Social media is always in flux – new ideas emerge and older ideas are replaced by new tactics. On top of that new platforms are launched and the existing platforms add new features to keep up with the trends and retain the user base.
So if you wish to stay on top of the social media game, you need to continuously learn and upgrade your knowledge in order to make sure your skills are sharp enough to generate leads and revenue.
While you can opt for courses, books are a better way of understanding the mechanics of social media and how changes in the platform features affect the way social media managers plan and execute the campaigns.
To find out what social media books you should read in order to gain that sharp edge, we decided to reach out to the community. We got a great response and decided to stock our bookshelves.
Here you go:
Experts on 3 Books Everybody Should Read About Social Media
Sebastian Schaeffer
CTO and Owner of Dofollow.io
“Book 1: The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI Kindle Edition
The author does a fantastic job throughout the book of explaining how to better market your brand, but by far the most important takeaway for me was the idea that you have to humanize your content to resonate with an audience. Fancy logos don’t generate interest, and modern consumers on social media don’t care to be sold to; they want to see and believe you are human and for you to take an interest in them as well.
Book 2: Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story
Miri Rodriguez has written one of my favorite social media marketing books of all time because it gets to the heart of one of the fundamental truths of marketing: empathy. Empathy is how you relate to your customers, and the author illustrates the art of empathy-building through eight different story structures.
Book 3: Social Media Marketing Workbook (2021): How to Use Social Media for Business
This is a really valuable resource, through and through, for both new and more advanced social media marketers, but the last couple of chapters on handling bad reviews, leveraging SEO and email marketing are particularly well done. I like how McDonald emphasizes the importance of quickly and diplomatically address negative customer comments across social media channels as a crucial part of satisfying current and attracting new customers. “
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Hailey Feldman
Head of Brand for Mixed Digital
“Book 1: Phrases That Sell The Ultimate Phrase finder to Help You Promote Your Products, Services, and Ideas By Edward Werz and Sally Germain
Get inspired with this old-school legend – never write a basic or boring caption ever again!
Book 2: Top of Mind Use Content to Unleash Your Influencer and Engage Those Who Matter to You by John Hall
This book will help your readers as marketers and as people. My biggest takeaway was about transparency and likeability. This is crucial on social. Remember, social media is the first touchpoint. I always say that one social media post can lead from one click to many.
Book 3: Social Media Marketing Workbook (2021): How to Use Social Media for Business by Jason McDonald
Not only is this a great book, but it’s also a workbook with free Word docs, helpful links, etc. etc. It is a fully-loaded SMM machine!”
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Ryan Stewart
Founder and CMO of Webris
“Book 1: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
In this book, you will find tips to cultivate an authoritative and persuasive presence on social media. Cialdini takes the reader through six evidence-based principles of persuasion that are immediately actionable in your marketing. For example, his third principle – Social Proof, may be regarded as the driving reason people use social media at all.
Book 2: A Roadmap: Building a Brand Story by Donald Miller
Marketing through stories is the buzzphrase of internet marketing right now. Miller provides clear guidance for understanding how to use storytelling in all your marketing messages. It also provides a powerful way to reimagine the customer (as a hero) and your company (as a helpful guide).
Book 3: An Opportunity: Influencer by Brittany Hennessy
If you are eager to learn how to create a personal brand or dream of establishing yourself as a successful Influencer, this book is the perfect primer. Hennessy details exactly what a social media influencer is and how to be the type of Influencer that brands will line up to work with.”
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Katherine Brown
Founder at Spyic
“Book 1: Building A Brand Story by Donald Miller
All you need to know about how to properly brand a business in the social media era you will find it here. Even more useful is the fact that the book is also helpful for building your personal brand.
Book 2: Everybody Writes by Anne Handley
If you are looking to improve your social media writing techniques, ad copywriting and general digital storytelling, Anne’s Everybody Writes is the perfect learning journey you need to start reading.
Book 3: Facebook Marketing For Small Business by Arnel Leyva
Even the smallest of businesses can benefit from proper Facebook Ads creation and audience targeting. This guide is the surest way to ace your Facebook marketing game in the shortest time possible.”
