20 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2016

20 Books Every Marketer Should Read in 2016

Let’s face it: Everyone you know has enough ties, coffee mugs, or assorted knick-knacks to last a lifetime. The older you get, the harder it is to buy gifts that delight the recipient without destroying your budget.

This holiday season, steer clear of the clutter and give the gift that keeps on giving: A marketing book chock-full of great ideas, insightful thoughts, and inspiration. The best marketers are always improving their craft. These books can help them on their journey.

We started with ten great books, then asked the authors to recommend a book that would make a great gift for that special marketer on your shopping list. These books are must-reads for marketers in 2016. Any one of them would make a great gift—but don’t forget to add them to your wish list, too.

1. Joe Pulizzi
Content Inc

Joe's Book: Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses
As the Founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Joe knows how to create an empire around stellar content. His latest book is a blueprint for building a new kind of business. Rather than developing a product, then building an audience for it, it’s about building an audience and then developing a product for them. Content Inc. is a how-to guide with plenty of real-life examples to inspire.


Think Grow Rich
Joe’s Pick: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“Simply put, a must read for any marketer who wants to succeed in life.”


2. Andy Crestodina
Content Chemistry
Andy’s Book: Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing

Andy brings his years of experience with Orbit Media Studios to bear in this comprehensive guide for content marketers. It covers the basics of social media, email marketing, even search engine optimization, but Andy doesn’t neglect the creative side of the equation either. The result is a book that doesn’t skimp on practical advice, but is still a light, fun read.




Best Damn Marketing Checklist
Andy’s Pick: The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist, Period! by Stoney deGeyter

“This stocking stuffer is stuffed with practical advice. It’s a series of checklists, so it’s a great reference guide. But the best part is how thorough it is. Web marketing is a game of inches, with hundreds of details. It’s easy to miss something. But Stoney’s book has all-inclusive checklists for everything you can imagine: logos to navigation, home pages to thank you pages. It’s so comprehensive, you’ll be referring back to it long into the New Year.”

3. Carlos Hidalgo
Driving Demand
Carlos’ Book: Driving Demand: Transforming B2B Marketing to Meet the Needs of the Modern Buyer

The B2B market has changed dramatically in the past few years, and many organizations are still playing catch-up. Driving Demand is a step-by-step guide to adopting a new, buyer-centric demand generation model. Carlos supplements the practical advice with case studies of businesses that have successfully made the switch.


Content Inc
Carlos’ Pick: Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses by Joe Pulizzi

Carlos shares our enthusiasm for Joe’s new book: “In Content, Inc. Joe brings to light not just why you should build content, but how organizations big and small can produce compelling content to engage their audience and build a following.  So many books tell you the what, but in this book, Joe also tells you the how and following his guide for success will ensure marketers improve the value of their content and drive better audience interactions.”



4. Russell Glass and Sean Callahan
Data Driven Business
Their Book: The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors, and Boost Profits

Russell and Sean demystify the complex subject of data-driven marketing in this book, sharing the winning strategies of leaders in the field. It’s a must-read for modern marketers seeking to use technology for more precise targeting, expanded reach, and better business outcomes.


Innovator's Dilemma
Russell’s Pick: The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business by Clayton M. Christensen

“It’s fascinating to see how change overtakes businesses that (very rationally in the short term) stick with tried-and-true tactics instead of innovating. This book is a wake-up call for any business owner. A lot of what Clayton advises here can be difficult to execute, but the Internet and new innovations have only made these concepts more important to understand."

5. Brian Solis
X: Experience
Brian’s Book: X: The Experience When Business Meets Design

X is that “wow” factor you feel when you have a great experience with a brand. In this book, Brian details how to design those experiences, purposefully and mindfully, to go beyond great customer service or good storytelling all the way into X. The book itself is proof of Brian’s thesis—it’s a beautifully designed experience on its own.

Nonsense
Brian’s Pick: Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing, by Jamie Holmes

The ability to handle ambiguity is a survival skill for every aspect of life, but especially in business. Author Jamie Holmes successfully argues that “in an increasingly complex, unpredictable world, what matters most isn’t IQ, willpower, or confidence in what we know. It’s how we deal with what we don’t understand.”



6. Stephanie Sammons
Linked to Influence
Stephanie’s Book: Linked to Influence: 7 Powerful Rules for Becoming a Top Influencer in Your Market and Attracting Your Ideal Clients on LinkedIn

At LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, using LinkedIn to build influence is a subject close to our hearts. We live and breathe this stuff, so it’s remarkable that Stephanie’s book manages to tell us a few things we didn’t know. Her blueprint for LinkedIn success is the kind of advice that we like to give marketers, wholly in line with our ethos of building trust and influence by providing value.


The Slight Edge
Stephanie’s Pick: The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success by Jeff Olson

“Whenever I try to wiggle out of a challenge, this book just keeps me going...and keeps me honest! It's as easy to say yes as it is to say no. To achieve your goals, you have to say yes to those little things every day that can bring you a step closer to your goals. Small and consistent ‘yes’ actions ultimately lead to personal and professional achievement.”

7. Bernadette Jiwa
Meaningful
Bernadette’s Book: Meaningful: The Story of Ideas that Fly

Meaningful upends the normal business process: What if instead of creating something, then telling people why they need it, we have people tell us what they need, then create the product? Or, as Bernadette puts it: “thrive by doing the right thing and by making things customers love, instead of by trying to get customers to love their things.” In addition to the great business advice, this is a heartfelt, emotionally moving book—don’t expect to get past the introduction with dry eyes.

Who do you want your customers to become?
Bernadette’s Pick: Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become? by Michael Schrage

“This is a book that invites us as marketers to think holistically about our customers, and the impact our products and services might make in their lives if we build them right.”
8. Michael Brenner
The Content Forumla
Michael’s Book: The Content Formula: Calculate the ROI of Content Marketing & Never Waste Money Again, with Liz Bedor

Measuring the ROI of content marketing is a major concern for marketers, especially when it comes time to ask for more budget or justify what’s already been spent. Michael built his business on content, so he is uniquely qualified to talk about measuring content marketing success in business terms.


Everybody Writes
Michael’s Picks: Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley (plus three bonus books!)

“I've read four books this year that I really think are worth mentioning. First is Ann Handley's Everybody Writes. In this book Ann teaches anyone how to create content that is bigger, braver and bolder so you can stand out in the crowd. In Joe Pulizzi's book Content Inc., he shows us how anyone can create a content-first business by building an audience, and then monetizing it. I also love Andrew Davis' Town Inc., in which he implores small towns to find that one thing they can be known for. It's a book about branding for small town America but can really be applied to anyone, in any business. Finally, I loved Robert Rose and Carla Johnson's Experiences - The 7th Era of Marketing which talks about how we are moving into a customer-centric, content-driven age of relationships built on amazing customer experiences.”


