If you have been looking for great growth hacking books to create, start, or develop a business, you might be overwhelmed by the choice that there is on the market. Every growth hacker should start by reading the books listed in this article.
These are some of the most important books on growing a business the right way. Not only will they show you how to build a strong online presence, but also, they will give you the ability to make massive profits through a powerful marketing strategy. In addition to being extremely powerful and influential, these books are also full of information that you can use.
You have a great idea, and you want to get it out there, but you have no idea where to begin to do so. That is the biggest problem facing most marketers: they do not have the right information and knowledge on which to build their marketing campaign.
Whether you’re just starting out or if you’re an experienced growth hacker, these books will allow you to get a deeper and better idea from real experts.
1. “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” by Nir Eyal
In his new book, “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”, Nir Eyal, a New York Times Bestselling Author, looks at the process of building a business around a product.
His first step is to identify a problem. For instance, he analyzes the strategy that Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more, use to make people addicted and make their product become a habit.
Eyal identifies the market for the product, which is not necessarily the customer or prospective customer, but something like a category of people, and how easy it would be for someone in the identified market to buy. Also, he looks at the market potential and creates a marketing strategy around the identified customers.
This book is very useful when used as a guide for developing a business model. It takes the example of the first 60 minutes of the day and how that habit of using a product is ingrained into the customer straight out of bed.
It also is an excellent way to learn about the inner workings of a business and how to create a system for attracting new customers, keeping current customers happy, and driving sales through the roof. It also teaches you a lot about motivation, and what it takes to create a successful company.
Eyal also shares how building that business model can benefit a marketing strategy and growth hackers. In fact, he takes the example of making a customer addicted to Uber. That user will use the app to call a car as soon as they go to work, will recommend it to his friends and coworkers, and, ultimately, Uber will get more users.
2. “Hacking Growth” by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown
“Hacking Growth” by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown promises all growth marketers to teach a whole lot about how to increase your profits online. If you’re a growth marketer, it will show you how to create a successful online business that can be done wherever you are located.
Ellis and Brown write how to grow your online business the right way. Is your product or service a must-have? Does it have important features like forum community or even live video broadcast? While the book was mainly written for tech companies, it’s definitely one of the most useful growth hacking books to read for all businesses.
He goes in-depth with real-life examples such as what your clients like the most about your product and how to include it in their habits. Sean Ellis is an experienced online marketer and the CEO of GrowthHackers with a passion for the internet and has been marketing for over ten years.
For those who have an interest in becoming an internet marketer, this book is a great way to get started. It will educate you on the basics of internet marketing and provide you with a variety of ideas and tools to use. A company like wfhadviser.com implements some of Seans’s best practices on a daily basis.
According to this post found on DigitalNovas, ranking on Google is an extremely important factor in advertising your business, Ellis and Brown provide some great alternatives to spice up your marketing game.
3. “Growth Hacking Handbook” by Jon Yongfook
“Growth Hacking Handbook” is the book that every growth marketer should read if they want to develop themselves and their team in the internet business. The ebook is definitely a recommendation for all growth marketers that want to learn new tactics.
The book managed to raise $12.775 in a month only. Needless to say, Jon Yongfook, other than being a remarkable marketer, is also a talented writer. Jon Yongfook is a tech entrepreneur and marketer and his latest book is a “must-have” for those who are looking to get into the internet marketing business.
In his Growth Hacking Handbook, Yongfook gives an example of how he was able to make money with internet marketing. He explains that he decided to sell his e-book to a bookstore, and then he decided to sell it at a different bookstore, and then he sold the book at the same bookstore.
This is called viral marketing, and it is very effective when used in internet marketing. Jon Yongfook also tells you about the best strategies for online marketing so that you can use them as guides in your business.
This book has all of Yongfook’s knowledge of online marketing and growth hacking. For this reason, you can learn from his book without having to spend much time, effort, or money.
Jon Yongfook also explains how he came up with the ideas for the e-book and the reason why he wrote the book. You will be able to understand everything that he tells you in the book, and you will be able to apply what he says to your own business.
To sum up, Yongfook has written one of the most comprehensive and effective growth hacking books and it is a must-read for anyone who wants to start a business.
4. “The Lean Startup – How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses” by Eric Ries
“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries is a book about his new lean startup methodology for startup businesses. Since the first version of this concept was published in his book, The New Technology of Business, it has been a great success in the world of business and entrepreneurship.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries provides all the information that you need to know about the lean startup method. This is a good tool that can make your business run more efficiently and effectively. It also helps you in reducing costs.
For instance, a great point raised by Ries in the book is to experiment with your techniques and products. The Lean Startup contains numerous methods that are already proven and tested by other marketers.
Furthermore, The Lean Startup talks about important strategies that every growth marketer should know and consider. From analyzing the traditional product development and learning how to hire a product manager, to making all your processes faster and more successful, you won’t be disappointed with Ries’ explanations.
5. “Contagious – Why Things Catch On” by Jonah Berger
Why do some ideas get talked about more than others? This is exactly what this book is about. Jonah Berger is a professor at the Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, and gathered data, surveys, and facts about Word-of-mouth marketing.
Other than his actual source, he uses powerful and researched data. For instance, the McKinsey Quarterly research shows that Word-of-mouth marketing generates more than twice the sales of paid ads for skincare products and mobile phones.
Why Things Catch on by Jonah Berger is a book that will teach you the art of conversation, word-of-mouth marketing, and how it can greatly impact your business.
