cow by Seth Godin

The year was 2002. I was in college, trying to figure out what to do with my life. Whatever it was, I knew it would be with my own company. I had gravitated toward a squad of entrepreneurs, and was physically living in an entrepreneurship incubator with other students who wanted to do the same. Tony Casalena, who would become the founder and CEO of Squarespace, lived down the hall. Adam Ostrow, former Chief Strategy Officer at Mashable, lived next door.⠀⠀

I was on my second business at the time, and pitch contests were all the rage. My team competed in one, placed second. Instead of the $5k prize, we ended up winning something that was (in retrospect) of much greater value—a new book that had just come out called Purple Cow by Seth Godin.

Purple Cow changed the way I viewed business. It was because of this book that I majored in Marketing and started my career path as a market researcher. I was enthralled (and still am) at how some companies can stand out in a crowded marketplace, while others get swallowed by the noise. Much of my research has centered around that fascination over the years—and over the past couple years, it’s been centered around how companies make a splash when they’re targeting a particular audience (particular in more ways than one!): Generation Z.⠀⠀

5. InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z by Sarah Weise 

And of course I wouldn’t be a good marketer if I didn't promote my own book! 17 years after I read Purple Cow for the first time, I published my own book InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z that would also become a #1 bestseller. 

Today, Generation Z (ages 13-24) outpaces Millennials by 3M. They represent 40% of consumers and $44B in direct buying power. This generation is wielding their mighty influence on every other generation, in every industry. Yet marketing departments are still caught up in the Millennial whirlwind and missing this potential powerhouse. This generation is an entirely different consumer—one that you need a fresh marketing strategy to reach. This book will teach you how to connect and engage with this new generation in a way that will resonate. Learn what you need to know about how this next generation of customers wants to learn, transact, and engage with brands like yours.

Whether you are a marketing pro or just getting started in the marketing world, you must add these 5 books to your reading list!