9. Jason Miller
Welcome to the Funnel
Jason’s Book: Welcome to the Funnel: Proven Tactics to Turn Your Social Media and Content Marketing up to 11

In Welcome to the Funnel, Jason lays out a blueprint for success in the digital age. Jason’s attitude and personality perfectly complement the advice he’s gleaned from years of experience with Marketo, Curata, and, of course, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions.
Before Happiness
Jason’s Pick: Before Happiness: The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change by Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor’s book “Before Happiness” will change the way you think about the relationship between happiness and success. Achor, who is the CEO of Good Think, says, “Happiness is the precursor to greater success – success is a result of happiness, not the other way around.” He even has the stats to prove it, because studies show that a positive mindset results in 23 percent greater energy and 31 percent higher productivity in times of stress. The bottom line? As Achor puts it, “The greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy is a positive and engaged brain.”
10. Bryan Kramer
Shareology
Bryan’s Book: Shareology: How Sharing Is Powering the Human Economy

As modern marketing becomes increasingly technology-based, it’s important to remember that the tech is a means to an end: sharing stories, information, and emotion to make a human connection. Shareology explores the history of sharing and how it will continue to drive value in the future.
Stand Out
Bryan’s Pick: Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It by Dorie Clark

“Too many people believe that if they keep their heads down and work hard, they’ll be lauded as experts on the merits of their work. But that’s simply not true anymore. To make a name for yourself, you have to capitalize on your unique perspective and knowledge and inspire others to listen and take action. But becoming a recognized expert is a mysterious and opaque process. Where do the ideas come from, and how do they get noticed?

Featuring vivid examples and drawing on interviews with Seth Godin, Robert Cialdini, Daniel Pink, David Allen, and other thought leaders, Dorie Clark explains how to identify the ideas that set you apart, promote them successfully, and build a community of followers. It’s not about self-promotion. It’s about changing the world for the better while giving you the ultimate career insurance.”

These books are sure to warm the heart of any marketer on your gift list. And in this case, it might not be better to give than to receive. Pick up a few for yourself, and settle in for hot-cocoa-and-blanket season with a full reading list. Spend your holiday season and beyond with these books, and you will be in great shape in 2016.
Top Marketing Books Recommendations for Your

Top Marketing Books For Your

2016's Best Books for Entrepreneurs

2016's Best Books for Entrepreneurs
Started your own business (or just thinking about it)? These are this year's must-reads.

Every year, I select the best books published over the past 12 month in several categories, culminating in my Best Business Books of the Year, which in 2016 will post on December 16th.

Today's column provides the best books for entrepreneurs and people who want to start their own businesses. Just to keep you up to date, here are the rankings so far:

The 7 Most Motivational Books of 2016
The 7 Excellent Books That Explain 2016 (Economics)
Next week, we'll look at the best sales and marketing books, so stay tuned!

1. #AskGaryVee
Subtitle: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness

Author: Gary Vaynerchuk

Why You Should Read It: This book is inspiring, fun and full of insight. It will help you commit to your career and your business in new ways and with new enthusiasm. Trust me on this.

Best Quote: "There are too many people who are average at what they do, and then confused by their average results... If there's any advice I can offer that will change the entire trajectory of your career, it's to start pushing on both edges. Raise the bar on your business philosophy, dig deeper into your craft. You want to be an equally good architect as you are a mason. You've got to be able to simultaneously think at a high level and get your hands dirty."

2. Venture Deals
Subtitle: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist

Authors: Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson

Why You Should Read It: I'm gonna warn you right up front: this book isn't an easy read. However, it's got the crucial "nuts and bolts" knowledge that you definitely want under your belt if you're considering venture capital as part of your growth plan.

Best Quote: "While it would be desirable to do venture capital deals with a simple agreement on price, a handshake, and a short legal agreement, this rarely happens. And while there have been plenty of attempts to standardize the term sheet over the years, the proliferation of lawyers, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs, along with a steadily increasing number of investments, has prevented this from happening."

3. Born for This
Subtitle: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do

Author: Chris Guillebeau

Why You Should Read It: Every year at least 100 people ask me for career advice. Most of the time, they have no idea what they really want to do with their lives, which makes it really difficult (i.e. impossible) to give them decent advice. This books helps you center on what you really want to do, after which building a business around it becomes a tactical detail.

Best Quote: "Have you ever lost track of time when immersed in a project you love? Have you ever taken on a role that was paid--but you liked it so much, you would have gladly done it for free? We'll call this condition flow: the art of maximizing skill and getting lost in something you're really good at. This condition, like joy and money, is essential to the work you were meant to do. There are lots of things that we could do somewhat well, or even pretty well. Flow work is different. You don't do it somewhat well or even pretty well: you do it really well. It comes naturally and easily to you. When you do this kind of work, other people are impressed or even amazed by how effortlessly you seem to achieve great results. 'How does she do that?' they wonder."

4. The Third Wave
Subtitle: An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future

Author: Steve Case

Why You Should Read It: I'll be entirely honest here. I found Case's views to be very mainstream and not particularly original. However, this book does provide a solid picture of conventional thinking in high tech--a useful perspective if you're planning to launch a business, or secure funding, in this sector. (See "The Revenge of Analog" below for a more insightful view of future techno-trends.)

Best Quote: "The Third Wave is the era when the Internet stops belonging to Internet companies. It is the era in which products will require the Internet, even if the Internet doesn't define them. It is the era when the term "Internet-enabled" will start to sound as ludicrous as the term "electricity-enabled," as if either were notable differentiators. It is the era with the concept of the Internet of Things - of adding connected sensors to products -- will be viewed as too limiting, because we'll realize that what's emerging is the much broader Internet of Everything."

5. The Art of Startup Fundraising
Subtitle: Pitching Investors, Negotiating the Deal, and Everything Else Entrepreneurs Need to Know

Author: Alejandro Cremades

Why You Should Read It: Many entrepreneurs wrongly believe that if they simply had access to venture capitalists, they'd easily be able to raise money. This book puts that idea to rest by explaining, in useful detail, what it REALLY takes to get financing.

Best Quote: "The company announcements of successfully closed rounds of financing that you see and hear about are not the reality. They come from only a few companies out of the many, many ventures that are launched each year. Raising capital is an art. Every single ingredient needs to be perfectly balanced in the process in order to secure capital successfully."

6. Main Street Entrepreneur
Subtitle: Build Your Dream Company Doing What You Love Where You Live

Author: Michael Glauser

Why You Should Read It: While many of us tend to think about entrepreneurism in "Shark Tank" terms, most startups are local businesses created to serve a local need. This book is an excellent and inspirational primer for would-be entrepreneurs who don't seem themselves as the next Zuckerberg.

Best Quote: "Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed view small businesses favorably, with 53% giving them a "very favorable" rating. In addition, nearly half of Americans say small-business owners exhibit high ethical standards; only 6 percent say the same about CEOs of large corporations. Perhaps most important, two-thirds of us would rather shop at small businesses even if the prices are slightly higher."

7. The Revenge of Analog
Subtitle: Real Things and Why They Matter

Author: David Sax

Why You Should Read It: If you're missing the backlash against digital technology and the desire for high-quality analog technology and experiences, you're being as silly as those people in the 1960s who thought that computers were a fad. This trend is a BIG deal, all the more so because it's blind-siding the techno-utopists of Silicon Valley.

