As a marketer, what books have you read that helped you grow?
Emmanuel Nwosu
32 replies
I have a confession. I'm a Petroleum Engineering major who's in love with marketing. Sometimes, I think I'm too in over my head.😅
I started doing "marketing" with social media management as my first foray into anything remotely associated with digital marketing (show of hands if you started the popular way).
And then, I think I lost a bit of love for social media marketing, and moved on quickly to something shiny—email marketing. This was heaven while it lasted. I sold personal financial management courses and eBooks for a popular consultant here in my country. The conversations in the inboxes were so direct and personal that it always felt like I was looking directly at, and talking to the person's soul.😅
I also tried my hands on SEO and content strategy. Doesn't it just feel amazing how you pick up so many useful micro-skills for digital marketing? That's always so intriguing.
Now, I do product marketing, thanks to charting newer territories.🥂
I find it intriguing how numerous teams work together to solve a problem. Be that small-scale, or global. And meeting a lot of amazing makers and marketers here launching really helpful products here daily (some of which have been time-savers for me) reinforced my reason why I want to identify with this industry.
I read a book recently by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares called, "Traction."
Recommended by a senior colleague in marketing. The ideas in the book just made so much sense and held so many insights for me. And it made me understand one thing, "whatever you want to get better at, reading books help you navigate there faster."
As a marketer, what book(s) gave you your best "aha!" moment?
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"Hooked, how to build habit forming products" I would highly recommend!
https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Ho...
@janine_nitz I love that book and the thinking in loops is a game changer also when it comes to PLG motions.
@janine_nitz
Lovely. Thanks for the recommendation, Janine.
@janine_nitz Amazing Book !
Made to stick! Helped me write better product stories and narratives that resonate with customers
https://www.amazon.com/Made-Stic...
“All marketers are liars” is actually a good one. It was the first marketing book I ever read. Really good one
Here are some work/marketing books that really resonated with me:
Atomic Habits
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
ReWork
How to Connect with Anyone in 90 Seconds
The Dip - Seth Godin
Introvert's Guide to Networking
@captaintime
Thanks for the recommendations, Garland. I'll be sure to check them out.
Anything from Steve Blank. but then again not everyone's cup of tea
@apostolos_toptsis
Alright, gotcha. Thanks, Apostolos. To your other sentence, I'll be the judge of that when I read his work. ☺️
from zero to 1 (relevant to everyone, not only marketing), shoe dog (Nike's story, gives some very good ideas). I don't read so much marketing-specific books, I prefer the more business/personal development ones
@marilena_n I've been learning how to read biographies, too. Read about 5 last year, including Viola's "Finding Me". I'm definitely reading Shoe Dog. Thanks, Marilena.
@emmanuelnwosu the 5 am club was also life-changing for me!
Product led Growth by Wes Bush is my bible : Product-Led Growth: How to Build a Product That Sells Itself (Product-Led Growth Series Book 1) (English Edition) https://amzn.eu/d/1cNyp76
@cancan_aime Awesome! Thanks for your recommendation, Candice.
Got to be the Mom Test for me by Rob Fitz - amazing way to think about validating
@maxwellcdavis Awesome! Thanks, Max.
Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwit - one of the last books I read, on how to sell digital product or services.
Belonging to the Brand - Mark Schaefer
@hi_marizsa
Lovely! Thanks, Marizsa.
I love reading all the book recommendations here. Mine is The Mom test, not strictly marketing, but I think it is still relevant.
Give me a lot of moments where I went “whoops, that’s me.”
@byhazellim
Lovely. Thank you so much, Hazel.
another vote for Hooked by Ryan Hoover of Product Hunt
and newsletter I've been learning a lot from is Lenny's Newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky he interviews lots of Product leaders and there's a faur bit of crossover with marketing
@madeleine_nichols Thank you so much, Madeleine.
First up, “crossing the chasm” by Geoffrey A. Moore. It offers a framework for identifying the profitable customer segments, creating effective messaging, and building marketing strategies that works. I guess it provides a solid foundation to understand the different stages of the product market and what strategies works best at each phase. Really good for starters
Next is “Hooked: how to build habit-forming products” absolutely recommended if you want your product to go viral
I'm not a marketer but I've read some very helpful books. I'm a Product Designer and the books I'd say that helped with marketing as well as designing a good produce are:
1. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
2. Lovability: How to Build a Business That People Love and Be Happy Doing It