5 Digital Marketing Books You Need To Read This Christmas

Christmas is coming, it’s time for small business owners (in the most part) to give themselves a break. To kick off their shoes and relax. The problem, of course, is that it’s hard to stop. During the year our schedules are so hectic we don’t really know what to do when we have time on our hands.

For me, it’s reading. I read fanatically over Christmas. You’ll find me next to the Christmas tree, mince pie in one hand, book in the other. If you fill your holiday’s with reading too here are my five top digital marketing book recommendations. Let me know if you have any others to add to the list.

The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business by Mark Schaefer

I’m not sure how I first discovered Mark’s blog. I do know that I subscribed as soon as I read the first article. It’s not often that a blog grabs my attention that quickly. {Grow} is a great resource that will get you thinking, really thinking about how you approach digital marketing. One post from the blog inspired an episode of my vlog series.

I was reading the blog for about a year before I bought the book, it was a friends recommendation that finally got me clicking the buy button.

In The Content Code Mark takes us through six strategies that should help us get our content seen* and shared by more people. Some of the ideas reinforce my own beliefs. For example, igniting content isn’t all about SEO. Others made me question my own perspective and rethink my strategy. He mixes stories and expert interviews into the narrative to help reinforce his ideas.

I’d recommend this book to anyone starting their content marketing journey, whether you are a YouTuber a Blogger or even an Instagrammer the tactics described in this blog could help you build a larger, more responsive audience.

Content Marketing Works: 8 Steps to Transform Your Business by Arnie Kuenn

I always know I’m reading a good book when I need to stop every few minutes to make notes and add items to my todo list.

I read Content Marketing Works whilst on holiday in Paris*. You may have spotted me standing outside various record and comic shops, in queue’s for tourist attractions, sitting on the Metro, Kindle in hand, totally absorbed.There’s nothing particularly new in here but it lays out the steps to a better content marketing plan clearly and in enough detail to make it easy to take action.

This is the book that inspired me to write my own book. Watch out 2016. It’s also a book that has started to transform the businesses I run and contains strategies that I’m able to pass on to clients.

If you read this keep a notebook close by.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

I picked up this book with caution. If I read it would I become evil? Would I gain magic powers that would make me able to influence anyone about anything?

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion* takes you through the tactics that salespeople use to get us to buy, get us to buy more and keep us coming back. The author tells us stories about being manipulated himself, once by a boy scout! He approaches the subject matter with disdain. He explains each tactic and then tells us not to use them. The author tells us that his goal is to help us avoid falling for canny sales people ourselves.

Part of me thinks his requests not to adapt the techniques he outlines is a tactic in itself. Are the sales techniques he outlines so powerful that we’ll instantly become a rich, evil genius if we emply them?

I can’t speak for the author’s true intention, but I think your choice of whether you use them or not is about your own ethics. How far will you go for a sale? how comfortable are you with manipulation? Can this be used for a good cause?

It’s definitely thought provoking. Read with caution.

The Linkedin Code: by Melonie Dodaro

One of my favourite jobs has been travelling the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland working with groups of tourism businesses about LinkedIn as I go. LinkedIn became an obsession of mine before I left and I found Melonie’s book a fantastic resource.

Melonie’s Top Dog Social blog is another that I’ve been reading for a while. It’s full of useful information and she really knows her stuff when it comes to LinkedIn. It made sense to buy her book when I wanted to upskill and I’m so glad I did*. It shows you how you can utilise LinkedIn for sales. Each chapter is a lesson with actionable tips followed by real life case studies from those who are already employing her techniques.

If you’re wondering what to do with your LinkedIn profile and how you can get it working for you I’d highly recommend picking up this book.

365 Social Media Tips by Lorna Sixsmith & Amanda Webb

This isn’t a book I’ve read, it’s one I’ve co-written with Lorna Sixsmith, my partner in my sister business We Teach Social.

. There’s a fresh, short tip every day that you can implement. We cover Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest & Blogging but there are a few general tips in there too.

This is the second edition and we’ve almost a month’s worth of new and updated tips.

Here’s wishing you a wonderful holiday break. Roll on 2016!

*Amazon affiliate links (I get a small commission if you buy from Amazon)