Now is a great time to do some learning and what better way than to pick up a good book?
One of the most successful investors of our time, Warren Buffet, credits his success to reading every day and Bill Gates reads over 50 books a year.
Reading helps you gain new information, think of things differently and can improve creativity all in a relatively fast and cost-effective way.
At our PR and marketing training academy, our seminars are often inspired by great business reads which is why we launched The Library earlier this year which offers book reviews around our specialist subjects.
Below is a list of 10 recommended reads to brush up on your PR and marketing skills:
- How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie
This classic best-seller teaches you ways to make people like you and to win people to your way of thinking. Although a great book for general self-development, it’s very important for improving PR. Afterall people buy from businesses they like.
- Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman
This masterpiece will enable you to make better decisions for your PR and marketing as well as everything else you do. It reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice, and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking.
- Start with why by Simon Sinek
Sinek states you must know and communicate your purpose in order to sell your products and services and build a strong brand. The book teaches you to think from the inside to develop messages that communicate directly with peoples emotions.
- Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestly
The key message in this book is don’t fight for customers, let them fight over you! This book is a recipe for ensuring demand outstrips supply for your product or service, and you have scores of customers lining up to buy from you.
- Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
This book provides seven steps to help you tell your brand’s story and to captivate potential customers by having a clearer and more effective brand message.
- Guerilla marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
This is an oldie but still relevant today. Based on hundreds of solid ideas that really work, this book employs revolutionised marketing strategies to take on a no-prisoners approach to finding clients.
- Built to last by Jim Collins and Jerry I Porras
18 truly exceptional companies were studied in this book and compared to their top competitor in a six year study. Learning from their findings will help you discover how to build a brand with longevity.
- Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom
In this book, Lindstrom identifies the factors that influence buying decisions in a world cluttered by messages using advertising, slogans and endorsements.
- This is marketing by Seth Godin
A game-changing approach to marketing, sales, and advertising which states that you can’t be seen until you learn to see.
- Contagious: Why things catch on by Jonah Berger
A fitting title for the current times, this book explains why things go viral and argues that it’s not advertising, but the science of word of mouth and social transmission of ideas that is the secret to success.
As well as reading new books, it’s also helpful to re-visit books that you’ve read a long time ago – you’ll be surprised how much you forget over time.
Win one of the above books!
We want to hear from you – what are your favourite PR and marketing books? To enter, share a post on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram tagging in @Hugoversity. If you’re not on social media email, study@harveyandhugo.com.
A winner will be picked at random to receive a book of their choice from the above list as well as one of our world famous Hugoversity bookmarks – the real prize here! We’ll also add you to our mailing list so you won’t miss any of our book reviews – we may even be reviewing the book you suggested next!
Visit The Library for some of our recent book reviews:
