A well-executed marketing campaign on social media has a major impact on brand identity and improves your company image. It’s also one of the best ways to establish mutually beneficial communication with potential clients or customers.
Even more importantly, social media marketing yields actionable data which allows you to understand customer needs and make adjustments accordingly.
But this type of marketing keeps evolving at an almost unprecedented pace. Both marketing novices and seasoned industry veterans need to stay on top of the latest trends and tactics. Social media marketing books are among the best tools to help you achieve this.
Quick Look: The Best Social Media Marketing Books
- Social Media Marketing for the Future: Strategies for 2020 & Beyond: Stay Ahead of the Competition by J.E. Ford - Get this book
- One Million Followers: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days by Brendan Kane - Get this book
- Social Media Marketing Workbook: How to Use Social Media for Businessby Jason McDonald - Get this book
- 500 Social Media Marketing Tips: Essential Advice, Hints, and Strategy for Business by Andrew Macarthy - Get this book
- Freakishly Effective Social Media for Network Marketing: How to Stop Wasting Your Time on Things That Don’t Work and Start Doing What Does! by Ray and Jessica Higdon - Get this book
- Social Media Marketing 2019: Step by Step Instructions for Advertising Your Business on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Various Other Platforms by Noah Gray - Get this book
- Social Media Marketing Mastery 2019: 3 Books in 1 – How to Build a Brand and Become an Expert Influencer Using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram by Robert Miller - Get this book
- The Business of Social Media: Clients & Customers Not Just Likes & Followers by Angela K. Denton - Get this book
- Social Media Marketing: A Practitioner Guide by Opresnik, Kotler, and Hollensen - Get this book
- The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick - Get this book
What You Should Look for in a Social Media Marketing Book
Business books and entrepreneur books may touch upon social media marketing. However, you need a more comprehensive and nuanced approach if you want to get the best results possible.
An excellent social media marketing book will provide you with proven tactics to boost your marketing efforts. But there are other factors to consider when choosing one social media marketing book over another.
Author Experience
When it comes to author experience, it’s best to go for a book written by a renowned social media marketing guru. Choose industry professionals who have years of experience, and focus on people who’ve worked with different clients across various social media platforms.
What’s the best way to check the author’s credentials? Do a quick search on social media, and it should become obvious if the author is worth your attention.
Media Platforms Covered
Depending on your needs or areas of interest, you might be looking for a book that covers social media marketing on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. There are books that focus solely on one platform, giving you a step-by-step guide on how to design and implement a campaign.
But most books offer cross-platform insights that can help you to devise a strategy that works well on all social media. Think carefully about the knowledge you wish to acquire, then look for books accordingly.
Theory vs. Practical Advice
Social media marketing books are not usually based around theory. They give you immediately applicable tactics instead.
That said, certain books do provide a broader overview of proven marketing theories. This is something you want to consider too. Learning about this background allows you to generate unique ideas and expand on the knowledge you already have.
Our Picks for the Best Social Media Marketing Books
Guided by the principles from previous sections, we’ve compiled a list of the best social media marketing books for both novices and industry professionals. They all provide a nice balance of practical advice and theory.
1. Social Media Marketing for the Future: Strategies for 2020 & Beyond: Stay Ahead of the Competition by J.E. Ford
- Who’s it for? Advanced students
- Price: On sale
This book provides you with an in-depth understanding of the social media strategies of today.
You’ll learn how to reach and understand Generation Z and turn them into your customers. There is a section about government policies regarding customer privacy online.
This can give you valuable insight into the regulations that can affect your marketing efforts.
2. One Million Followers: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days by Brendan Kane
- Who’s it for? Beginners
- Price: On sale
Coming from Brendan Kane, a renowned growth hacker for top brands and celebrities, this book is an excellent guide to gaining traction on social media.
In 12 chapters, Kane offers hands-on tips to create and maintain an enviable pool of followers. He helps you find the right target audience and relay a powerful message to them.
One Million Followers teaches you to refine your strategy through social media testing. Plus, you learn how to develop a brand presence on Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
3. Social Media Marketing Workbook: How to Use Social Media for Business by Jason McDonald
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Social Media Marketing Workbook was written by Professor Jason McDonald, who teaches at Stanford Continuing Studies. If you’re looking for clear step-by-step guidelines, you can’t go wrong with this workbook.
