As a young marketer, (can you count 25 as young anymore?) I am always looking for new ways to expand my knowledge and test myself with up and coming trends and fashions in marketing. After working in marketing for the last 3 years it is easy to spend time researching and focusing on all the new techniques we should be working towards and to forget the basics that got us here, reading allows me to strip right back to the beginning and take a few minutes to remind myself of the basics and quick wins.
The Art of Social Media, Guy Kawasaki
What was this book about?
This book does exactly what it says on the tin, it talks about social media and how to use it. We all love to think that we are experts at Twitter, Facebook fanatics and that endorsing someone we barley know on LinkenIn suddenly makes us a pro in our field, however, this book starts by stripping back to the basics that we can often take for granted. It then goes on to look at the best ways to measure our social media influence and activity. We all have our favourite tools, mine personally being Klout, but Kawasaki’s book looks at each different tool in detail and explains how it can be best used to measure your activity.
What I liked about this book:
Although for some this book may seem like it’s for a social media newbie or novice, it really makes you question whether what you’re doing is correct; just because you have been doing it for a long time doesn’t mean you have been doing it right.
I enjoyed this book and found it a light hearted, easy read. It was enjoyable to sit down with a cup of tea after work and have reassurance that I was on the right track and the basics still work.
Who I would recommend this book to:
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a refresh on their social media knowledge, or looking for small changes they can implement on their channels. Similarly it is a great place to start if you are fairly new to social media and looking for ideas on the best channels to engage with based on your audience, interests and content.
Global Content Marketing, Pam Didner
What was this book was about?
Global Content Marketing looks at building worldwide strategies without needing to physically take your company worldwide. Didner explores in detail how marketing is changing, with the world having access to the internet and new technologies, and how you can manage your marketing on a smaller scale but reach a much wider audience with the likes of social media channels and advertising.
What I liked about this book:
Didner uses case studies to explain and offer ideas and guidance for how the tools he covers can be put into practice by any business. The book is clear, concise and all based on Didner’s own experiences. Her suggestions are realistic, helpful and practical and can be implemented by every business.
Who I would recommend this book to:
Reading this book gave me a ‘get up and go’ feel once I had finished it, I wanted to implement all of the recommendations and it has given me a range of new ideas, strategies and campaigns to try! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for new ideas of how to grow their marketing concepts and how to use new technologies to your advantage.
Brilliant Marketing, Richard Hall
What was this book about?
This was the longest of the 3 books that I selected. I selected this book after casually coming across it on my colleague’s desks and what initially drew me to it was the strapline ‘Seduction is about making people love you. So is marketing.’ This book is broken down into the different types of marketing, starting with sponsorship and PR and then moving onto digital marketing and brand. I felt that this book almost covered too many topics and did not go into enough detail about each of them individually.
What I liked about this book:
The more I read this book the more interesting I found it, as it began to offer tips and suggestions on how to put the marketing concepts in to practice and some of the most interesting chapters for me were when it went in to detail about creating the perfect marketing plan. Unfortunately it just took a little too long to get into the swing of things.
Who I would recommend this book to:
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an all-round overview of marketing and PR. It is a lengthy book with a lot of content so it needs to be read by someone who can commit the time to read it cover to cover and digest all of the information covered.
Conclusion
My top marketing book that you must get your hands on next month is Pam Didners’ ‘Global Marketing Content’. It is a great read, fresh and gets those creative juices flowing, as well as recapping on all the things that as a marketer you are probably already doing. My book is still covered in sticky notes so that I can go back over and re-read sections as and when – after all Rome wasn’t built in a day!
If you have marketing books that you would recommend I would love to hear from you!