Growth marketing has evolved into a crucial strategy for businesses looking to scale and adapt in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Here are the top 20 books that every growth marketer should consider reading to enhance their skills and drive successful marketing strategies.
Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday
A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, and Advertising
- Published: 2014
- Amazon rating: 4.4/5
- Goodreads rating: 3.8/5
This book introduces readers to the new age of marketing with a focus on growth hacking rather than traditional methods.
Key takeaways:
- Understanding the mindset of growth hacking.
- Practical strategies to apply growth hacking in any business.
Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown
How Today’s Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success
- Published: 2017
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
A comprehensive guide on how companies such as Airbnb and Dropbox use growth hacking techniques to grow.
Key takeaways:
- Case studies from leading companies.
- Frameworks for implementing growth hacking.
Hooked by Nir Eyal
How to Build Habit-Forming Products
- Published: 2014
- Amazon rating: 4.7/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Explores the psychology behind why some products become essential parts of our lives, and how to create such products.
Key takeaways:
- The Hook Model, a four-step process companies use to build customer habits.
- Insights into consumer behavior and product development.
Contagious by Jonah Berger
How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age
- Published: 2013
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
Berger reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission.
Key takeaways:
- Six key STEPPS (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories) that make things go viral.
- Techniques to craft messages and information that people will share.
Influence by Robert B. Cialdini
The Psychology of Persuasion
- Published: 1984 (Revised Edition 2006)
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
This classic book explores why people say “yes” and how to apply these understandings in various aspects of marketing.
Key takeaways:
- The six principles of influence.
- How to become a skilled persuader.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
- Published: 2011
- Amazon rating: 4.6/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Focuses on the Lean Startup approach, which fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and leverage human creativity more effectively.
Key takeaways:
- The concept of “validated learning”.
- Rapid scientific experimentation.
The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib
Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd
- Published: 2016
- Amazon rating: 4.7/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
Simplifies the marketing plan into a single page, divided into nine squares.
Key takeaways:
- Streamlining marketing strategy.
- Quick implementation for immediate results.
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See
- Published: 2018
- Amazon rating: 4.6/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Godin argues that marketing isn’t about the stuff you make but about the stories you tell.
Key takeaways:
- The importance of empathy in marketing.
- Building trust and permission with your audience.
Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
- Published: 2007
- Amazon rating: 4.6/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.0/5
Explains why some ideas thrive while others die, and how to improve the chances of worthy ideas.
Key takeaways:
- The SUCCESs Model: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories.
- Making ideas stickier and more effective.
Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth
- Published: 2015
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Offers insights on how startups can diagnose their growth issues and find traction in the market.
Key takeaways:
- The Bullseye Framework for finding traction.
- 19 channels that can lead to growth.
Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini
A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
- Published: 2016
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4/5
Explores how to capitalize on the key moment before a message is delivered to increase its impact.
Key takeaways:
- Techniques for setting the stage for persuasive communications.
- How ‘pre-suasion’ can enhance marketing effectiveness.
Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll and Benjamin Yoskovitz
Use Data to Build a Better Startup Faster
- Published: 2013
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Focuses on how startups can use analytics to quickly validate their initial ideas and build products that people love.
Key takeaways:
- The use of data to drive startup success.
- Identifying the one metric that matters most.
Product-Led SEO by Eli Schwartz
The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy
- Published: 2021
- Amazon rating: 4.3/5
- Goodreads rating: 4/5
Offers a strategic approach to SEO that focuses on your product as the main driver of your organic growth.
Key takeaways:
- Building SEO into product development.
- Strategies for long-term sustainable growth.
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
- Published: 2003
- Amazon rating: 4.6/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
While not a traditional marketing book, it provides insights into how analytical, evidence-based approaches can transform industries.
Key takeaways:
- Data-driven decision making.
- Innovating in traditional industries.
The Membership Economy by Robbie Kellman Baxter
Find Your Super Users, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue
- Published: 2015
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.0/5
Discusses how to build a membership site that turns casual visitors into loyal subscribers.
Key takeaways:
- Creating long-term customer relationships.
- Strategies for building recurring revenue.
The Growth Handbook by Andrew Chen and the Intercom team
- Published: 2018
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Features lessons from growth leaders at companies like Intercom, Intuit, Duolingo, and Atlassian.
Key takeaways:
- Insights from top growth experts.
- Practical advice on scaling businesses.
Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
- Published: 2014
- Amazon rating: 4.6/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Focuses on the concept of creating new things under the premise that doing what someone else already knows how to do takes the world from 1 to n, but when you do something new, you go from 0 to 1.
Key takeaways:
- The importance of innovation in business.
- Strategies for building a successful startup.
100 Days of Growth by Sujan Patel and Rob Wormley
- Published: 2015
- Amazon rating: 4.5/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.0/5
Offers 100 actionable tips and tactics to drive significant growth in just 100 days.
Key takeaways:
- Quick, effective growth strategies.
- Practical tips that can be implemented immediately.
The Growth Marketer’s Playbook by Jim Huffman
A Strategic Guide to Growing a Business in Today’s Digital World
- Published: 2018
- Amazon rating: 4.7/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.5/5
A step-by-step guide to creating and executing a growth marketing strategy in the digital age.
Key takeaways:
- Frameworks for digital growth.
- Case studies from successful digital campaigns.
Growing Happy Clients by Nandini Jammi and Joe Glover
A Practical Guide to Attracting and Retaining Great Clients
- Published: 2020
- Amazon rating: 4.6/5
- Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
Focuses on client relationships and how to manage them effectively to foster growth and satisfaction.
Key takeaways:
- Building and maintaining client relationships.
- Strategies for client retention and satisfaction.
This list of growth marketing books provides a solid foundation for anyone looking to deepen their marketing knowledge and skills.
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, these books offer valuable insights and strategies that can help propel your business to new heights.