Best Quote: "Surrounded by digital, we now crave experiences that are more tactile when human-centric. We want to interact with goods and services with all our senses, and many of us are willing to pay a premium to do so, even if it is more cumbersome and costly than its digital equivalent... While analog experiences can provide us with the kind of real-world pleasures and rewards that digital ones cannot, sometimes analog simply outperforms digital as the best solution. When it comes to the free flow of ideas, the pen remains mightier than both the keyboard or touchscreen."

The 7 Best Motivational Books of 2016

The 7 Best Motivational Books of 2016
While 2016 was a difficult year politically, it was a great year for motivational books

During this month and next, I'm revealing my picks for the best business books of the year, first by category and finally (on December 16) the very best of the best.

This post contains the top seven books of the year to help motivate and inspire you to change your life and career for the better.

If I were to characterize this year, as opposed to previous years, I'd have to say that it was the year that motivational books transcended the genre.

But don't take my word for it. Read for yourself!

1. Originals
Subtitle: How Non-Conformists Move the World

Author: Adam Grant

Why It's Worth Reading: Most motivational books (indeed, several on this list) recommend going "all out" to fulfill your dreams. The book takes a more nuanced approach, suggesting that you can be more innovative and creative if you maintain a sense of balance.

Best Quote: "T.S. Eliot's landmark work, The Waste Land, has been hailed as one of the twentieth century's most significant poems. But after publishing it in 1922, Eliot kept his London bank job until 1925, rejecting the idea of embracing professional risk. As the novelist Aldous Huxley noted after paying him an office visit, Eliot was 'the most bank-clerky of all bank clerks.' When he finally did leave the position, Eliot still didn't strike out on his own. He spent the next forty years working for a publishing house to provide stability in his life, writing poetry on the side. As Polaroid founder Edwin Land remarked, 'No person could possibly be original in one area unless he were possessed of the emotional and social stability that comes from fixed attitudes in all areas other than the one in which he is being original.' "

2. Grit
Subtitle: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Author: Angela Duckworth

Why It's Worth Reading: Conventional business wisdom (especially in hiring) is that your company will become more successful if you hire the "smartest guys in the room." This book explains why such teams often crash and burn, and why teams of people who have the determination to succeed (but less natural talent) are almost always more successful.

Best Quote: "For years, several national surveys have asked: Which is more important to success--talent or effort? Americans are about twice as likely to single out effort. The same is true when you ask Americans about athletic ability. And when asked, 'If you're hiring a new employee, which of the following qualities would you think is most important?' Americans endorse 'being hard-working' nearly five times as often as they endorse 'intelligence.' [However,] what we say we care about may not correspond with what--deep down--we actually believe to be more valuable. It's a little like saying we don't care at all about physical attractiveness in a romantic partner and then, when it comes to actually choosing whom to date, picking the cute guy over the nice one. The 'naturalness bias' is a hidden prejudice against those who've achieved what they have because they work for it, and a hidden preference for those whom we think arrived at their place in life because they're naturally talented. We may not admit to others this bias for naturals; we may not even admit it to ourselves. But the bias is evident in the choices we make."

3. The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
Subtitle: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms

Author: Vishen Lakhiani

Why It's Worth Reading: While this book (like many in the genre) is a little heavy on the "look how successful I am" personal experiences, it contains several concepts that are definitely worth learning. In particular, I liked the idea of "becoming unf**kablewith," which the author defines as being " so rock solid in your own self that judgments from others or fear of loss no longer affect you." Great stuff.

Best Quote: "There's an invisible code as to how the world operates--how human beings interact with each other, how we worship, relate with our parents, perform at work, fall in love, make money, and stay healthy and happy. Just as a programmer can program a computer to do specific tasks by understanding its code, you can program your life in the world around you to improve, enhance the way you live and the experiences you have in this lifetime."

4. Be Obsessed or Be Average
Author: Grant Cardone

Why it's worth reading: While technically this is a sales and marketing book, it's got so much positive energy that it's impossible to read it with getting energized!

Best Quote: "When you become unapologetically obsessed, as I am, you'll be at your very best: hyperfocused, persistent beyond understanding, creative to the point of appearing magical, and with an insatiable determination to win that not only attracts great talent but also brings out the best in others. This level of obsession doesn't mean you are selfish or self-centered; it means that you're finally operating at the levels you are always meant to and that you can pull others around you up to their full potential and possibilities."

5. Smarter Faster Better
Subtitle: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

Author: Charles Duhigg

Why It's Worth Reading: Duhigg is probably the best of the contemporary writers on productivity. He considers matters deeply, expresses himself in simple prose, and avoids the clichés endemic to the genre.

Best Quote: "Productivity, of course, means different things in different settings. One person might spend an hour exercising in the morning before dropping the kids at school and consider the day a success. Another might opt to use that time locked in her office returning emails and calling a few clients, and feel equally accomplished. A research scientist or artist may see productivity in failed experiments or discarded canvases, since each mistake, they hope, gets them closer to discovery, while an engineer's measure of productivity might focus on making an assembly line ever faster. A productive weekend might involve walking through the park with your kids, while a productive workday involves rushing them to day care and getting to the office as early as you can. Productivity, simply put, is the name we give our attempts as we try to seize the most meaningful rewards with the least wasted effort. It's a process of learning how to succeed with less stress and struggle. It's about getting things done without sacrificing everything we care about along the way."

6. Napoleon Hill's Greatest Speeches
Author: Napoleon Hill

Why It's Worth Reading: Napoleon Hill singlehandedly created the "self-help" movement. While his most famous book, Think and Grow Rich, feels a bit dated, his speeches are timeless: clear, clean, and expressive.

Best Quote: "I believe it befitting to state that twenty years ago I was working as a laborer, at wages of a dollar a day. I had no home and no friends. I had but little education. My future then looked very unpromising. I was downcast in spirit. I had no ambition. I had no definite purpose in life. All around me I saw men, some young, some old, who were whipped--just as I felt that I was. I absorbed my environment as a sponge absorbs water. I became a part of the daily routine in which I lived. It had never occurred to me that I could ever amount to anything. I believed that my lot in life was to be that of a laborer. I was just like a horse that had the bit slipped into its mouth and the saddle buckled on its back. Here is the turning point in my career. Note it well! A chance remark, no doubt made in a half jocular way: 'You are a bright boy! What a pity you are not in school instead of at work as a laborer at a dollar a day!' 'You are a bright boy!' These were the sweetest words I ever heard."

7. On Fire
Subtitle: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life

Author: John O'Leary

Why It's Worth Reading: An incredibly moving and powerful story of one's family's struggle to overcome a personal disaster and what you can learn from their experience. Heartrending and inspiring.

Best Quote: "The fire was a death sentence. My mom didn't know this when she walked into the hospital room that morning. She didn't know at that moment the coming agony of going to bed nightly wondering if her little boy would be alive when the next day arrived. She never imagined pacing the hospital floors at night, crying in lonely, darkened corners of the halls, or enduring the hours of agonized waiting through dozens of surgeries with her son's life hanging in the balance. All she knew--all we knew--was that the fight was on."

The Best Sales and Marketing Books of 2016

The Best Sales and Marketing Books of 2016

In previous years, I've had separate categories for sales and marketing books. I'm combining them this year because, frankly, most sales books seem to rehash the same old stuff. There just isn't enough original material being written to justify an entire category.

Later this week, I'll name the best management books of the year, so (again) stay tuned!

1. Pre-Suasion
Subtitle: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade

Author: Robert Cialdini

Why It's Worth Reading: Cialdini's classic work, Influence, added some real science to the art of sales and marketing. In this sequel, he extends his original work and reveals how the human mind works in buying situations. Essential stuff.

Best Quote: "Researchers have been applying a rigorous scientific approach to the question of which messages lead people to concede, comply, or change. They have documented the sometimes staggering impact of making a request in a standard way versus making the identical request in a different, better-informed fashion. Besides the sheer impact of obtained effects, there is another noteworthy aspect of the results; the process of persuasion is governed by psychological laws, which means that similar procedures can produce similar results over a wide range of situations."

2. Be Obsessed or Be Average
Author: Grant Cardone

Why It's Worth Reading: Occasionally, I find a book that's good enough to land into two categories. Cardone's most recent book qualified as both a great motivational book and a great sales guide. Fun read!

Best Quote (still IMHO): "When you become unapologetically obsessed, as I am, you'll be at your very best: hyperfocused, persistent beyond understanding, creative to the point of appearing magical, and with an insatiable determination to win that not only attracts great talent but also brings out the best in others. This level of obsession doesn't mean you are selfish or self-centered; it means that you're finally operating at the levels you are always meant to and that you can pull others around you up to their full potential and possibilities."

3. The Conversion Code
Subtitle: Capture Internet Leads, Create Quality Appointments, Close More Sales

Author: Chris Smith

Why It's Worth Reading: It never ceases to amaze me how many marketers and business people still believe that 1) people want more information and 2) the purpose of a website is to provide more of it. Good grief! We've known for decades that brochure-ware websites don't create sales; they block them. The only reason for a business to have a website is to convert prospects into customers. This book helps you focus on this single, most important aspect of your online presence.

Best Quote: "When building your website or landing pages (or changing and improving the ones you may already have), a 'conversion-first' approach to design and user experience is a must. In the real world, before you invite anyone over for dinner you clean your house. Online is no different. Before we can send traffic to our website, we need to make sure it will convert. Sadly, I see far too many companies that have a website so poorly designed that they are even willing to admit they wouldn't hire themselves based on it."

4. The Power of Broke
Subtitle: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage

Authors: Daymond John and Daniel Paisner

Why It's Worth Reading: Like many sales books, TPoB draws heavily upon the author's personal experiences. In this case, though, the experience is unusual enough and desperate enough that it's truly compelling.

Best Quote: "Let's face it, when you're up against all odds, when you've exhausted every opportunity, when you're down to your last dime ... that's when you've got no choice but to succeed. You're out of options, man. So you double down, dig deep, and switch into that relentless turbo mode we've all got kicking around in our machinery. And that's when the real magic happens."

5. Small Data
Subtitle: The Tiny Clues That Uncover Huge Trends

Author: Martin Lindstrom

Why It's Worth Reading: It turns out that big data, far from being the fountain of market wisdom that it's hyped to be, is a collection of context-less data points that reveal almost nothing useful. What's needed for real market research is a deeper understanding of individuals and how they behave in context ... something that can never come from studying large anonymous data sets.

Best Quote: "We are never truly ourselves on social media, and when we communicate anonymously, the result lacks any context that our offline lives might provide and enrich. Online, what we leave behind is largely considered and strategic, whereas the insides of your refrigerators and dresser drawers are not, as they were never intended for public exhibition. Considering that 90 percent of what people give off in conversation are nonverbal signals, our truest identities can be found by studying who we are in our real lives, culture, and countries. This amalgamation of gestures, habits, likes, dislikes, hesitations, speech patterns, decors, passwords, tweets, status updates, and more is what I call small data."

6. The Art of People
Subtitle: 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want

Author: Dave Kerpen

Why It's Worth Reading: While the "enneagram of personality" test upon which this book is based is obviously pseudoscience (because it can't be tested accurately enough to be proven wrong), it does provide a usable philosophy of human behavior that's at least as accurate as the other methods (like Myers-Briggs) touted in the corporate world.

Best Quote: "Self-awareness is the fundamental building block of the art of people. You can't understand or influence others until you fully understand yourself at a deep level."

7. Hug Your Haters
Subtitle: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers

Author: Jay Baer

Why It's Worth Reading: The advent of customer review sites has turned customer satisfaction into a spectator sport. Most companies have no clue whatsoever how to deal with complaints that go public. I might note that a friend of mine whose family owns a huge furniture store increased storewide sales 20 percent by answering Yelp reviews as recommended in this book.

Best Quote: "Answering complaints increases customer advocacy across all customer service channels. The effect is present in every venue where you interact with customers. If you answer complaints anywhere, it increases advocacy. It takes a bad situation and makes it better. Conversely, not answering complaints decreases customer advocacy across all customer service channels. The negative effect of staying silent is also universal. When you don't answer complaints--even in venues where lack of response is more common (like online review sites)--customer advocacy decreases. It takes a bad situation and makes it worse."

Top 15 Marketing Books of 2016

Top 15 Marketing Books of 2016

So what about marketing? Well, the world of marketing continues to evolve and change at breakneck speed, leaving marketers racing to keep up with what’s new and what’s actually working and what’s becoming less effective.

Enter marketing books. This year has yielded a bumper crop of great books that are helping marketers masterfully navigate what must seem like uncharted waters.

As the host of The Marketing Book Podcast, each week I publish an interview with the author of a bestselling marketing or sales book. And yes, I read every book featured on the podcast (which, sadly, has caused my Scotch drinking to plummet).

This month the podcast celebrated its 100th episode in grand fashion with Dr. Philip Kotler, “The Father of Modern Marketing” talking about his new book "Marketing 4.0: From Traditional to Digital."

So I offer this list of the top 15 marketing books of 2016. This list includes books that were published in 2016 and which were featured on The Marketing Book Podcast.

Were there other great marketing books? Undoubtedly so, but these books I’ve read and recommend. Please share your book recommendations in the comments section below.

1. Marketing 4.0: Moving from Traditional to Digital by Philip Kotler, Hermawan Kartajaya, and Iwan Setiawan



Philip Kotler is the author of over 55 marketing books and is widely regarded as the Father of Modern Marketing. He has been on the faculty of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management since 1962.

“Marketing 4.0” book does a masterful job at explaining the tectonic shifts that have occurred in the marketing world which are largely a result of technology and connectivity. If you want to better understand the new rules of how to market and grow your business in today’s era of the empowered and connected customer, “Marketing 4.0” will explain it for you like no other book. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

2. Malcolm McDonald on Marketing Planning: Understanding Marketing Plans and Strategy (2nd Edition)



Malcolm McDonald, the author of 46 books, enjoys a global reputation as a leading authority on marketing, particularly marketing planning.

In this updated second edition of his bestseller he states: “This book is, quite simply, about how to develop a strategy for making lots of money.” In the book, he explains that most companies cannot answer the two simple questions that are required for a successful marketing plan. The book walks you through exactly how to go about getting (or developing) answers to those two questions. And don’t be surprised when you find that the answers to those questions are found not in promotional activities, but in business strategy. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

3. Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers by Jay Baer



Jay Baer is the New York Times bestselling author of five books and is the most retweeted person in the world among digital marketers

In “Hug Your Haters” Jay explains that “haters are the canary in the coal mine.” 95% of unhappy customers will not complain. They will just go away. But that five percent of your unhappy customers who do care enough to complain give you a roadmap for how to fix whatever ails your business and increase your customer retention. And a five percent increase in customer retention boosts profits by 25 to 85 percent. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

4. Hacking Marketing: Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More Innovative by Scott Brinker



Scott Brinker is the editor of the Chief Marketing Technologist blog, and may be best known for his marketing technology landscape supergraphic (which currently shows the logos of over 3,500 marketing technology companies).

It turns out that modern marketing has more in common with the software development than it does with classic marketing management. Not surprisingly, some of the first companies to discover this were software companies. But the idea of managing your marketing like the ongoing development and refinement of software is moving beyond tech companies. And fortunately, you don’t have to be a techie to understand how this more effective approach to marketing management can be implemented. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

5. Aligned to Achieve: How to Unite Your Sales and Marketing Teams into a Single Force for Growth by Tracy Eiler and Andrea Austin



The co-authors are the Chief Marketing Officer and the VP of Enterprise Sales at InsideView, a software as a service company that has profitably aligned its sales and marketing efforts.

According to SiriusDecisions, when sales and marketing teams are aligned they are averaging 19 percent faster revenue growth and 15 percent higher profitability. That’s why sales and marketing alignment is not some nice to have, feelgood corporate kumbaya. It’s a requirement for faster, more profitable growth. “Aligned To Achieve” walks you through granular details of how to achieve greater sales and marketing alignment. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

6. Disruptive Marketing: What Growth Hackers, Data Punks, and Other Hybrid Thinkers Can Teach Us About Navigating the New Normal by Geoffrey Colon

Disruptive Marketing by Geoffrey Colon

Geoffrey Colon is a Communications Designer and Social Data Expert at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2013, Geoffrey was vice president of digital strategy at Ogilvy & Mather.

This book is like a lit Molotov cocktail being thrown on the barricade of the sclerotic traditional marketing that is holding companies back as their upstart competition eviscerates them. The book walks you through all the change that has occurred, but more importantly points to where the future of marketing is going.  Geoffrey includes sections on the mindset and skills of successful future marketers, the end of the marketing department and the rules for disruptive marketers. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

7. What Customers Crave: How to Create Relevant and Memorable Experiences at Every Touchpoint by Nicholas Webb

What Customers Crave by Nicholas J. Webb

Known as the “Innovation Evangelist” Nicholas Webb is the author of several books and has been awarded over 45 patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office. He is a Senior Partner at Cravve, a customer experience consulting firm.

In this hyperconnected, hypercompetitive business world everyone has a megaphone, and if the experience your customers have is a bad one, they will not return. And, they’ll tell the world on social media and review sites how awful you are. But, if your customers have a great experience and you delight them, not only will that be surprising, they will remain loyal customers and tell others.

But more important, customer experience is where the money is: 70% of Americans are willing to spend more with companies they believe provide an excellent customer experience. And, the probability of selling to a new prospect is less than 20%, while the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 to 70 percent. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

8. Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small by Nick Westergaard

Get Scrappy by Nick Westergaard

Nick Westergaard is the Chief Brand Strategist at Brand Driven Digital, where he helps build better brands at organizations of all sizes — from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

In “Get Scrappy,” he explains that there is a firehose of shiny new things online: new channels, platforms, tools and networks constantly coming at you. There’s also a myth that only big brands with big budgets, big teams, and big technology can do big things with digital marketing. And there’s a growing obstacle the author refers to as “checklist marketing” where marketers focus on checking things off lists instead of on what makes the most sense. “Get Scrappy” demystifies marketing today in a way that makes sense for businesses and lays a foundation for action that will produce measureable business results. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

9. SEO for Growth: The Ultimate SEO Guide For Marketers, Web Designers & Entrepreneurs by John Jantsch and Phil Singleton

SEO for Growth by John Jantsch and Phil Singleton

John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, speaker and bestselling author of four other books including "Duct Tape Marketing." Phil Singleton is a self-described “SEO grunt” who is the founder of a marketing agency whose services include search engine optimization.

I never would have thought I’d get so fired up by a book about search engine optimization, but “SEO for Growth” did it. Here’s why - SEO has changed a lot recently and there are a lot of lingering misperceptions about what you need to do to get your company to show up on the first page of a search engine. Plus there is a staggering amount of money being paid to many SEO firms and experts that is wasted. In fact, a lot of that work being done is actually causing harm to their clients.

“SEO For Growth” is like the scene in "The Wizard of Oz" when Toto pulls back the curtain on the mysterious and all powerful Oz. For too many businesses, SEO has been perceived as Oz. But now the curtain has been pulled back for all to see how it actually works and discover why SEO is not such an ominous, intimidating thing. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

10. UnMarketing: Everything Has Changed and Nothing is Different by Scott and Alison Stratten

UnMarketing by Scott Stratten and Allison Stratten

In 2009 Scott and Alison Stratten wrote the bestseller “UnMarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging.” In that book, they explained that the landscape of business-customer relationships was changing, and it offered up innovative alternatives to the old “push and pray” approach. The book showed how to unlearn the old way of interruptive, irritating marketing and attract the right customers and build trust through listening and engagement.

In this second edition, Scott and Alison are back with all the brilliance and gut-busting laugh-out-loud humor of the first edition, but with new content and commentary to reflect the rapidly changing landscape we all live, buy, and work in today. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

11. Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini

Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini

Dr. Robert Cialdini is best known for his 1984 book on persuasion and marketing, "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion." The book has sold over three million copies and has been translated into 31 languages.

In “Pre-Suasion,” Dr. Cialdini draws on the same combination of rigorous scientific research and accessibility that made his book “Influence” a bestseller. But what is surprising about the techniques presented in Pre-Suasion is that you don’t have to change a listener's attitudes or beliefs – all that’s required is to redirect their focus of attention before a relevant action. In other words, the secret doesn’t lie in the message itself, but in the key moment before that message is delivered. If you liked Dr. Cialdini’s book, “Influence,” you’ll absolutely love “Pre-Suasion.” (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

12. Small Data: The Tiny Clues That Uncover Huge Trends by Martin Lindstrom

Small Data by Martin Lindstrom

Martin Lindstrom is one of the world’s premier brand building experts, a New York Times and Wall St Journal best-selling author of five other groundbreaking books, and was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 Most Influential People in the World.

In “Small Data” he demonstrates that marketers’ preoccupation with digital data is endangering high-quality insights and observations, and that if companies want to truly understand consumers, big data offers a valuable, but incomplete solution. The small data that companies are missing comes from spending time with consumers in their daily lives, observing them and probing for their real emotional desires, not just what they say they want. (Marketing Book Podcast episode​)

13. Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior by Jonah Berger

Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger

Jonah Berger is a Marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of the bestseller “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”

At the beginning of the book, Jonah Berger makes a joke about the fact that most people don’t think they are influenced by others but by themselves. He states, “Sure, other people might follow the herd, but not me.” That’s what I thought.

