Are you an entrepreneur eager to learn how effective marketing can transform your business? A tried and true way of learning more on a topic is turning to good old-fashioned books. And as the summer months usher in longer days and sun-kissed vacations, the opportunities to dive head first into a good book become more plentiful. Why not make your summer reading picks great marketing books that can help you better understand how to market your brand? Here, we’ve rounded up the three best books to read if you’re looking to connect with your audience, transform your business, and turn your brand into a powerhouse!
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Have you ever wondered what made Facebook take off? After all, it isn’t the only social networking site that was around during its inception. What about Instagram or Dollar Shave Club? Do you ever wonder what was so special about these specific companies that enabled them to take off and snowball, becoming such prominent companies that they shape how we live our lives today? The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell discusses the phenomenon of ideas that catch like wildfire and why they grip a society. The essence of the book – that an idea rapidly spreads once it reaches its “tipping point” – is very applicable today, particularly in our digital world of viral media where certain memes or campaigns “go viral” almost daily.
It should be noted that this book isn’t a business or marketing book at all, but rather a psychological exploration into the recipe of trends and epidemics. Yet if you read between the lines, you’ll see that the book offers many insights that can be applied to marketing and business strategy, as seen in the section of the book discussing three types of people that help get ideas to “tip:” connectors, salesmen, and mavens. If you’re looking to make your business “tip” this summer, pick up this fascinating read.
- All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin
Seth Godin’s All Marketers are Liars is a favorite book among top marketing booklists and for a good reason. In the author’s seventh published book, he discusses the importance of brand authenticity, the power of compelling storytelling, and why your brand must tap into your target audience’s deepest desires and craft stories that appeal to their personal wants. According to Godin, “stories let us lie to ourselves. And those lies satisfy our desires. It’s the story, not the good or the service you actually sell, that pleases the consumer.” In other words, people buy the dream or the lifestyle your company sells; not the actual good or service you’re selling. To learn more equally interesting insights and to understand the importance of telling believable yet authentic stories, check out All Marketers are Liars this summer.
- Trust Me I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday
Similar to The Tipping Point, Trust Me I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday isn’t a business or marketing book, but rather an exposé of Holiday’s time as a marketing director and media strategist. Although not a lesson in content marketing, the underlying message of the text reveals the real power of killer content, driving home the saying “content is king.” By understanding the incredibly influential power of captivating content as shown through Holiday’s stories, marketers and business owners can learn how to effectively shape a winning narrative about their brand and products by investing in top-notch content. In a more direct sense, the book points to the overwhelming ability blogs now shape media. As a business owner, this directly translates to how blogging consistently for your brand can help your brand or service get picked up by a larger media entity and gain exposure, hopefully, “tipping” your brand. For a provocative summer read that can help you better understand the power of excellent content and strategy, be sure to dive into Trust Me I’m Lying.
80% of small businesses do not invest in content marketing, and experts warn that they are missing a key marketing opportunity.
Are you one of the 80 percent of small businesses not investing in content marketing, but would like to start? Perhaps you simply don’t have time this summer to do it yourself. That’s where we can help. At KWSM, our content marketing and web teams seamlessly work together to tell your brand’s unique story.
CONTACT US now and we can get started on your comprehensive digital marketing strategy today!