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Harriet Chan
Co-founder of Cocofinder
“Book 1: Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi
This book teaches you how to identify the things that interest your website visitors and potential customers. Once you read the book, you learn how to develop and present relevant content and use social media and traditional media to market products.
Book 2: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
The author shares the strategies to make it through the highly competitive digital landscape. Metaphorically, he refers to the methods as jabs. The good thing is that the author provides a step-by-step guide and understands how dynamic digital media platforms can be.
Book 3: Content Mavericks by Andrew and Pete
The authors guide you on making content that stands out among millions of other content creators. They provide seven steps that social media marketers can use to produce compelling content. It emphasizes that all you need is a well-thought strategy.”
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Mike Thompson
Founder and Legal Correspondent of HyperLend
“Book 1: Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk
In this book, Gary talks in detail about how to amplify your brand on different platforms. The book provides detailed guidelines and strategies for different social media platforms.
Book 2: YouTube Growth Hacking by Jeff Abston
This has to be the go-to book to get insights into the use of video platforms, specifically YouTube for marketing. Different tactics of YouTube growth are examined and explained in
detail.
Book 3: Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by
Derek Thompson
This book provides to-the-point tips about how to get people’s attention on social media.”
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Ori Ben
Founder of Selfmade.today
“Book 1: Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Julien Smith
One of the best yet simplest pieces of advice the author got from one of his colleagues is that people are people, and we’re all pretty much the same. If you treat people online like you treat people you meet at work, or at a party, you’re already doing a better job than most online marketers who usually see the online audience as dollar bills.
Book 2: Viral Loop by Adam Penenberg
Viral Loop breaks down the secrets of creating content people want to share and pass on. The book shows famous businesses that used viral marketing to turn from nothing to billion-dollar companies.
Book 3: The Power of Visual Storytelling: How to Use Visuals, Videos, and Social Media to Market Your Brand by Ekaterina Walter, Jessica Gioglio
The book demonstrates how to leverage visual media to grow your business and will inspire your creative muscle through great live examples. Small businesses can better craft personalized marketing materials and promotions for their customers.”
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Miguel González
Digital Marketing Executive at Dealers League
“Book 1: Everybody Writes: Your Go-to Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley.
This one is old but gold. It gives you nothing but great tips to analyze your audience and give them what you want.
Book 2: Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells by Robert. W. Bly.
This is a recent book to learn how to write great copies, persuasive texts to sell, and most importantly, to adapt to the different channels in the omnichannel ecosystem. It gave me lots of information to apply to social media marketing.
Book 3: Leadership by Daniel Goleman.
This one seems to have nothing to do with social media marketing, but will teach you how to properly manage a multitasking team with lots of different responsibilities, I think it’s a must for most social media middle managers. “
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Carlos Barros
Marketing Director at Epos Now
“Book 1: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
This is a great book for anyone interested in CRM and social media marketing. The book basically uses boxing as a metaphor to illustrate how to create engaging and punchy social media content. The jabs in this book refer to building relationships with customers and the right hooks call to action.
Book 2: Smart Persuasion by Philippe Aimé & Jochen Grünbeck
I find it really important that all digital marketers on my team have a good understanding of the psychology behind customer engagement. That’s why I recommend this book because it gives readers some great techniques they can use to convert leads into customers.
Book 3: Digital Marketing for Dummies
‘For Dummies’ books are renowned for their ability to break down different topics and get back to the basics. This book covers every aspect of digital marketing including SEO, SEM, and influencer marketing. It’s great for people who are yet to find their niche.”
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Philipp Zeiske
CEO at Zeitholz Watches
“Book 1: The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki
What I love most about the book is that Guy doesn’t leave things vague, rather he equips you with actionable steps that you can implement immediately.
Book 2: Faster, Smarter, Louder: Master Attention in a Noisy Digital Marke by Aaron Agius and Gián Clancey
The authors provide a very clear roadmap to successful digital marketing and brand building. They share their own personal
experience, giving you a glimpse at what works, what doesn’t, and how to add value in everything you do.
