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20 Books Recommended by Successful Marketers for 2020

Whether you are a marketer or a business owner, we believe that your key objective for 2020 is to build awareness around your brand, grow sales or both. Whatever be the reason, it is essential to set the guiding principles before you enter into the growth path for 2020. Our team of expert marketers has curated a list of books that have added immense value for them to achieve excellence in digital marketing in the past couple of years.

Brand Identity Breakthrough – Gregory V. Diehl

Every company has a story to tell. But does your company have a story that makes it stand out? If you wish to tell your business’ story, then this is the book that you should lay your hands on. The best part about this book is that instead of dishing out recommendations, the book presents real examples of companies to follow.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan – Allan Dib

If you are planning to make a marketing plan for your company but don’t know where to start from, then this is the book for you. The book literally explains the step-by-step process of making a marketing plan. By the time you will finish you will have a one-page marketing plan in your hand. This is one actionable book that every entrepreneur and every marketer should read. One nugget of wisdom that we would like to share with you is from the Chapter titled Crafting Your Message.

Unleash Possible – Samantha Stone

There are several books on B2B marketing available. However, very few would compel you to practice the tactics mentioned in the book. While many marketing books tell you what to do, this one by Samantha Stone tells you how to do it. So when you read this book, make sure to make your notes.

The Design of Everyday Things – Don Norman

Written in 1988, this book remains relevant even today. Be it product design or marketing, this book is crammed with wise words for designers and marketers. It advocates an approach that bears usability and user-centered design in mind. One nugget of wisdom we would like to share with you, in particular, is taken from the Chapter titled Design Thinking and gives us an insight into how good designers look at a problem.

Originals – Adam Grant

Every business starts with a new idea, no matter how absurd did it sound in the early stages. The ones who took the ideas forward are the ones who kept their fears and doubts aside. The ones who chose to go ahead with the idea even when it didn’t conform to the traditional ideas are the originals. A must-read for those who are just starting out, especially with a novel idea. There’s a very interesting Chapter titled The Other da Vinci Code which dwells on procrastination on how it might be conducive to originality. We read about the data gathered from a Korean furniture company.

UN Marketing – Scott Stratten

Are you tired of playing by the rulebook? Do you think traditional marketing strategies are not working for your business? If yes, then it is time to unlearn the old tricks and learn some new ones. This is what Unmarketing is all about.

Crushing It! – Gary Vaynerchuk

If you want to up your social media marketing game, then this is the book for. The book dwells upon every social media platform that matters. It gives practical and clear advice as to how not to just get your marketing right on these platforms but also nail it the best.

Social Media ROI – Olivier Blanchard

If you are looking for an A to Z guide on social media marketing, then there is no better person other than globally renowned brand strategist and marketing executive Olivier Blanchard to give you insights. From defining metrics to earning followers, everything that you need to learn ace your marketing game, this book has it.

Marketing 4.0 – Philip Kotler

In this increasingly noisy social media world, it is difficult for a brand to get heard. This book not just acquaints you with the changing marketing dynamics, it also tells brands how to grab attention and create a customer base that is loyal.

Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert B. Cialdini

Successful marketing is about understanding the psychology of the consumer. Full of case studies, this book dwells the universal principles of persuasion. The best part is that the book also dwells upon the subject of how not to fall for psychological tricks.

Zig Zaglar’s Secrets of Closing the Sale

The deal is closed. Every marketer wants to hear these four words. With more than 100 case studies of successful closings, this book is for everyone who wants to master the art of closing deals. There are 700 questions that can prevent your sales conversation from meeting a dead end.

Words that Sell – Richard Bayan

Do your sales pitch sound the same every time? Are you looking for new words that can make your pitch better? Then this is your guide to strike a conversation that will yield results.

The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg

Whether it’s about losing weight or achieving success, habits play a pivotal role in it. While forming habits is easy, it may not be easy to break them. Whether you want to make your mornings more productive or you want to kick a bad habit, this book is for everyone who wants to believe in the possibility of change. The book has a dedicated chapter on organizational habits. In one of the parts, the author gives us an insight into the powerful effects of willpower and how it can improve employee performance. There’s a powerful example of how Starbucks developed self-discipline into an organizational habit.

Hug Your Haters – Jay Baer

As a marketer, you can’t ignore criticism. With an increasing number of social media users and social channels, there are more complaints than ever. How are you supposed to deal with them? Dealing with complaints may often seem to deal with negativity. However, this book tells how to deal with complaints and use them to your advantage. Complaints, according to the book, give ample opportunity to improve customer service.

Contagious – Why things Catch on – Jonah Berger

What makes something go viral? This is one question that marketers cannot fully answer. Brands spend a lot of money to create a buzz. However, only a few get it right. What different are they doing? If you want to know that, then this is the book for you. The book gives you six principles that you can use to create campaigns that are useful, engaging and will help your product or service to increase social influence.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding – Al Ries and Laura Ries

How products become brands? If you want a definitive answer to that question, then you need to read this book. This is the ultimate book on brands and branding.

Marketing Rebellion – Mark Schaefer

With the advent of technological changes, marketing and advertising have also undergone a sea change. The way brands are telling stories is changing. Branding has moved from being just about the products, it’s about the brand’s voice and the customer’s journey. Grab this book to the new-world branding rules.

This is Marketing – Seth Godin

It is a straightforward book that tells you to build a connection with the consumers. If you believe that attention-grabbing ads are momentary while making a connection with consumers will long last, you are going to enjoy this book. In the Chapter titled Semiotics, Symbols, and Vernacular, Seth Godin candidly explains what a brand stands for.

Building A Story – Donald Miller

Many businesses find it difficult to convey their brand story to consumers. The book is crammed with useful insights on how to create messages that connect with your customers. The book advocates simplifying brand messages so that your customers can understand and relate to it. From creating effective messages for customers on different platforms to help customers understand the benefits of your products, this book equips readers with universal story points that all humans respond to.

Instabrain – Sarah Weise

There is no doubt that the millennials engage with brands in a totally different fashion than their previous generations. Then, why do you think that traditional marketing strategies will work for the millennials? A generation that is born in the age of digital technology needs a different style of storytelling. From using social influencers in your marketing strategy to choosing the right social media platform, this book is the ultimate guide to learn how you can tailor your brand story for the millennials.

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