It’s that time of year again when you are planning for the year ahead; business owners are reflecting on the successes of 2019 and looking for areas where they can improve in the coming year. The world of Social Media and Marketing is always changing, and similarly to other sectors, if you want to succeed, you need to stay up to date. With that in mind, here are the top five marketing books that I think you should add to your 2020 reading list…

Social Media Marketing for Business 2020: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting your Business Through Social Media Marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter! – Stephan Anderson 

A great step-by-step guide to help you make the most of Social Media in 2020. If you’re unsure of which Social Media channels you want to invest in, or perhaps you need help with planning your content strategy for the year ahead, this book has all of the answers. If you are new to Social Media, this book provides a brief history, as well as an outline of each of the platforms mentioned above. Alternatively, if you are hoping for more of an in-depth strategy plan, the book provides eleven easy-to-follow steps. 

Social Media Marketing For Beginners 2019 – Gregory Belmont 

While many people may have the outdated view that Social Media is mainly for the younger generation, this book reflects on its evolution and how everybody, from artists to politicians, is now harnessing its power to improve their direct communication with their followers. This book covers different elements of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, and discusses topics like personal branding and Social Media advertising, as well as everything in-between! 

Instagram Marketing: A step by step guide to grow your Instagram account, build your personal brand and get more clients – Steve Arold 

“Not having an active social media presence is kind of like living in the ancient times” 

Like any Social Media platform, Instagram will work better for some businesses than it will for others, however, as this book explains, regardless of your sector, you can use this platform to showcase different elements of your business. 

Whether you are looking to build brand awareness, followers, want to know more about best practices or stories, this book covers everything you need to know about Instagram in 2020. 

Faster, Smarter, Louder – Aaron Agius, Gian Clancey 

In this book, Aaron and Gian share the lessons they have learnt while building their business. During a period of their lives spent in Thailand, they decided to combine their skills in IT and Marketing to try and earn enough money online to allow them to live how and where they pleased. Although the journey to success wasn’t easy, this book teaches you how to make your journey a little easier. Divided into six chapters, the book covers topics like building a brand, improving your engagement and converting your online community into paying customers. This book doesn’t just teach you short-term tricks, but how to build long-term success! 

The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing Everything Entrepreneurs Need to Know About SEO, Social Media, Email Marketing, and Generating Leads Online – Rich Brooks

“The point is that digital marketing is less about digital and more about people.” 

With almost 20 years of experience in the field, the author of this book, Rich Brooks, explains the framework that he uses when working with different businesses, a framework that he calls “The BARE Essentials of digital marketing”. The word “BARE” within the framework title, is used as an acronym and stands for: 

• Build
• Attract
• Retain
• Evaluate

The book is divided into four main sections using each word above, which are then covered in greater detail and discuss topics like organising your website and getting started with Email Marketing. This book is aimed at small businesses and is an excellent guide to all things Digital Marketing. 

With the new year providing a perfect opportunity to plan ahead, these books are sure to answer any Marketing questions that you may have in 2020! Feel free to let us know what you think…