best digital marketing books cover

20 Best Digital Marketing Books 2021

March 24th, 2021

With so much to learn in digital marketing, how can you stay up to date with the latest trends and tactics?

Luckily there are digital marketing books published every year that will help keep you up to date.

And to make your life easier, we’ve rounded up our favorite picks.

Regardless if you’re new to marketing, or not, these digital marketing books are sure to help anyone. With all of the books available on Amazon and many on Amazon Audible, you’ve got no excuse not to read them.

From content marketing to social media strategy, we’ve picked the best digital marketing books everyone will enjoy. Discover our favorite digital marketing books for beginners and veterans below.

Best Digital Marketing Books

1. Practical Content Strategy

practical content strategy julia mccoy
  • By Julia McCoy
  • 366 pages
  • Published 2017 by Amazon Self-Publishing

Content marketing is one of the biggest and most popular digital marketing channels today, yet very few businesses do it correctly. If you run a business, or you’re trying to win bigger clients as a freelancer, then you need to understand the core concepts of a successful content plan.

In her first edition book Practical Content Strategy & Marketing, Julia McCoy the founder of a content agency, explains her approach to content creation and creating world-class quality content.

Containing step by step guides on how to go from ideas and audience research all the way to content creation and promotion, this digital marketing book has plenty of excellent tips for every digital marketer.

2. Digital Persuasion

digital persuasion erin gargan
  • By Erin King
  • 260 pages
  • Published 2017 by Lioncrest Publishing

Did you know that you are 34 times more persuasive communicating in person than on digital platforms? Persuading someone to do something face to face might be easy for most people, but doing it online can be a tricky challenge. And with marketers spending most of their time trying to persuade people via social media, emails and content, how do you make sure they’re listening?

Digital Persuasion: Sell Smarter in the Modern Marketplace by Erin Gargan covers every aspect of digital persuasion with her PUB method used by some of the biggest brands in the world. Learn how to ignite action from your posts and messages in just seconds, and master the art of digital persuasion.

3. Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis

hacking growth sean ellis book
  • By Sean Ellis & Morgan Brown
  • 320 pages
  • Published 2017 by Currency

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years, you’ve probably heard of growth hacking. Used by some of the biggest startups today, such as LinkedIn, Airbnb and Pinterest, growth hacking can supercharge any businesses marketing efforts and lead them to explosive growth.

What better way to learn about growth hacking than from one of the pioneers Sean Ellis, a digital marketing expert and the CEO of GrowthHackers.com.

Full of practical information designed to help any business increase their customer base and market share, this book takes readers through the process of creating their own growth hacking strategy. A must-read for any entrepreneur or marketer, this book is sure to help anyone reshape their marketing plan for the future.

4. See You on the Internet

see you on the internet avery swartz
  • By Avery Swartz
  • 216 pages
  • Published 2020 by Page Two

For many small businesses, the idea of advertising online can be very daunting. Is it worth the time and effort? Will people take notice? The answer is a resounding yes!

See You On The Internet by Avery Swartz, one of America’s top tech leaders, gives any business owner a step by step framework to plan and execute their brand marketing strategy. In just five simple steps, business owners will learn how to build their brand, increase their customers and ultimately generate more revenue.

Covering digital marketing topics such as social media, website development, email marketing and more, this marketing book is an essential handbook for any business that wants to thrive in the digital world.

5. 300 Email Marketing Tips

300 email marketing tips meera kothand
  • By Meera Kothand
  • 132 pages
  • Published 2019 by Amazon Self-Publishing

The concept of email marketing is often very misunderstood by digital marketers. Inconsistent email scheduling, lackluster emails, and no sales are just some of the things that happen when you don’t have an email marketing strategy.

Thankfully, Meera Kothand and her book 300 Email Marketing Tips is going to fix all your problems and worries with her handy how-to guide. No matter if you’ve never sent a marketing email before, this book covers everything from setting up your initial welcome email to planning an editorial email calendar.

No longer is email marketing just building an email list, in the book, you’ll learn how to engage with subscribers and turn them into buyers quicker than ever before.

6. Digital Marketing

digital marketing planning annmarie hanlon
  • By Annmarie Hanlon
  • 416 pages
  • Published 2019 by SAGE Publications Ltd

In a world of social media, email marketing, content marketing, Google ads, and SEO, which platforms do you focus on, and how do you ensure they all work together?

Digital Marketing: Strategic Planning & Integration by Annmarie Hanlon helps anyone answer that exact question. An early adopter to inbound marketing herself, Annmarie has worked with various large businesses to both plan and execute digital marketing strategies.

By outlining various digital strategies and templates, this book provides plenty of real-world examples and case studies that readers can use and learn from. Complete with PowerPoint slides, quizzes and links to free tools, this marketing book will help anyone implement a successful digital marketing strategy into any business.

7. They Ask, You Answer

they ask you answer marcus sheridan
  • By Marcus Sheridan
  • 352 pages
  • Published 2019 by Wiley

Selling to buyers is so early 1990’s. In today’s world, the sales funnel has changed dramatically. Customers want answers, not to be told what they should be buying. In his book They Ask, You Answer, Marcus Sheridan will change your mindset from trying to sell to customers, to answering their questions instead.

