📚 57 marketing books that should be on your reading list in 2023

Reading books has always been “my thing”. 

While I was preparing for the bar exam or my Ph.D. in law (a long time ago...) I read dozens of law books every year, for years.

Then, when I launched my first online business in the legal industry back in 2009, I needed to get fast up to speed on many things about digital marketing I knew nothing about.

So, I did what many entrepreneurs do (I learned by doing) and I kept doing what I was used to doing as a former law student: I read books.

Except that instead, I switched legal books to marketing and business ones.

Since then, I never really stopped reading marketing books. 

I actually even increased my readings, especially after Covid, and set up as a daily habit to read a marketing/business book at least 1 hour per day (a life saver at that time, to get back to "normal life"). 

This was my list from last year.

For 2023, I have 57 on my reading list.

Not sure I’ll reach that goal but you know the saying:

So, we'll see.

Meanwhile, here you go: my 51 marketing books reading list for the coming new year. 

The book I’m currently reading

Everybody writes (New Edition) - Ann Handley

The ones I can’t wait to read 

• Belonging to the brand - Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy, from Mark Schaefer.

Ok… a special comment about this one.

This book is both an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to know what marketing will truly be about in 2023 AND one of my end-of-year personal marketing gifts because…along with several marketing leaders and entrepreneurs, I was actually quoted in this one!!!!

I still can’t believe it happened but it did.

Now, as my end-of-year gift to you, here is the link to get the book now and only until Dec. 31st for less than $2!!! (and, incidentally, you'll find me on Page...  I let you check the book first).

• Epic Content Marketing 2nd Ed. - Joe Pulizzi & Brian W. Piper

If like me, you're a content marketer, I’m pretty sure Epic Content Marketing changed a lot of things in your marketer's life. 

It for sure did in mine. 

So I’m sure you’ll be as impatient as I am to read this second edition co-authored by Joe and Brian (whom I’ve been lucky enough to interview on my Marketing Leaders’ show).

The ones on my reading list for 2023

Books 100% focused on marketing

• In Search of Excellence - Thomas J. Peters & Robert H. Waterman, Jr. 
• Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead - David Merman Scott
• Fan First - Jesse Cole
• Marketing 5.0 - Philip Kotler
• Using behavioral science in marketing - Nancy Harhut
• An Audience of One - Jamie Turner
• You are the brand - Mike Kim
• CMO to CRO - Mike Geller, Rolly Keenan, Brandi Starr
• Get your start-up story straight - David Riemer
• What’s in for them - Joe Polish
• From impressed to obsessed - Jon Picoult
• Unleash possible - Samantha Stone
• How not to suck at Marketing - Jeff Perkins
• Subscribed - Tien Tzuo
• Data-first marketing - Janet Driscoll Miller & Julia Lim
• 300 email marketing tips - Meera Kothand
• Influencer - Brittany Hennessy
• Breakout brands - Jared Schreiber
• Traffic Secrets - Russell Brunson
• Marketing made simple - Donald Miller
• The Essential habits of 6 figures bloggers - Sally Miller
• The YouTube Formula - Derral Eves
• Prove it - Melanie Deziel
• Hug your haters - Jay Baer
• Life after the 30-second spot - Joseph Jaffe
• The Content Puzzle - Andi Robinson

Business+marketing books

• Town Inc - Andrew Davis (for everyone working on co-marketing I also highly recommend reading Brandscaping. An absolute must-read on this topic).
• Think again - Adam Grant
• Buy then build - Walker Deibel
• Atomic Habits - James Clear
• Psychological Triggers - Peter Hollins
• Makers - Chris Anderson
• Location is still everything - David R. Bell
• The Cold Start Problem - Andrew Chen
• Leopardology - Kivi Bernhard 
• Sam Walton: Made in America - John Huey, Sam Walton
• The Owners: A titan’s Guide to Building a Limitless Agency - Stephanie Dove Blake, Franco Urbaez, Marley Jaxx, Hernan Vasquez & 6 more authors

The marketing books that are always on my desk

I already read those ones this past year. And for some, even the year before that, and the year before that... But somehow, those books impacted me so much and have been so useful that they now remain on my desk, no matter what.