The book then walks you through the how and why of this invisible influence that is exerted on people. But it’s not a matter of monkey see, monkey do. We’re talking about humans here, so things are not so simple. Sure, in some cases we conform, or imitate others around us. But in other cases we avoid particular choices or behaviors because other people are doing them. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

14. The Agile Marketer: Turning Customer Experience Into Your Competitive Advantage by Roland Smart

The Agile Marketer by Roland Smart

Roland Smart serves as the VP of Social and Community Marketing at Oracle.

The Agile Marketer is not the very first book to explore how engineering your customer’s experience will give you an enormous competitive advantage. What’s different about this book is that Roland Smart explains how using an agile approach to managing your marketing can dramatically improve your customer’s experience. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

15. Chief Marketing Officers At Work by Josh Steimle

Chief Marketing Officers At Work by Josh Steimle

Josh Steimle is the founder and CEO of MWI, a digital marketing agency. He has written over 200 articles for publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., Mashable, TechCrunch, and Time.

In “Chief Marketing Officers at Work,” we have a very revealing look at what chief marketing officers are spending their time on and thinking about. You’ll be surprised. The book contains 29 in-depth interviews with chief marketing officers from companies like, GE, Harvard Business School, The Home Depot, Nestle´ and Target.

One of the most interesting insights I gained from this book is how given the changes in marketing and how it’s much more directly connected to revenues and growth, it’s no surprise that the CEO position is increasingly being filled by former CMOs. (Marketing Book Podcast episode)

15 Must Read Social Media Marketing Books in 2017

15 Must Read Social Media Marketing Books in 2017

Top 15 Social Media Marketing Books 2017
S.No. Social Media Marketing Books Author Name
1. Likeable Social Media Dave Kerpen
2. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook Gary Vaynerchuk
3. Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans & Followers Jeffrey Rohrs
4. The Art of Social Media Guy Kawasaki & Peg Fitzpatrick
5. Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is about help not hype Jay Baer
6. The Power of Visual Storytelling Ekaterina Walter & Jessica Gioglio
7. Social Media Explained Mark W. Schaefer
8. No Bullshit Social Media Jason Falls & Erik Deckers
9. Trust Me, I’m Lying Ryan Holiday
10. Social Media Michael Richards
11. The Art of Social Selling Shannon Belew
12. The Social Media Bible Lon Safko
13. Linked to Influence Stephanie Sammons
14. Shareology Bryan Kramer
15. Social Media for Dummies Jan Zimmerman and Deborah Ng
Likeable Social Media by Dave KerpenDave-Kerpen
As per Clutch firm’s research, 47% of small businesses aren’t actively leveraging social media. For small businesses, social media adoption is still a herculean task. In the book, ‘Likeable Social Media’, Dave Kerpen talks about making impossible much more possible. With the help of clear how-to instructions, he gives all the information as well as necessary tools to engage customers in a digital world. The advice given by him is concise, practical, and helps you leverage the ‘human side’ of your business.

 Digital Marketing Course by Digital Vidya

About Dave Kerpen

The author of this book is a speaker, author, and an entrepreneur. Founder and CEO of Likeable Local which is social media software company helping thousands of small businesses; he is the chairman and co-founder of Likeable Media. Likeable Media is an award-winning social media agency.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary VaynerchukJab-Jab-Jab-Right-Hook
Currently, there are

500 million+ Tweets composed each day.
Over 80 million photos shared every day on Instagram.
On Facebook, 30 billion+ content pieces shared each month.
Needless to say, consumers are overloaded with information, how will you cut through the noise and effectively deliver your message when there are already so many social platforms covering it?

This is the aim of Gray Vaynerchuk’s book, ‘Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook’. It highlights how stories change on each platform and the ways in which you can adapt your story accordingly.

About Gary Vaynerchuk

He is a bestselling author as well as an entrepreneur. VaynerMedia, his digital consulting agency works with Fortune 500 companies in order to develop social media and digital strategies. He was selected as one of the top 20 people every entrepreneur should follow by Businesslike.

Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans & Followers by Jeffrey RohrsJeffrey_Rohrs_Audiece
Social Media Strategy is futile if there is no audience. In today’s marketing age, your audience matters more than ever. A business cannot survive without one. It is upon you how you discover and maintain loyal relationships with customers.

However, there are businesses that treat its audiences like afterthoughts and not assets.

This book aims to change this perception by challenging businesses to focus their earned, owned, and paid media to increase the value of their audiences, engagement, and size in long-run. With the help of case studies and research data, this book focuses on how you can gain a competitive advantage and master proprietary audience development.

About Jeffrey Rohrs

The CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) at Yext, Jeffrey is a global digital location management leader.

The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki & Peg FitzpatrickArtofSocialMediaSocial
When you are stuck at something, sometimes figuring out where to start can be complex. Although experimentation is encouraged social media, it is usually not the foundation for your strategy. However, we rely on tried and true methods along with a baseline to know what is working and what is not.

This is the theme of ‘The Art of Social Media’. You will find the bottom-up strategy for integrating social media & blogging, attracting followers, building your assets, and creating a foundation. It is one of the best social media books 2017 for not only beginners but also for seasoned professionals looking to improve.

About Guy Kawasaki & Peg Fitzpatrick

Guy Kawasaki is an executive mate of the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley, and the chief evangelist of an online design service, Canva. Previously, he had served as the special advisor to the CEO of the Motorola business unit of Google and the chief evangelist of Apple.

Being a social media strategist, Peg Fitzpatrick has spearheaded campaigns for Virgin, Canva, Audi, Google, and Motorola.

Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is about help not hype by Jay BaerYoutility-Jay-Baer-1024x572
Other than sales, a social media marketer must keep an eye on likes, unlikes, clicks, revines, regrams, pins, tweets, and much more. With so many measurable metrics, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters. If you think success is about getting 3,000 shares of an emotional article you posted on Facebook, then it is not the case. Rather great social media is about providing value to your users.

This is what ‘Youtility’ talks about the transformation of a relationship between customers and companies. The main objective is not to sell a product rather help someone discover how your service/product will solve their problem. This way you will be able to develop a stronger relationship with more loyal customers.

About Jay Baer

He is a digital marketing pioneer, marketing consultant, and a keynote speaker. He has worked with over 700 brands since 1994, including 30 of the Fortune 500. He is the driving force of the popular Convince & Convert blog and the host of the weekly Social Pros podcast.

The Power of Visual Storytelling by Ekaterina Walter & Jessica GioglioThe Power of Visual Storytelling by Ekaterina Walter & Jessica Gioglio
Recently, it was determined that people lose concentration in less than 8 seconds! This marks that marketers have a very small window for impact. Therefore, images were adopted as a way to work around our
diminishing attention spans.

Given that more than 63% of social media is about images, web posts with visuals drive up to 180% more engagement than those without. The book, ‘The Power of Visual Storytelling’ talks about how you can grow your business with the help of rich medias like infographics, videos, photos, live streaming, etc. The authors have done a great job filling the book with beautiful and creative images as well as insightful examples from the top-notch companies in the industry.

