If there’s one thing we know, it’s that long-term professional success requires constant learning. This is true in any industry, but perhaps especially so when it comes to content!
On The Content Mix podcast, we’ve been asking all our guests for their favorite sources of inspiration, from useful apps to the best industry influencers. And while online sources of information are certainly indispensable, sometimes the best education comes from a good old-fashioned book.
But how do you know which reading material is worth your time?
To help you out, we’ve rounded up eight of the best content and marketing books to read right now. Whether offering specific insights into content strategy or outlining broader theories about creativity and success, they’ll help keep your mind sharp and expand your perspective.
Order them online, download the digital versions, or maybe even hit up your local library… there’s no wrong way to read, right?
1. Building a StoryBrand
Author: Donald Miller
What it’s about: How to communicate about your brand and connect with your customers by applying storytelling principles and clarifying your messages.
Why you should read it: “It’s a game-changer for your approach to communication and content creation. The main idea is that you have to position your brand as a guide for the consumer, and it gives clear recommendations that will actually change your results.” – Jonathan Kaplinsky
Buy it here
2. Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing
Author: Andy Crestodina
What it’s about: A comprehensive guide to content marketing, outlining the theory behind it and providing useful lessons on social media, email marketing and SEO.
Why you should read it: “I chose this book because I think it’s great to have input from all different sources, to consider how you can approach and do things in different ways.” – Christine Jones
Buy it here
3. Content: The Atomic Particle of Marketing
Author: Rebecca Lieb (with Jaimy Szymanski)
What it’s about: A definitive guide to content marketing strategy, based on quantitative research and interviews with successful marketing professionals.
Why you should read it: “It looks at content strategy from beginning to end. It includes so many examples and key things, and it’s really, really useful.” – Aidoia Puig-Delfin
Buy it here
See also: 8 inspiring content and marketing influencers to follow
4. Ogilvy on Advertising in the Digital Age
Author: Miles Young
What it’s about: An updated version of David Ogilvy’s classic handbook for the advertising industry, adapting his seminal advice to the opportunities and challenges of the digital era.
Why you should read it: “It’s by the former CEO of Ogilvy & Mather, and it’s very intuitive, with up-to-date information that you can actually replicate.” – Ali Galan
Buy it here
5. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
Author: Seth Godin
What it’s about: How to become indispensable at your organization by tapping into your full potential, following your own rules and creating a contribution that’s truly essential.
Why you should read it: “It’s really important to figure out how you can become more valuable to your organization. You want to become indispensable at your company, so they think, ‘No matter what, we can’t lose this person.’ That’s why I’d recommend this book.” – Michael Ranmi Akinle
Buy it here
See also: Top 10 apps for content and marketing professionals
6. Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
Author: Nancy Duarte
What it’s about: How to create presentations that engage, inform and move people to action through methodologies based on documentary storytelling principles.
Why you should read it: “It was one of the first books I read about storytelling, and I always come back to it because I think it’s incredibly relevant and interesting.” – Mario Bini
Buy it here
7. The Tyranny of Metrics
Author: Jerry Z. Muller
What it’s about: The obsession with quantifying human performance through metrics, and how it threatens the quality of organizations and our lives in general.
Why you should read it: “The basic message is that just because something can be measured, that doesn’t mean it should be. It’s definitely an eye-opener in terms of how we use data, and a fascinating read.” – Dimple Vijaykumar
Buy it here
8. One Plus One Equals Three
Author: Dave Trott
What it’s about: A masterclass in creative thinking, presented through fascinating anecdotes that will help you shift your mindset and inspire innovation.
Why you should read it: “Drayton Bird says that you can’t influence or persuade people, or get your message across, if you haven’t read enough to understand how copy works—you have to read. He recommended Dave Trott, so this is what I’m reading right now, and it’s amazing.” – Michael Lonnon
Buy it here
Got any other tips for great content and marketing books to read? We’d love to hear them! Share your suggestions in the comments below.
Also stay tuned for our next list of recommended content and marketing books.