• The Long Tail - Chris Anderson = THE one that explains the entire internet business model and the 1 thing upon which it relies: niche marketing.
• Known - Mark Schaefer = THE book that changed my "after-Covid" life. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone wishing to truly become a content creator and develop a healthy life (at the same time). Reading it was a game-changer for me.
• Content Chemistry - Andy Crestodina = This is by far, the best digital marketing Bible EVER. Whether it's Orbit Media's blog or this book, each time I'm struggling with something tactical in digital marketing, Andy, his team and his content are my first reflex to go to.
• The Lean Start-up - Eric Ries = The method developed in this book has been scaled to so many concepts, industries, and products. The super famous "MVP" (Minimal Viable Product) concept is coming from this legendary book.
• Building a Storybrand - Donald Miller. One of the best books ever written on how to simply use storytelling to clarify your marketing message and build your website accordingly
• The Art of War - Sun Tzu = When I was young, my Dad (the best entrepreneur I've ever met) and I had hours of conversation about entrepreneurship and marketing. He always had thousands of Incredibles business anecdotes to share. One of them was that the only thing placed on the desk of all the respective Chrysler CEOs when they took office was the book "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Don't ask me why but since then, I always have had this book on my desk. Some of the war tactics and strategies in it helped me solve many potential conflicts (and win some wars...).
• Tribes - Seth Godin. I've read almost all of Seth Godin's books (I don't think you can be serious about marketing without having read at least half of his book) but Tribes is my favorite. The main ideas developed in this book are the ones that lie at the core of any efficient marketing strategy.
• Content Inc. - Joe Pulizzi = One of the most generous and helpful books I read about a real-life business success story in my favorite topic ever: content marketing. Besides the quality of the book itself and the brightness of its author, I'm a true fan of the Pulizzi family "boss", Pam Pulizzi. Read it and you'll see, she's everywhere in it.
• They Ask you Answer - Marcus Sheridan = My go-to guide each time I feel overwhelmed by content creation. This book is like its author: truthful, straight to the point, and practical. A great guide full of super easily actionable marketing tips.
• The Ultimate Marketing Engine - John Jantsch. A true bible for small business entrepreneurs. Some concepts of this book (the marketing hourglass being one of those) had been extremely helpful in my daily marketing routine for my clients (and mine).
• Marketing Artificial Intelligence - Paul Roetzer & Mike Kaput. THE book that made me truly understand artificial intelligence and realized the deep impact it's gonna have on my job (and incidentally one of my favorite interviews of this past year).

Since there’s a life besides marketing…

Life taught me that setting up boundaries in anything we’re doing is one of the best ways to keep doing it consistently, with endurance - and fun! 

That’s why for years now, I’ve set up specific working and reading habits to remain healthy, happy, and focused on my business AND my family: 

• Reading 1 hour per day 6 days out of 7 marketing & business books. 
• Setting up 1 day completely differently: zero screens, no computer, no phone, no emails (the same rule works for us as parents and our kids), and reading NOT MARKETING/BUSINESS related books.

Here are the ones on my shortlist for this past year and that will accompany me for sure also in 2023 as I’m still not done with them …

THE marketing book I am a co-author of!!

YES!!!! It happened. 

2023 is the year where I will be for the first time in my life, a co-author of an authentic real, and fantastic American Marketing Book. 

Under the guidance, inspiration, and leadership of Mark Schaefer, along with 34 outstanding marketers whom each became close friends (for some even like a family) from the $RISE community, I’ve been in charge of the Content Strategy Chapter of the "Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever".  

Scheduled for this coming summer 2023!!!

And I still can’t believe it happened 💃🏽.

Stay tuned!

And thank you to some of the best people I've met this past year: Brian Piper M. Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, MBA, Chad Parizman, Frank Prendergast, Joeri Billast Samantha Stone, and all the members of this awesome community.

What about YOUR marketing books reading list?

I would LOVE to hear from you: what's on your reading list for 2023? 

Can’t wait to read from you in the comments.

Meanwhile Merry Christmas everyone 🎊.

#contentmarketing #marketingbooks #businessbooks