A few standouts in the world of influential digital marketing
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it’s important to stay informed and be willing to adapt as the industry changes. There is a wealth of information out there – so much so that it can all start to blend together. We’ve sifted through the noise and picked five of our favorites.
1. All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin
Seth Godin emphasizes the importance for marketers to become convincing (and authentic) storytellers. His book is chock full of advice on how you as a marketer can utilize the tools of story telling to influence the perception of your target audience.
Favorite quote from the book:
“We believe what we want to believe, and once we believe something, it becomes a self-fulfilling truth.”
2. Harnessing Our Digital Future by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson
MIT’s Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson have mastered the shift in power in the digital world. Machines, platforms and crowdsourcing have taken the lead, changing the way we do business. In this book, the authors provide a clear analysis of this new landscape as well as the tools we need to know in order to thrive.
Favorite quote from the book:
“Because we humans are so fond of our judgment, and so overconfident in it, many of us, if not most, will be too quick to override the computers, even when their answer is better.”
3. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Thinking Fast and Slow is an easy-to-read overview of Nobel prize-winning insights from psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’. They look at the science behind the way the mind makes decisions. They examine how human intuition works and present the two routes to persuasion – intuitive vs rational thinking. In understanding the effects of cognitive biases, marketers can use these techniques as a blueprint for new forms of intuitive marketing.
Favorite quote from the book:
“The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even if they see little.”
4. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
If all it took was a little bit of influence in just the right ways, we might actually be able to get what we want. With 35 years of empirical research, Dr. Robert Cialdini describes the six “Weapons of Influence” and examines how marketers can use them to get their customers to say “YES.”
Favorite quote from the book:
“The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one whose initial position is exaggerated enough to allow for a series of concessions that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent, yet is not so outlandish as to be seen as illegitimate from the start.”
5. Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
Guerilla Marketing shifts the power from big-budget traditional marketing to the individual marketer. Small businesses learn to measure success in terms of customer relationships and getting repeat and word of mouth business. This book was way ahead of its time and anticipated the influence of CRM well before it became the force that it is today. This is a must have on your marketing bookshelf.
Favorite quote from the book:
“When you ask the right questions, consumers will tell you what to do to make your business more profitable. Simply by listening to consumers, you will do the smart thing far more often than if you simply decide to go it alone.”