When you run a business, marketing is a top priority, since you have to sell your product to make money. In 2020, running great social media accounts is a major key to marketing success.
If you don’t have much marketing experience, figuring out social media can feel overwhelming. Luckily, there’s a ton of help available.
For reliable, high-quality information, nothing beats a good old fashioned book – but there are thousands! How do you choose what to read first?
If you’re not sure where to start, read on for a round-up of the 5 best social media marketing books that are worth your time.
The 5 Best Social Media Marketing Books
There are social media marketing books on topics ranging from strategy to sentence structure. Some focus on the big picture, while others offer specific tips. Below you will find a balanced mix:
1. Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen
This book is a bestseller for a reason. It takes a basic idea and turns it into a revolutionary marketing strategy. Dave Kerpen suggests that the path to social media success is simple – just be likeable.
Sounds easy, right? It is sort of. Likeable Social Media will teach you everything you need to know about friendly online interactions, word-of-mouth marketing, and how to genuinely engage your followers.
2. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
Before you can master social media marketing, it’s important to master writing. Your brand’s voice will define how the world sees your business, after all. In this book, Ann Handley covers so many useful topics.
You’ll learn basic grammar rules, how to be concise, and how to choose a tone that works for your target audience. This is one of the best books to learn about social media marketing, and every content creator should read it. There are also some helpful tips in this resource.
3. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
This classic read by marketing genius Seth Godin was written in 1999, before social media as we know it existed. But his ideas are still relevant today.
In Permission Marketing, Godin explains that “interruption marketing” no longer works. The days of TV and radio commercials are over. Now brands must gain their customers’ trust and earn their permission to be advertised to.
This book is full of interesting case studies that will help you develop your own social media strategy.
4. Hit Makers by Derek Thompson
Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction looks at the stories of how hit songs, movies, and apps gained popularity. It debunks the myth that success happens overnight, and finds the common threads between various things that have “gone viral.”
There’s so much to be learned from past examples, and author Derek Thompson will help you apply the lessons to create your own viral social media posts.
5. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Your brand story should affect every business decision you make, but so many business owners haven’t even gotten around to writing theirs. This book will teach you about Donald Miller’s proven StoryBrand method, and you’ll be connecting with your customers in no time.
Miller has a deep understanding of what people respond to, why they make purchases, and how to craft social media messages your clients will understand. Pick up a copy of this book and let him share his knowledge with you.
There’s More to Learn, So Keep Reading
This is a list of the 5 best social media marketing books, but there are so many others! The more you read, the more you will learn about engaging with your customers in today’s online world.
If you loved this book list, check out the other great content on our site.