First, this book gives you in-depth knowledge about what content marketing is all about.
Then it teaches you to apply the given principles across different social media platforms. The insights are easy to understand, which makes the book accessible for the general public too.
4. 500 Social Media Marketing Tips: Essential Advice, Hints, and Strategy for Business by Andrew Macarthy
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Reading this book equips you with the tools necessary to create a powerful marketing plan on social media.
You’ll understand how to reach business goals, attract customers, and increase brand awareness.
The author provides examples of content that converts, and he also teaches you about the secrets of blogging to support social media campaigns.
5. Freakishly Effective Social Media for Network Marketing: How to Stop Wasting Your Time on Things That Don’t Work and Start Doing What Does! by Ray and Jessica Higdon
- Who’s it for? Advanced learners
- Price: On sale
The authors focus on up-to-date social media tactics that yield great results.
You can learn to avoid some of the pitfalls of short term strategies, and the book also offers tips about the things you shouldn’t be sharing.
There is a simple step-by-step guide for Facebook lives, plus you learn the best way to reach out to potential customers. This volume also includes advice on building great social media profiles.
6. Social Media Marketing 2019: Step by Step Instructions for Advertising Your Business on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Various Other Platforms by Noah Gray
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
One of the best things about this book is that its scope reaches beyond Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
It teaches you to harness the power of Pinterest, Reddit, Quora, Periscope, and other platforms.
Social Media Marketing 2019 also provides tips for using Google Adwords and Facebook Advertising to amplify the reach of your campaigns.
The book comes from Noah Gray, who is a seasoned online entrepreneur and social media expert.
7. Social Media Marketing Mastery 2019: 3 Books in 1 - How to Build a Brand and Become an Expert Influencer Using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram by Robert Miller
- Who’s it for? Beginners
- Price: On sale
Social Media Marketing Mastery mainly focuses on how to develop effective marketing campaigns on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
This book takes an unbiased look at the latest trends and how to use them to your advantage.
You’ll learn to leverage paid marketing on any of the platforms to ensure great ROI. There are also tips about making content that attracts customer attention.
8. The Business of Social Media: Clients & Customers Not Just Likes & Followers by Angela K. Denton
- Who’s it for? Advanced learners
- Price: On sale
This book debunks the idea that it’s all about the clicks, shares, and likes.
It sheds light on the importance of understanding your clients’ needs and aspirations.
In essence, it’s a how-to manual that gives you actionable steps to create a large customer base. At the same time, the author’s advice can help you create and maintain a strong image across social media platforms.
9. Social Media Marketing: A Practitioner Guide by Opresnik, Kotler, and Hollensen
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Written by a team of professors from top European and American colleges, this book is among the most comprehensive guides on the subject.
The topics range from planning and implementing to maintaining a social media strategy.
You’ll learn how to recognize the tools at your disposal and take advantage of different platforms. A few chapters go into the importance of using non-financial and financial metrics.
10. The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick
- Who’s it for? Intermediate and advanced learners
- Price: On sale
The authors created an easy-to-follow guide which addresses all aspects of social media.
This book teaches you profile optimization, content strategies, online communication, and more.
You can also become better at integrating blogging with social media.
Finding the Best Social Media Marketing Books
From aspiring influencers to professional marketers, anyone can benefit from reading our recommendations. These books can equip you with comprehensive knowledge about social media marketing.
Whichever book you choose, you’ll learn new things and expand your horizons. You’ll soon be ready to implement some changes in your professional online presence.
If you want some good bedtime reading that can help you increase revenue, check out our selection of investing books for beginners.
About Luke Jacobi
Luke Jacobi is a distinguished professional known for his role as President at Benzinga, a renowned financial media outlet. With a background in business operations and management, Luke brings valuable expertise to his position, overseeing various aspects of Benzinga’s operations. His contributions play a crucial role in the company’s success, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness across different departments. Prior to his role at Benzinga, Luke has held positions that have honed his skills in leadership and strategic decision-making. With a keen understanding of the financial industry and a commitment to driving innovation, Luke continues to make significant contributions to Benzinga’s mission of providing high-quality financial news and analysis.