Book 3. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social
World by Gary Vaynerchuk
This book is rich in case studies and various marketing campaigns, with in-depth explanations of what sets the most successful campaigns apart from the rest. Moreover, it’s a book that makes you see things differently. You may even end up completely rethinking your current strategy.”
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Nathan Hughes
SEO Manager at Diggity Marketing
“Book 1: The End of Marketing by Carlos Gil
This is a great book that discusses how Social Media Marketers can humanize their brand-customer relationship. It also discusses effective strategies for creating long-term mutually beneficial relationships with brand ambassadors, and how to work with the ever-changing Instagram algorithm.
Book 2: Digital Trust by Barry Connelly
This book covers how to gain customer trust and deliver a superior customer experience, staying transparent, and using brand voice to empower others.
Book 3: Run with the Foxes by Paul Dervan
This book discusses all marketing plans, strategies that work on social media, and has advice from the world’s biggest marketers.”
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Nathan Sebastian
Content Marketer at Good Firms
“Book 1: The End of Marketing: Humanizing your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI by Carlos Gil
Starting from how Donald Trump won the elections using social media to the impact of automation and bots, the book will teach things about the new features and emerging platforms that will help engage the customers and employees. A marketer can discover bold new content ideas, get the view of some of the world’s largest brands and content creators, and most importantly will help to dominate the markets.
Book 2: See You on the Internet: Building Your Small Business with Digital Marketing by Avery Swartz
This book offers great takeaways for everyone. The book “See you on the Internet” gives a reminder that the social media strategy should be in sync with the brand’s online presence overall. It means the website, newsletter, and online advertising are all a part of it.
Book 3: Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story by Miri Rodriguez
The author of this book is Microsoft’s creative journalist. She has put together case studies from some of the popular names such as Google, McDonald’s, and Expedia to showcase how these brands do successful storytelling.”
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Avinash Chandra
Founder and CEO of BrandLoom
“Book 1: Digital Trust: Social Media Strategies to Increase Trust and Engage Customers by Barry Connelly
If you feel your audience doesn’t trust your brand, you must read this book and assimilate all the knowledge given in it. I’m 100% sure after reading this, you will learn how to build trust and increase engagement in your social media marketing.
Key takeaways from this book: You will learn how to reinforce customer trust through social media by enabling transparency and consumer empowerment. You will also get practical tools for building and leveraging trust.
Book 2: Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
Everybody Writes explains this very proficiently. “Our online words are currency,” Handley said in the book. “They tell our customers who we are.”
Key takeaways from this book: Why you should focus on your writing matters more, you will get some interesting and easy grammar rules and writing tips, and the fundamentals of great marketing content.
Book 3: Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story by Miri Rodriguez
Brand Storytelling demonstrates this Freud principle in detail. The author compiled case study after case study from big names like Expedia, Google, and McDonald’s so that you can understand how to spice up your own brand story.
Key takeaways from this book: You will learn how to harness storytelling and evoke emotion among customers. You will also learn to assess, dismantle, and rebuild your brand story and you’ll also get some convincing reasons why AI and machine learning can’t do it all.”
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Petra Odak
CMO at Better Proposals
“Book 1: Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
This is the ultimate content marketing/copywriting playbook for everyone who wants to write in a digital world. Coming up with any social media copy will become significantly easier.
Book 2: The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki
Despite being 7 years old now, this book shares valuable insights that still hold true today, despite the major changes in the social media landscape.
Book 3: Building a Storybrand: Clarify your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
It teaches you the fundamentals of copywriting and marketing messaging that will help you create content that sticks.”
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Ankur Goyal
Founder and Chief Evangelist at Website Pandas
“Book 1: Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business By Erik Qualman
This book is perfect for those looking for an in-depth look at the implications of social media and its effect on both consumers and businesses. The book offers tips from small companies, large corporations, universities, and nonprofits.
Book 2: The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, by Guy Kawasaki
Written by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick, this book includes over 100 practical tips. It provides advice on establishing your foundation as a digital asset trader, attracting followers through social media sites and blogs, improving your profile and optimizing it for search engines, and more. The book is primarily aimed at beginners who may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available and offers something for seasoned professionals looking to up their game.
