Where to Start: 7 Marketing Books for Complete Beginners

Marketing has more books than anyone could read in a lifetime. If you are just getting started, the trick is not reading more, it is reading the right few books in the right order. Here is the path we recommend.

1. Start with the mindset

Seth Godin’s This Is Marketing reframes marketing as serving a specific group of people well. Read it first and every tactic you learn later will make more sense.

2. Learn why people buy

Influence is the foundation of persuasion. Reciprocity, social proof and scarcity show up in every good landing page, ad and email.

3. Get your message clear

Most marketing fails because the message is confusing. Building a StoryBrand gives you a simple framework to fix your website and pitch in an afternoon.

4. Make a simple plan

The 1-Page Marketing Plan turns everything above into a practical plan you can actually follow.

5. Keep it simple and sustainable

Full disclosure: this one is written by our founder. Marketing So Easy It’s Fun Again is for small business owners and busy marketers who want marketing that works without burning out.

6. Write better

Everything in marketing is writing. Ann Handley’s Everybody Writes makes you better at all of it.

7. Understand positioning

Finish with the classic. Positioning explains how to own a clear place in your customer’s mind, the idea that still drives most great brands.

Ready for more? Browse the Top 100 Marketing Books or pick a topic from our Top Lists.

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