If you want to learn copywriting and marketing, there are some essential books you should read. They are:
#1: Ogilvy On Advertising – David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy started an agency from scratch and grew it to one of the biggest in the world. His secret was his application of direct marketing principles to big brand advertising.
You can find his book on Amazon here: Ogilvy on Advertising
#2: Tested Advertising Methods – John Caples
David Ogilvy used to claim that everything he knew, he learned from John Caples.
This book is based on decades of advertising tests, and boils the results of these tests into a set of rules to steer your advertising by.
Tested Advertising Methods (Prentice Hall Business Classics)
#3: My Life in Advertising/Scientific Advertising – Claude Hopkins
Hopkins was probably the greatest copywriter of all time. His ads were so persuasive that his ads for Pepsodent – a previously unknown brand – popularised tooth brushing in America.
‘Scientific Advertising’ explains his approach to advertising – and is regarded by many as the best book ever written on advertising. His biography, ‘My Life in Advertising’, explains the thinking behind many of his successes. It’s my favourite book on marketing.
You can get both books in one volume here: My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising (Advertising Age Classics Library)
#4: How to Write a Good Advertisement – Victor Schwab
This book is simply the best “how to” for ad writing – written by a superstar copywriter with 44 years’ experience: How to Write a Good Advertisement
#5: Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got – Jay Abraham
Jay’s genius is for finding overlooked marketing opportunities that exist in almost any business. He’s worked with thousands of clients in hundreds of industries, earning an estimated $9.4bn for his clients.
This book is a good introduction to his strategies: Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got: What To Do When Times Are Tough
#6: How to Write Sales Letters that Sell – Drayton Bird
David Ogilvy once said, “Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world.” Drayton has over 45 years’ experience writing ads and salesletters for some of the biggest companies in the UK. His book on how to write sales letters is the best written on the subject: How to Write Sales Letters that Sell