Book 3: Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story by Miri Rodriguez
Microsoft’s Miri Rodriguez is an expert in storytelling and shares a few hacks to enhance your social media posts. This book offers valuable insights on how to assess, dismantle or rebuild your company’s brand story by harnessing the power of storytelling.”
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Chelsea Cohen
Co-Founder of SoStocked
“Book 1: The End of Marketing: Humanizing your Brain in the Age of Social Media by Carlos Gil
This must-read book gives a great look into how marketing has changed to fit the digital age, and how you can change to adjust to the
marketing in the digital range. It also goes into detail about how social media algorithms work which can be very useful for anyone who doesn’t already know anything about this information.
Book 2: The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki This book contains loads of tips and tricks that can help anyone that is taking on the social media game.
Book 3: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook By Gary Vaynerchuk
This is an excellent read for anyone that is feeling lost with their social media. Vaynerchuk explains how to go about social media marketing in an effective way that doesn’t drive people away from your brand. Gary claims it is all about more jabs and fewer right
hooks, meaning more socializing and less trying to sell your product directly.”
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Scott Keever
Founder & CEO of Scott Keever SEO
“Book 1: The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Hyder
This is the simplest guide to the confusing world of social media. It covers platforms like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It uses case studies to highlight stories and experiences of other business owners’ success with
social media. To summarize all of its key takeaways, it has AHA Zen sections that point out any important details so you don’t forget them.
Book 2: The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott
In his book, David Meerman takes on a new perspective on social media by comparing it to a cocktail party, where you create meaningful friendships and scout for valuable partners, instead of pushing your product on
everyone.
Book 3: Content Mavericks by Andrew and Pete
The book is a complete package since it includes not only a guide for the best content creation strategies but also practical steps that marketers can take to implement these strategies and maintain them.”
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Ruben Gamez
Founder & CEO of Docsketch
“Book 1: Jab Jab Jab Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
This is a revolutionary book on social media marketing. No matter which platform you’re targeting and what your goals are, this book will give you a great perspective on how to approach social media. Perspective comes first. Then comes strategy, and then comes tactics.
Book 2: The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki
Being a pioneer in everything from Twitter to Facebook, Guy’s tips are super actionable. This book has a lot of tactics that can be adapted to any social media platform.
Book 3: Content Mavericks by Peter Gartland and Andre Pickering.
This is a great read that helps you in creating the right content for social media.* The book is divided into seven steps to help you create kickass content. “
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Miranda Yan
Founder of VinPit
“Book 1: Socialnomics by Erik Qualman
The Socialnomics book is for individuals who want to learn more about the ramifications of social media and how it affects consumers and businesses, especially their digital marketing. This book is the best choice for getting a clear-cut idea on social media marketing and training people about social media strategy.
Book 2: Likable Social Media by Dave Kerpen
This book contains almost everything a knowledgeable social marketer needs to know today. The ins and outs of popular sites like Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Snapchat are also covered in this book. The book mainly concentrates more on the upcoming social media practices.
Book 3: Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi
This is also one of the finest social media marketing books to determine the ideal content vertical to target and build action strategies. This book will also assist you with content curation and the use of both conventional and social media to share your excellent content.”
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Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO of Mavens & Moguls
“Book 1: Everybody Writes: Your Go-to Guide To Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
Handley provides practical tips, easy grammar & usage rules that are valuable whether you are working with a big brand or startup these are best practices that will make your writing better.
Book 2: Fanocracy — Turning Fans Into Customers and Customers Into Fans by David Meerman Scott.
David’s new book is a great guide from someone who has lived the job from the front line, he has been there and done it so he tells it like it is not theoretically but from the trenches. The name of the game to grow today is how to get your fans engaged online and here is the manual to do it.
Book 3: This is Marketing by Seth Godin
Seth Godin is a master who really understands what drives people to purchase from a practitioner’s perspective using his first-hand experience and simple language, not jargon.”
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That’s all, folks!
We genuinely respect all the opinions on this post and would like to thank all the participants who sent in responses. All of these opinions were quite insightful. We would also like to know what all our readers think about this topic. Let us know in the comments below!