To be successful, businesses must focus on the questions, concerns and problems buyers have. With millions of users using search engines to find answers, having quality content to answer your target audience’s questions is what makes businesses stand out.

Filled with practical tactics and insights for transforming your SEO strategy, this books has plenty of essential elements every website should possess.

8. One Million Followers

one million followers brendan kane
  • By Brendan Kane
  • 256 pages
  • Published 2018 by BenBella Books

For many businesses starting social media profiles for the first time, it can be incredibly challenging to grow your social media following. But without a strong social media presence on Facebook or other platforms, many businesses can often feel ignored and not able to get their message across to users.

In his book One Million Followers, Brendan has the answers to all your social media worries and problems. A wizard of influencer marketing, Brendan has helped plenty of celebrities and businesses grow their social media following including Taylor Swift, MTV, Sketchers and IKEA.

No matter if you want to grow your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform, this book will teach you everything you need to know to build an authentic following on any platform.

9. The One Hour Content Plan

one hour content plan meera kothand
  • By Meera Kothand
  • 148 pages
  • Published 2017 by Amazon Self-Publishing

Even for experienced content creators, planning out what to write can be a difficult and tiresome task. If you struggle to come up with content ideas that have a strong link to your products and services, then Meera Kothand is here to help.

In this book The One Hour Content Plan, Meera teaches you the secret to generating hundreds of content ideas with ease that will help boost sales. But it’s not just content ideas this book covers. Meera also shows you the five different types of content that will convert any reader to a buyer, as well as how to determine your own brand voice.

For anyone who dreads thinking up new content ideas, then this book is sure to help make your life easier.

10. Email Marketing Demystified

email marketing demystified matthew paulson
  • By Matthew Paulson
  • 254 pages
  • Published 2019 by American Consumer News

Although many marketers may believe that email marketing is dead as social media takes over, that’s actually far from the truth. Plenty of businesses are currently utilizing the power of email marketing to generate impressive results, and mostly for free!

If you’ve not invested the time and resources into building an email marketing list, then now’s the time to start.

In Email Marketing Demystified, Matthew Paulson, an email marketing expert who has grown a mailing list to over 900,000 people, shares his top strategies every email marketer should use. The book specifically covers over 15 different proven strategies to grow your mailing list, while also teaching you how to write compelling sales copy to generate important sales revenue.

Best Digital Marketing Books Online

11. How To Write Copy That Sells

how to write copy that sells ray edwards
  • By Ray Edwards
  • 186 pages
  • Published 2016 by Morgan James Publishing

Writing copy is an essential part of every digital marketer’s job. No matter if you work in email marketing, pay per click, social media or content marketing, the ability to write copy is an essential skill. But writing good copy without seeming too “salesy” is always one of the biggest problems for many marketers.

If you’re looking to sell without coming across as too salesy, then this is a must-read book. How to Write Copy That Sells is a step-by-step guide to writing fast and easy to read copy that brings in the cash.

Ideal for any marketer looking to improve their copywriting skills, you’re bound to pick up plenty of tips and techniques in this awesome book.

12. Crushing It!

crushing it gary vaynerchuk book
  • By Gary Vaynerchuk
  • 288 pages
  • Published 2018 by Harper Business

If you haven’t heard of the mysterious Gary Vaynerchuk (or simply Gary V) by now, then you must have been living under a rock. A New York Times bestselling author and influencer, Gary has utilized the power of social media and internet marketing over the years to grow his personal brand, and now he’s showing you how he did it!

In Crushing It! Gary outlines a set of principles that will help anyone or business utilize the power of social media and get their message out there. In this practical book and inspiring book, Gary dissects every social media platform and gives unique tips and tricks on how anyone can amplify their message to millions and dominate the influencer marketing game.

A fun read, any social media marketer is sure to enjoy this essential social media marketing book!

13. The End of Marketing

the end of marketing book carlos gil
  • By Carlos Gil
  • 240 pages
  • Published 2019 by Kogan Page

If you haven’t realized that social media is the future of digital marketing, then you will do after reading this book. As traditional marketing methods slowly get replaced and provide less return on investment, many businesses are slowly adapting to the new technology and opportunities out there.

The End of Marketing by Carlos Gil, Carlos explores exactly how brands, agencies and marketers should be approaching marketing in this new digital age. Discover bold content ideas while hearing from some of the world’s largest brands and how they build smarter paid search strategies.

Learn how to put the “social” aspect back into social media and interact with consumers who don’t want to be sold to, but engaged. Shortlisted at the Business Book Awards 2020, this book is sure to be an eye-opener for many marketers.

14. The Content Fuel Framework

the content fuel framework melanie deziel
  • By Melanie Deziel
  • 204 pages
  • Published 2020 by StoryFuel Press

Have you fizzled out your content ideas after months or years of working with a client? Are you desperately waiting for your next “big content idea” to show up and save the day? Don’t leave anything to luck or chance, take your content ideas to new heights with the Content Fuel Framework book.

