15 Books That Every Social Media Marketer Should Read

Finding the right book can change your life, or in this case, your social media strategy. Below is a list of 15 books we feel will help you become a better social media marketer.

This list is in no particular order.

1. Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk

Brief Description: Crush It was released in 2009 and immediately became a bestseller. In this book, author Gary Vaynerchuk, discusses how the internet, and social media particularly, are changing the business landscape. The main focus in this book is how to build a personal brand.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: If you are serious about a career as a social media marketer, building a personal brand is crucial. Not only does it show that you are capable of building and maintaining a community, but it will also allow you to find jobs easier, grow your business faster and turn your passion into money.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)

2. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Brief Description: Dale Carnegie published this book way back in 1936. Flash forward more than 75 years later and this book is still one of the top selling books in the world. There is no mention of social media in this book, for obvious reasons, but that does not mean it won’t help you become a better social media marketer. Some of the topics discussed in this book are:

• Three fundamental techniques in handling people
• The six ways to make people like you
• The twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking
• The nine ways to change people without arousing resentment

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: Winning friends (followers, page likes, etc.) and influencing people are two of the keys to social media marketing success. By understanding the fundamentals discussed in this book, you will have a foundation for succeeding on any social network(s) you choose.

Updated Version: How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age

3. Will the Real You Please Stand Up: Show Up, Be Authentic, and Prosper in Social Media by Kim Garst

Brief Description: Social media expert Kim Garst discusses how social media has changed the way people find information, connect with one another and buy products/services. This is not a typical “how-to” book, instead it teaches you how to harness the power of your most powerful asset, yourself.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: Authenticity is something Kim has built her personal brand on and by reading this book you will be able to find success as well. When marketing on social media, it is paramount that you are authentic. This authenticity will help you to form relationships, build trust and ultimately sell more effectively.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Kim Garst (@kimgarst)

4. The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki & Peg Fitzpatrick

Brief Description: Guy Kawasaki, the legendary former chief evangelist for Apple and one of the pioneers of business blogging and social media marketing, teams up with Peg Fitzpatrick to bring you this must-read social media book. With over 100 tips, tricks and insights, you will definitely find yourself referring to this book on a regular basis.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: In this book you will learn how to build a successful social media presence from the ground up. Regardless if you are an expert or a beginner, you will find great value in this book. Both Guy and Peg have proven track records and their differences give this book a well-rounded approach.

Connect With The Authors on Twitter: Guy Kawasaki (@GuyKawasaki) and Peg Fitzpatrick (@PegFitzpatrick)

5. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

Brief Description: Since the beginning of time people have joined tribes. For religious reasons, political reasons, musical, etc. With the introduction of the internet, barriers such as geographical location and cost were all but eliminated. Now tribes can grow faster and bigger than ever before. In this book Seth Godin discusses the possibilities that this creates and challenges readers to become a leader of their own tribe.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: If you have social media followers, you have a tribe. At least that is how you should look at it. Seth stresses that tribe building is more accessible than ever and these tribes need passionate leaders. Think you can’t be a leader? Think again! Find what you are passionate about (your business, your favorite NFL team, etc.) and create a community around it. If you can do this, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful social media marketer (tribe leader).

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Seth Godin (@ThisIsSethsBlog)

6. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

Brief Description: Gary Vaynerchuk shares advice on how to connect with customers and beat the competition. In this book a “jab” refers to actions that help you to build your community and increase your traffic. However, businesses must learn how to sprinkle in “right hooks” as well in order to accomplish their bigger goal, sales. Right hooks are what convert traffic to sales and easily show results. In order to maximize the effectiveness of right hooks, businesses must focus on the context of their message and learn to optimize their it for each social network.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: This book is packed with useful knowledge. Look no further than the empire Gary has built using the same tactics he shares in this book. If you are looking for a serious, highly professional book, this is not it. However, Gary’s style of writing will make you feel like he is in the room speaking directly to you and you are guaranteed to have several laughs throughout the book. This book is straight to the point and has real examples of posts that have and haven’t worked. By the time you finish this book you will have an “aha!” moment that will make your social media marketing efforts more effective and drive sales through the roof.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)

7. Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of Facebook’s Improbably Brilliant CEO Mark Zuckerberg by Ekatrina Walter

Brief Description: With the creation of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg changed the world. If you run a business or are thinking of starting one, you probably have wondered what was the secret to Zuckerberg’s success? Ekaterina Walter decided to figure this out by studying the five principles behind Facebook’s legendary rise. Think Like Zuck is the result.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: Understanding the man behind the biggest social network in the world will definitely make you a better social media marketer. Even better, Ekaterina provides actionable lessons that can easily be applied to your business, regardless the industry.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Ekaterina Walter (@Ekaterina)

8. The Content Code: Six Essential Strategies to Ignite Your Content, Your Marketing, and Your Business by Mark W. Schaefer