About Ekaterina Walter & Jessica Gioglio

Co-founder and chief marketing officer (CMO) at Branderati, Ekaterina Walter was a former global social media leader at Intel.

Jessica Gioglio manages the social media for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Social Media Explained by Mark W. SchaeferMark_Schafer_Social_Media_Explained
In today’s world, there are tons of options when it comes to launching your social media presence. Twitter vs Facebook, Pinterest vs Instagram, Snapchat vs Vine? What should you go for? Wish to strengthen your presence on all of them? For most of the businesses, it is difficult to determine which platform is the best for you if you are blank about the advantages of these platforms.

Well, breaking the norms, Mark explains you the most basic strategies for some of the biggest social platforms today and ditches the marketing jargon in his book ‘Social Media Explained’. You will find a practical approach to each social network and answers some of the biggest questions that businesses have today.

A definite read if you are planning to be anywhere near social media and marketing.

About Mark Schaefer

He is a globally recognized business consultant, speaker, and a blogger who blogs at {grow}, one of the top blogs on marketing in the world. He also teaches graduate marketing classes at Rutgers University.

No Bullshit Social Media by Jason Falls & Erik Deckersno bullshit social media
People usually prefer hiding from social media platforms and go haywire on the techniques that needs to be implied on social media.

As the name suggests, there is no fluff or BS in this book and is literally one of the best books on social media marketing today. ‘No Bullshit Social Media’ explains the specific solutions for reputation management, R&D, customer service, and brand-building.

About Jason Falls & Erik Deckers

He is a strategist, an author, and one of the most famous keynote speakers for the digital marketing industry.

Owner and president of Pro Blog Service, a leading content marketing agency, Erik Deckers is looked upon for social media marketing concepts.

Trust Me, I’m Lying by Ryan HolidayRyan-Holliday trust me I'm lying
Social media marketers often attempt to make their campaigns viral, however, there are only few who are successful at this. For making your marketing campaigns spread like fire, there is no universal formula! However, there are some tips and tricks that surely helps you build a path to viral marketing!

With the book, ‘Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator’, you will be able to learn the top secrets of social media from Ryan who is a media manipulator. It is one of the best social media books 2017 has witnessed!

About Ryan Holiday

Ryan is an American entrepreneur, marketer, and author. He is a media strategist, editor-at-large and a media columnist for the New York Observer. Holiday was also the former Director of Marketing for American Apparel.

Social Media by Michael Richardssocialmedia by michael richards
Marketers wish to dominate the social media platforms they are leveraging today because there’s an ever-increasing number of social marketers using social medias for promoting their brand and products.

The book, ‘Social Media: Dominating Strategies for Social Media Marketing with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram’ by Michael Richards, talks about the best-proven strategies that cover all the corners of social media for every business executive as well as the owner.

 Digital Marketing Course by Digital Vidya

The Art of Social Selling by Shannon Belewthe art of social selling by shannon belew
Needless to say, the purpose of your campaigns at social media is selling. Most of the organizations usually fall apart due to the loopholes in their social selling techniques.

The book, ‘The Art of Social Selling: Finding and Engaging Customers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other Social Networks’, talks about the changing sales landscape to achieve your marketing goal and the selling skills.

The author teaches social media networking from the sales point of view as well as explains the best practices.

About Shannon Belew

Shannon Belew has worked with small-medium business for over 20 years and specializes in B2B digital marketing. She is the author of “Starting an Online Business For Dummies, All-in-One” (4th ed) and “The Art of Social Selling.”

The Social Media Bible by Lon SafkoLon-Safko-Social-Media-Bible
Being an updated edition, this over has more than 700 pages addressing technology updates to the geotargeted networks like Foursquare, apps, iPad, and others. The author throws light on the new information about Google Plus, Yammer, Twitter and mobile marketing as well as the latest Google algorithm changes.

For ‘The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success’, readers say the book  “Lists all the areas and gives great tips on how to use the tool.”

About Lon Safko

Lon Safko is the CEO of the Innovative Thinking. His book “The Fusion Marketing Bible” was hit#3 on Amazon, while “The Social Media Bible” was hit#1 on Amazon.

Linked to Influence by Stephanie SammonsLinkedIn to Influence book
LinkedIn was getting ignored till date because of certain issues. However, it now has a network of over

The book, ‘Linked to Influence: 7 Powerful Rules for Becoming a Top Influencer in your Market and Attracting your Ideal Clients on LinkedIn’ talks about building influence on LinkedIn to win people. The book will tell things are unaware of!

Her blueprint for LinkedIn success is the kind of advice that every marketer should know. The techniques, strategies, and advices are breathtaking.

About Stephanie Sammons

Stephanie is a corporate renegade cum entrepreneur. She went from being ‘unknown’ in the digital business and marketing industry to a top thought leader and an influencer. She has been named a Top 30 Marketing Thought Leader and Top 25 Social Media Expert by LinkedIn.

Shareology by Bryan Kramershareology by bryan kramer
Sharing has the power to either make or break your business. As modern marketing becomes highly technology-based, it is essential to remember that the technology is a means to an end like sharing information, stories, and emotion to make a human connection.

‘Shareology: How Sharing Is Powering the Human Economy’ explores the past and future of sharing and how it will continue to drive value in the future.

About Bryan Kramer

Bryan Kramer is the top leader in the art and science of sharing. He has been credited with instigating the #H2H human business movement in marketing and social.

With more than 300k social followers and fans, and an intimate understanding of the interworking and intricacies of both social behaviors and social technologies, Bryan is both an authority and a practitioner on the subject.

Social Media for Dummies by Jan Zimmerman and Deborah Ng social media for dummies
This is one of the best SMM books. It talks about tactics and strategies very well. They keep revising the editions and therefore, you will be remain updated with the latest trends that are working in Social Media world.

About Jan Zimmerman and Deborah Ng

Jan Zimmerman is the owner of Watermelon Mountain Web Marketing and has provided social media and online marketing services to businesses for more than a decade.

Ng is a social media consultant, community manager, blogger, and freelance writer. Deborah has written the book Online Community Management For Dummies.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have discussed the 15 best Social Media Marketing books 2017 that will help you tweak your social media strategy for the best possible outputs!

Top 15 Best Books on Social Media Marketing for 2017

Top 15 Best Books on Social Media Marketing for 2017

In the current trends of search engine optimization, the importance of social media strategies is increasing. Online marketing today is hard to succeed without social media. So, in regard to this significance, I have listed below some best books on social media marketing for 2017.



If you are looking for the winning factors in today’s marketing challenges, you’ll find 3 pillars of SEO for building a solid internet marketing foundation. They are content, links and social media. High quality content is a must for your site. Optimize your content for your audience and make them sharable and linkable. Secondly, inbound links are the important signals for Google SERP ranking. Build quality backlinks for your pages to rank higher in Google and to drive more traffic. And now more and more SEOs are now targeting social media sites to acquire targeted traffic and high Google ranking. Social shares, likes, tweets, and posts to social media sites – these social signals are the SERP ranking influencers to search engines. Promote your brand, products and services through social media.