This is a book that will help you learn about the art of talking to others, what it means to be “in conversation”, and the importance of listening to others. The concepts of the book are quite simple, but they are the ones that every person should understand when they are speaking with someone or when they are talking with a group of people.
“Contagious – Why Things Catch On” provides some great information that will help you learn more about conversational psychology and how to use it in marketing. These concepts seen on Acquire.io are essential for all of us to understand. They can be applied to any setting and will be very beneficial to everyone, even as a growth hacker.
6. “Startup Evolution Curve” by Donatas Jonikas
“Startup Evolution Curve” by Donatas Jonikas is an eBook designed to help entrepreneurs achieve success in the online business world.
With this eBook, Donatas Jonikas has assembled a group of successful growth marketers who have shared their experiences and wisdom to help other entrepreneurs succeed in their own business.
It is not only a simple-to-read book but more like an updated guide on the latest trends in online marketing. Also, Jonikas gathered lots of tactics to get your business going the right way.
One of the things we love about the Startup Evolution Curve is the fact that Jonikas gathered over 500 interviews to make sure that you can identify yourself. You’ll find useful tips on how to promote your business using social media, how to market your business by increasing traffic, and much more.
The list of sections is extensive, and you will gain many valuable skills through the course of the e-book. To sum up, if you’re looking for a practical and less theoretical book for growth hackers, this is definitely a great option.
7. “Food for Growth” by Geckoboard & Mention
“Food for Growth” by Geckoboard & Mention is a very interesting read about growing your business and using cooking words to compare it funnily and making it easy to understand.
One of the things that set Food for Growth apart from the other growth hacking books is that it focuses on the personal side of what it takes to be successful.
This is not a “how-to” book, but more of a “what went wrong, why I did it, and how I can fix it.” It is written in a very simple way, it’s easy to understand, and it contains endless quotes to prove each one of their points by an expert.
Food for Growth is divided into different sections. First of all, they start nicely with the social effect to then analyze a product marketing strategy and finally experiment and improve the product of service.
While there are some excellent books out there that focus on those, they may not be enough for every marketer. That is why this book is interesting to read as it gives you real information on how to create a successful online business.
8. “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth
First things first, who is Angelina Duckworth? She is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she is the founder and scientific director of The Character Lab.
She prepared, taught, and developed hundreds of students and she then came up with one of the best growth hacking books on the market. “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”, is an inspiring work that teaches us that those who excel in many areas are more likely to succeed.
She describes the characteristics of grit as an intense desire to get things done, to follow through, to persist, to push yourself past your comfort zone. These qualities make people resilient. But they can also create challenges for them.
Why do so many people fail at life despite their best efforts? The answer is grit – a strong, unshakable desire to succeed. As Duckworth writes, grit is the key to extraordinary success: “The secret to great achievement isn’t talent, it’s a relentless passion.”
So, how do you become a grit magnet? First, recognize that your ability to achieve your goals lies in your ability to persist. Then, be sure to set realistic and achievable goals, set up an action plan, and commit yourself to daily and weekly practice.
Finally, commit to being completely honest about your successes and failures. This will help you gain insight into your own strengths and weaknesses. If you can apply these principles to your life, you will find that you can be a successful grit magnet – and achieve the goals that you desire.
9. “Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade” – Robert Cialdini
This “Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade” eBook by Robert Cialdini has an interesting premise: it’s about pre-selling, and how you can apply it to your own life.
This book gets a fairly high mark for being a quick, simple, and highly effective read. In fact, it is written in a clear, concise manner that will have you looking at your own behaviors and sales tactics to see what might be working for you, and what may not.
The main point of the book is that you can use pre-selling techniques to improve the audience’s attention, asking the right questions, and ultimately become a better communicator.
It certainly has big merit since a lot of growth marketers who struggle with self-improvement tend to focus too much on themselves and their personal development.
There’s no question that the concepts presented here are a very powerful way to improve personal and professional life as a growth marketer. To conclude, if you’re interested in using pre-selling techniques to improve your skills or to become successful in marketing, this book is a great option to start.
10. “100 Days of Growth – Proven Ways to Grow Your Business Fast” by Sujan Patel & Rob Wormley
“100 Days of Growth” is another one of the growth hacking books that you should consider to grow your business and learn powerful marketing strategies.
First of all, the strategies that are listed in this book are proven to work and, therefore, you know they’re going to be beneficial. With over 100 growth tactics, rest assured that you’ll become more successful and conduct powerful marketing campaigns.
Secondly, you’ll also learn the secrets to push your business further. From learning real marketing strategies used by GetVoIP experts to serve your customers after purchase on social media, you’re in for a treat.
Last but not least, these tactics aren’t only anecdotes but also actionable tips that you’ll be able to use on a daily basis. For instance, the second guest post technique, the expiring holiday offer hack, and much more.
To sum up, Patel and Wormley came up with one of the best growth hacking books that you can get as a growth hacker.
Conclusion
These were the absolute best growth hacking books to become a better growth marketer and business individual. From experienced University professors to successful marketers and writers, your knowledge will be filled with interesting and useful tips.
As a whole, reading books is some of the most practical and convenient ways to develop yourself as a growth hacker and professional. Of course, these will benefit you if you’re willing to start your business and promote it the right way.
About the Author
Andrej Fedek is a digital marketer and partner at DigitalNovas and owner of InterCoolStudio, a blog about digital marketing. His passion is to help startups grow and thrive in a competitive environment.