Written by trained journalist and award-winning content marketer Melaine Deziel, this book teaches anyone how to maximize creativity by systematizing it. Her simple framework catalyzes the brainstorming process and makes idea generation effortless and almost automatic. This system allows storytellers from any industry to produce fresh story ideas practically on-demand at any time.

A must-read for any content marketer, you can say bye-bye to your content worries.

15. Copywriting Secrets

copywriting secrets jim edwards
  • By Jim Edwards
  • 328 pages
  • Published 2019 by Author Academy Elite

Nobody is born a world-class copywriter, in fact, it takes decades of practice and experience before you start bringing in the big bucks. But what if you could cut down the learning process from decades to years? In his book Copywriting Secrets, this is exactly what Jim Edwards is going to help you to do.

Whether you’re a content marketer, direct mail writer, email marketer or social media manager, your ability to create sales copy that drives people to buy determines your paycheck. And this book teaches you how to get the best results today.

Suitable for any type of beginner or experienced copywriter, Jim covers the best words that make people buy and plenty of other techniques to make your copy bring in more money.

Best Digital Marketing Books For Beginners

16. Building a StoryBrand

building a storybrand donald miller
  • By Donald Miller
  • 240 pages
  • Published 2017 by HarperCollins Leadership

For any digital marketer working at a brand, getting the brand’s message across to customers can be a lot harder than it sounds. Not to mention that customer’s don’t generally care about your brand’s story, as they only care about their own. The traditional customer hero story may have worked for decades, but as they say, the times they are a-changin’.

In his bestselling book Building A StoryBrand, Donald Miller, the CEO of StoryBrand lays out his seven-step framework that has helped thousands of businesses grow exponentially. By shifting the customer to be the hero of the story and not your brand, this will dramatically change the way you do business for the better.

A great read for any digital marketer, this book will definitely give you lots of actionable insights for your own business.

17. Traffic Secrets

digital marketing traffic secrets russell brunson
  • By Russell Brunson
  • 352 pages
  • Published 2020 by Hay House Business

Familiar to millions, Russell Brunson is the CEO of Click Funnels and has grown his company to a $100M powerhouse in just a few short years. By utilizing the power of digital marketing and SEO (search engine optimization), Russell managed to attract millions of visitors to his business, and he’s going to show you exactly how he did it.

In Traffic Secrets, Russell guides you step-by-step on understanding who your dream customer is, discovering where they hang out online, and how to grab their attention. By helping you find the right people to target, you’ll suddenly realize how much easier it is to make the sale.

Taking his first-hand experience from running his own business, this book is sure to be an eye-opener for many digital marketers.

18. The Art of the Click

art of the click glenn fisher
  • By Glenn Fisher
  • 238 pages
  • Published 2018 by Harriman House

If you haven’t pondered “what makes people click?” then are you even a digital marketer?

It’s no secret that more click equals more sales, but how exactly do you write copy that will encourage people to click and buy from you? This entertaining and highly readable book has all the answers you need.

Written by copywriting expert Glenn Fisher, Glenn dissects his decade of experience to present you with techniques, tactics and strategies that will boost both your clicks and sales. Not only will you discover the single thing every writer must do if they want to improve, but you’ll also learn how to avoid waffle and make your copy more concise.

Perfect for improving your Facebook ads, landing pages and emails, this book will help anyone improve their online business.

If your click-through rate isn’t looking too good, then the Art of the Click will surely help change that and boost your digital marketing success.

19. Marketing Rebellion

marketing rebellion mark schaefer
  • By Mark Schaefer
  • 318 pages
  • Published 2019 by Publisher Services

Compare any business twenty years ago to today, and things have changed a lot. The relentless pace of technology and digital marketing has left many marketers feeling irrelevant and lost. In today’s constantly evolving world, Mark Schaefer sheds light on what businesses must be doing to succeed and stay one step ahead.

In his book Marketing Rebellion, Mark covers various topics, including why businesses must be built on human impressions and not advertising impressions and why customer loyalty is dying. He also covers how to help your customers do your marketing for you and the best steps to provide a course-correction for any business of any size.

With so many forward-thinking marketing tips and strategies, you’ll feel safe knowing your businesses marketing plan is fully future-proofed.

20. Everybody Writes

everybody writes ann handley
  • By Ann Handley
  • 320 pages
  • Published 2014 by Wiley

With so many blogs and so much content online, how do you stand out from the crowd and attract the right customers to your website? And with attention spans decreasing, YouTube videos and GIFs taking over, who wants to read content anymore? Marketing veteran Ann Handley has been through it all and is here to give you her expert guidance into the process of creating shareable and noteworthy content that your target audience will to read.

For solopreneurs and content publishers, this book covers plenty of techniques to make your content stand out while also introducing essential content tools.

With the lessons and rules applying across all online assets, every digital marketer will benefit from these tips to create ridiculously compelling content.

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