Brief Description: Mark Schaefer, the author of several best selling books, did not disappoint readers when he published The Content Code. Mark discusses the six essential strategies for igniting your content, your marketing and your business. The need for quality content is a given, but this book discusses what else is required to see the results businesses desire. It is practical and easy to follow, providing advice that can be applied to any company’s social media strategy, regardless the size of the budget.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: This is one of those books that is a must read for anyone serious about the social media marketing industry. This book separates itself from the pack by going beyond the basics. Creating quality content is a must, but what good is quality content if no one views it or engages? Mark does an amazing job of making the complex simple. If you are ready to take your content marketing to the next level, The Content Code might be the resource you need.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Mark Schaefer (@markwschaefer)

9. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley

Brief Description: Ann Handley, the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, understands the importance of writing. In the content-driven world we now live in, writing compelling stories is more important than ever. If you have a web site, you are a publisher. If you are on social media, you are in marketing. Simply put, every one is now a writer. In Everybody Writes, Ann discusses the writing process from creation to publishing, while providing actionable how-to advice that will lead to the results you desire.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: Congratulations, you are a writer. If you haven’t considered yourself one up until this point, you probably haven’t taken the creation of content as serious as you should. This book proves that writing skills are more important than ever and without them you are at a significant disadvantage. Following Ann’s advice will help you to become a better writer and consequently, a better social media marketer.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Ann Handley (@MarketingProfs)

10. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Brief Description: First published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich boldly tries to answer the question “what makes someone/something successful”? While the title implies that this book focuses on monetary success, the principles discussed can be applied to any line of work.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: There is a reason entrepreneurs continue to buy this book year after year after year. Hill spent more than 20 years interviewing and studying some of the most successful people in the world, including Andrew Carnegie. The result? A timeless classic that is certain to make you better at anything you do. If you want to be successful, this is a great place to start.

Updated Version: Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller - Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

11. Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less by Joe Pulizzi

Brief Description: World-renowned content marketing expert Joe Pulizzi dives into what it takes to succeed in the internet era. Content has always been important, but the internet has caused information overload. The only way to make your content stand out is by creating “Epic Content.” In this book you will learn a step-by-step process to creating engaging, informative content that will make your customers take action. The best part? They will do so without you ever asking them to.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: This book is full of case studies that show how some of the top companies in the world have found success with content marketing. By reading this book, you will become equipped with some of the necessary tools to succeed as a digital marketer. You do not need MORE content, you need the RIGHT content. Content that will hook your readers and will send your sales through the roof. If you are tired of creating content that doesn’t drive the results you want, check this book out.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Joe Pulizzi (@JoePulizzi)

12. The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

Brief Description: In this book, Jon Gordon takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment - at work and at home. When you get on The Energy Bus you’ll enjoy the ride of your life!

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: This book has no direct connection to social media, but you can apply many of the lessons in this book to your social media strategy. Joy, the driver of the Energy Bus, is the ultimate community builder. Her message is simple and contagious, which leads to a loyal community of riders (brand advocates). These riders help to spread Joy’s message both to new riders and to people in their companies, families, etc. You better believe that if Joy had access to social media, she would be a power influencer.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11)

13. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch

Brief Description: This book discusses how anyone can be more effective with less effort by learning how to identify and leverage the 80/20 principle–the well-known, unpublicized secret that 80 percent of all our results in business and in life stem from a mere 20 percent of our efforts. For example, 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: Understanding that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts is profound. As a social media marketer, identifying what activities are yielding the majority of your positive results will allow you to focus more on those actions. Analytics are a great way to figure this out. If the majority of your sales are coming from your blog traffic, then you should focus on creating more, high quality content.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Richard Koch (@RichardKoch8020)

14. 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

Brief Description: The New Rules of Marketing & PR is an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs, business owners, marketers and public relations professionals. Through the use of hundreds of real world examples, Scott outlines how to create a marketing and PR strategy that will grow any business, of any size, anywhere.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: This is a perfect book if you are new to social media and are often confused by all the industry jargon. Scott presents the foundation of a successful marketing and PR strategy in a way that is easy to understand and even easier to implement. Jam packed with examples, you will find yourself referring to this book on a regular basis.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: David Meerman Scott (@dmscott)

15. Likeable Social Media, Revised and Expanded: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Amazing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and More by David Kerpen

Brief Description: A recommendation from a friend can go a long way. With the introduction of social media, word-of-mouth recommendations became as simple as the click of a button. These recommendations can travel faster and further than ever before. Companies that make it easy for their customers to share their product/service with their friends will see unparalleled results. In this book you will learn how to harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing in the digital age.

How It Will Make You A Better Marketer: Great friends are honest, listen and are willing to help without the expectation of something in return. Make sense, right? So why are businesses still broadcasting without listening, taking without giving, and fabricating the truth instead of being honest? If you want to succeed on social media, you must treat every connection as you would a close friend. This book outlines 18 strategies for creating an authentic presence on social media that is sure to help you attract an engaged and loyal following.

Connect With The Author on Twitter: Dave Kerpen (@DaveKerpen)

How many of these books have you read? Did we forget to mention your favorite book? Let us know and we can continue to update this list! If you found this post interesting or useful, please share it with a friend.

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