August 7, 2018 - 2:14pm - by Alyson Shane

We're halfway through summer, and many of us are booking weekends (or weeks, if you're lucky) off to catch some much-needed rest and relaxation. If you're in Canada, like we are, then it's likely that you're enjoying your time off at a cottage or cabin, hopefully near a big body of water that's perfect for swimming, hiking, boating, fishing, and catching up on some sleep.

While getting a sunburn and over-indulging on BBQed meat is a staple of the cottage experience, we love using our "unplugged" time away from wifi and screens to catch up on a few good reads to get us back in the "marketing mindset" when we're back at our desks.

Looking for a few good reads to sink your teeth into and get that creativity flowing? Check out these must-read marketing books that pair perfectly with a sunny dock and a cold beer:

1. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content

Good content drives good marketing, and to create really good content you need the copywriting skills necessary to convey your ideas in a compelling and interesting way. In Everybody Writes, marketing dynamo Ann Handley offers thoughtful advice and guidance for writers of all skill levels on how to level-up their writing chops and deliver copy that gets attention and delivers results.

Whether you're new to the concept of content marketing or are a seasoned content marketing looking to sharpen their teeth on some innovative ideas, this book is a must-read for any writers and content marketers out there.

2. UnBranding: 100 Branding Lessons for the Age of Disruption

Scott Stratten has been dissecting how we communicate for years. In addition to his hilarious and long-running podcast, he's also a branding expert with a key eye for detecting B.S. in the marketing industry.

Unbranding is a collection of stories that showcase how branding is just as important as ever, and provides clear and actionable advice to apply lessons learned from the examples in our changing digital marketing landscape. From dealing with criticism on social media, to building and maintaining trust, to cutting through the "noise" online: it's all in this swift little read.

3. PRE-SUASION: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade

If you studied marketing in university then it's likely that you've already encountered Robert Caldini's seminal work: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, which was released in 1984.

Pre-Suasion acts as a follow-up to this book and goes much deeper into the subtitles of areas like: place, identity, shared action, attention and importance, the subtleties of persuasion, and much more. This info-packed read will not only help you persuade your colleagues and the executives you work for you support your marketing initiatives, but will also help you persuade customers to take the action you want.

4. Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact 

Someone's decision to work with you often comes down to what you say and how you say it, and that's true in sales, marketing, and life in general. This fantastic read by Phil M. Jones, one of the world's most respected sales trainers, digs deep into the power of the words we say, and offers a fascinating look on the art of responsive, thoughtful, and engaging conversation to achieve the results you want.

Sure, a book like this can help your sales team close more deals, but it can help you state your case more persuasively, present your ideas with more confidence, and become a more powerful speaker both in and outside the boardroom.

5. Marketing: A Love Story, How to Matter to Your Customers

This book is all about how to matter to your customers, and how to build the emotional connection necessary so you continue to matter to them for years to come. 

What we love about this book is its unusual structure: it's adapted from a series of blog posts written by the author, but at 81 pages that doesn't really matter because every page is packed with thought-provoking points that apply to marketers and entrepreneurs working in both the B2B and B2C spaces.

If your business has struggled to inject emotion into your sales and marketing copy, then this read will give you insight, inspiration, and steps to think about how to sell your story, not your product. 

What are your favorite marketing books? Tell us by leaving us a comment on FB!

Got any good marketing books or podcasts to recommend? Tweet us your answer!

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Oh, and if you're looking for help developing a killer digital marketing strategy to propel your business to success in Q4, drop us a line.