The following books are highly recommended top social media books. When selecting, I tried to include the latest and best books published for 2017. But I have also included the updated best books published in 2016 and before. Most of these books are available both in Amazon Kindle and Paperback format. Buy and enjoy reading. To buy and know more about the books and their reviews, click on the title of the books.






Product Details1. Social Media Marketing Workbook: 2017 Edition – How to Use Social Media for Business Paperback

by Jason McDonald Ph.D.





Books by Jason McDonald are unique. They include worksheets for the strategies you actually need to do. This updated book for 2017 includes video trainings, PDF worksheets, step-by-step social media marketing techniques, teachings on important social media networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Yelp, Google Local etc. All small and large businesses can take benefits from this latest book and get free marketing opportunities with social media. The author teaches you valuable social marketing techniques, step-by-step guides, posting strategies, free social media tools, worksheets and video lessons. Highly recommended book for those who want to leverage their businesses!

Reader says, “Such a great book to break down the walls and fear of social media did. Easy read and packed full of great tools. A must for your digital tool belt!”





Product Details2. Social Media: Strategies To Mastering Your Brand- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat Paperback

by David Kelly



Now, almost everyone of us is aware of social media. Millions of people are enjoying with their social media accounts at Facebook, Twitter and others. In this new book, David Kelly explains how to monetize from social media platforms. The author reveals techniques to rapidly increase followers and effective strategies to maximize your presence at social media sites. Learn lots of social media marketing ideas from this book.

A reader says, “…. The book gives ideas on advance strategies to double our IG followers. The book makes me realized that Facebook ad marketing is also another way to monetize it. There are lots of ideas shared in this book which I feel so valuable. I just need to master on how to manage my social accounts properly to gain more money.”







No B.S. Guide to Direct Response Soci...3. No B.S. Guide to Direct Response Social Media Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Guide to Producing Measurable, Monetizable Results with Social Media Marketing Paperback

by Dan S. Kennedy and Kim Walsh-Phillips

This book is currently a hot, best selling book on Amazon. The author Dan S Kennedy with Kim Walsh Phillips helped several marketers make money through social media marketing. Avoiding unnecessary “likes” and “shares”, the authors tries them to reach targeted customers, get leads and sales in practicable strategies in this book. A highly recommended book!






Product Details4. Social Media: How to Skyrocket Your Business Through Social Media Marketing! Master Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, & LinkedIn Paperback

by Andy Anderson

This book is the second edition that teaches you to market your products and services through social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumbler. The insightful book includes the powerful methods to build your brand awareness, authority, and loyalty for increasing your site traffic, conversion rate and sales.



A reader says, “…… This book will guide you to master Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the greater success in you business sector. …. More platforms are described here in this book. Few general tips and effective strategies on the social media marketing to follow are shared here. I found this book as a great book to enrich your knowledge based on social marketing.”





Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World5. Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World Hardcover

by Michael Hyatt

Another Amazon bestseller! The author Michael Hyatt reveals the best secrets for building and expanding business on social media platforms from the world’s best selling authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs etc. According to the author, to get a success in today’s market, you need two strategic assets –  a compelling product and a meaningful platform. Michael Hyatt boasts of having more than 100,000 Twitter followers and of successful blogging. Read the book and discover how the author uses the techniques for monetizing on social platform.





Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a...6. Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator Paperback

by Ryan Holiday

Read this book and learn the top secrets of social marketing from Ryan Holiday. The author is a media manipulator. Learn how your marketing campaigns can spread like a virus in this bestselling book. Another must-read book!





LinkedIn For Dummies7. LinkedIn For Dummies 3rd Edition

by Joel Elad

LinkedIn is a famous networking platform. It has more than 225 million members from most countries of the world. Marketers use LinkedIn as the most useful marketing tool. In this book, Joel Elad tells effective lessons on developing a successful marketing strategies. You’ll also learn the latest LinkedIn features and tools. One of the top bestsellers in Amazon!





Social Media: Dominating Strategies f...8. Social Media: Dominating Strategies for Social Media Marketing with Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Instagram Paperback

by Michael Richards

As more and more online marketers use social media for promoting their products and brands,  they want to dominate the social media platforms they are using. This book is a very helpful guide with best proven strategies covering all aspects of social media for every business owner and executive.





Product Details

9. The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users Hardcover

by Guy Kawasaki & Peg Fitzpatrick

Guy Kawasaki is the legendary former chief evangelist for Apple and one of the pioneers of business blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, Tumbling, and more. Now the author has teamed up with Peg Fitzpatrick, another best social-media person he’s ever met, to write this book. In this book, you will learn the steps to build your foundation, amass your digital assets, optimize your profile, attract more followers, and effectively integrate social media and blogging.





zen of social media10. The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue

by Shama Kabani

Social media marketing is fun, but it is not so easy as you might think. In today’s online marketing strategies, social media become unavoidable. They can connect your customers and converse with them online. The author provides tested procedures, tips and tricks you can apply for your success. This step by step guide book has valuable teachings for online entrepreneurs to marketing executives. This book is one of the top social media books you shouldn’t miss.





The New Rules of Marketing and PR11. The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly

by David Meerman Scott

This is the 4th edition of the book updated with the latest social media and marketing trends, tools, and real-world examples of marketing success. Increase your visibility and sales with this highly recommended book. In this book, you will find updated information, examples, and case studies as well as an examination of new popular tools such as Infographics, photo-sharing on Pinterest and Instagram. The author provides you expanded information on social media such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.





Social Media Bible12. The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success (Wiley Desktop Editions)

by Lon Safko

This updated edition has over 700 pages addressing technology updates to the iPad, apps, Foursquare, and other geotargeted networks. The author will teach you in the light of the latest Google algorithm changes and provide more new information about Twitter, Yammer, Google Plus and mobile marketing. Readers say the book, “Lists all the areas and gives great tips on how to use the tool.”



 

Likable Social Media 13. Likable Social Media How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (And Other Social Networks)

By Dave Kerpen

The online world is not so different than real world. Open new opportunities with Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. The author will teach you how to leverage the powerful word-of-mouth marketing to drive your business success. Engage your prospects and make them spread the positive feedback about your business. The book provides real world case studies, helpful examples and exercises at the end of each chapter to apply in your business.



Social Media Marketing Tips14. 500 Social Media Marketing Tips: Essential Advice, Hints and Strategy for Business: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and More!

By Andrew Macarthy

The book tells the importance of social media in modern internet marketing and it says your customers are there. The best book includes advices that you can quickly get started social media marketing plans. From beginners to expert level, every marketer will get benefits from the book. One reader of the book says, “This is an outstanding book. Worth 10x the price paid.”

 

Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies15. Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies

by Zimmerman, Jan and Ng, Deborah

9 books in 1. Yes, if you buy this book, you read 9 books. We all know that Dummies books are easy to read and great in quality. This book is a completely updated, all-in-one guide to social media marketing leading to a valuable way for businesses to reach current and new customers, assist customers with problems, and complete transactions. A customer says, “If you’re looking for a book chock full of how-to, actionable information, this is your book.”



Read some of these books and take social media marketing advantages in 2017. If you have any comment after reading the books, please provide it below.