The Best Digital Marketing Books, According to Marketers
Digital marketing is ever-changing. New tools are constantly being created, search engine algorithms are frequently changing and new social media platforms are coming online all the time. This makes digital marketing an exciting and innovative industry, but the challenge that this brings is that it can be hard to keep up with all the latest marketing trends and knowledge.
Though it may seem at odds with the online world, for many marketers, a good book is still the best source of guidance and practical advice on the latest in digital marketing.
So to get our hands on some of the most informative and valuable books on digital marketing, we reached out to marketers from around the world and asked them what the best marketing books from the past year are.
Their responses feature books on everything from SEO to growth hacking. So, in no particular order, here is our list of the past year’s top ten digital marketing books chosen for marketers, by marketers.
The top digital marketing books
Killing Marketing – By Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose
Undoubtedly, the best marketing book I read this year was “Killing Marketing”. As marketers, we often define success as generating web traffic, leads, and customers. But under those success metrics, marketing departments almost universally end up operating at a loss for their respective organizations.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this book, Pulizzi and Rose do a masterful job of showing marketers an alternative world in which marketing departments accomplish traditional goals AND turn a profit. Filled with actionable insights and real-world examples, this book left me feeling empowered and motivated. It will do the same for anyone who reads it.
– Stephen App, Senior Marketing Manager at eCity Interactive
The Art of SEO – By Eric Enge
There are so many SEO books and blogs for you to read, but a majority of them are not very useful and tend to include the same old regurgitated crap. But this book is one of the best SEO books that you can buy. It covers everything from the basics of a website structure to tips for making useful content. In particular parts of the book, it even talks about historic trends to help you better understand the algorithms.
– Ryan Scollon, Freelance SEO and PPC consultant
Content Chemistry – By Andy Crestodina
I recently read this book and feel it is a must-read for digital marketing this year. The book is written by Andy Crestodina, who is the owner, founder, and director of an award-winning web design company in Chicago. He is also known for speaking at international conferences. What attracted me to the book was the fact that it explains exactly what excellent publishing content is. What you show to the world can make or break you.
– Nick Sawinyh, Product Growth Manager at Seomator
The Ask Method – By Ryan Levesque
The Ask Method is a thought-provoking read for two main reasons. Firstly, it provides a unique way of immediately increasing your website conversions and sales. And secondly, it can guide your thinking across all facets of marketing and product development so that you are offering exactly what the different segments of your target market actually want.
– Ben Geoghegan, Marketing Manager at Brightest Minds
SEO 2017 – By Adam Clarke
SEO 2017 is on my shortlist when recommending digital marketing books to newcomers in the field. It’s a fairly comprehensive guide while serving up technical information in an easy-to-digest format – a nice balance. The book was updated in November 2017 for the latest changes and how to take advantage of them, keeping this book relevant for the start of 2018.
-Justin Shaw, Founder & Managing Director at One & Zero
Traction – By Gino Wickman
This book goes over each tried, tested and true marketing channel that any marketer should test out for their business. It gives real results and pitfalls from the field and how to approach each one. This is a great way to approach a new business or product for the first time.
– Kean Graham, CEO at MonetizeMore
Get to Aha – By Andy Cunningham
Andy Cunningham was a catalyst behind the huge success of Apple. In this very well written book, Andy explains her concept of positioning before branding. It covers how to recognize your own company’s DNA and how to position your business within the marketplace.
– Richard Howe, Web Designer at Colour Rich
KNOWN – By Mark W. Schaefer
Digital marketing is ever-evolving. Sure, the foundations remain the same, but what helps you stand out from the crowded ecosystem is a new technology, and updated algorithms, which means you have to constantly do your research, constantly learn and adapt. What I love most about Mark Schaefer’s ‘KNOWN: Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age’ isn’t how it’s laid out in a step-by-step plan or how it includes real-life case studies and inspiring stories to prove his point, it’s in the complimenting workbook that turns the insights you’ve learned from the book into action.
– Lauren Gilmore, Owner of PR and Prose
Hacking Growth – By Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown
I’m a growth marketing consultant for various software companies and as a growth marketer, I’m partial to ‘Hacking Growth’ by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown. While growth hacking is an often misused phrase, this book really dives deep into what growth really is and how to create growth in a consistent manner, using case studies from some of the fastest-growing startups. The book has no fluff and explains the exact processes and strategies to use. It’s a must-read for any growth marketer.
–Sid Bharath, SAAS marketing consultant and entrepreneur at Affluent
Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords – By Perry Marshall, Mike Rhodes and Bryan Todd
The best digital marketing book in 2017 for me is ‘Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords’. This book has changed my mindset, my business and my life. It is not just about learning Adwords, it is about learning how to dominate your niche by being able to convert more traffic and buy more of it.
Perry is the world’s number one AdWords guru and he tells you everything he knows about Adwords in this book. It is not a dry textbook, it is very engaging and makes learning the complex art and science of AdWords a joy. I always have this book to hand.
– Adam Watson, Marketing Director at www.hollywoodmirrors.co.uk
They Ask You Answer – By Marcus Sheridan
I have given away over 20 copies of this book. It’s all about how to create content that actually moves the needle for your business.
– Derric Haynie, CEO at Vulpine Interactive
Hopefully, some of these book recommendations will inspire a trip to the bookshop – or the Kindle store. Do you have a favorite book on digital marketing from the past year? Let us know what it is in the comments below.
Further Reading:
- Best Chrome Extensions For Digital Marketers
- 150+ Best Marketing Tools Ultimate List
- The Best Marketing Blogs
This Article is About:
- Best marketing books
- Best books for marketers
- Digital marketing books
- Digital marketing resources
Photo in the main image by Chris Lawton via Unsplash
Book images via Amazon.com
Originally Posted: December 20th, 2017
Post Updated: April 15th, 2022
