20 Best Content Marketing Books You Love to Read
The Glorious Company Team
The Best Content Marketing Books
2. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
7. Content Strategy for the Web (Voices That Matter) by Kristina Halvorson
9. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
11. Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins by Mark W. Schaefer
20. The Content Puzzle…and the Missing Piece by Andi Robinson
In our list of the best content marketing books, we’ve taken great care to assemble a collection of the most lauded books for professionals who use content to market products and services.
Content marketing is a thoughtful strategy that relies on creating and distributing informational content that builds relationships with leads and moves them down the sales funnel for conversions. Marketers use content in blogs, ebooks, case studies, email, and social media to attract their target audience and turn them into paying customers.
The following content marketing books go into specific detail about how to use content to generate interest in your brand’s products and services and increase your business revenue. These tomes aren’t strictly about content marketing but also cover related areas of interest like creativity, copywriting, and branding.
Let’s count them down.
The Best Content Marketing Books
1. Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less by Joe Pulizzi
Year Published: 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Professionals working in content marketing departments, along with digital marketers and entrepreneurs, will get the most value from this book. It’s a walkthrough of how you and your business can create entertaining and informative content for your ideal customers, which enables you to increase sales.
The book’s main point is that one-of-a-kind content, paired with the right distribution strategy, makes an impact on your target audience. Once your customers receive, absorb, and understand your high-value content, they’ll reward you with massive sales. Epic Content Marketing features gripping case studies about Coca-Cola and John Deere, so you can see firsthand how big brands are using content successfully.
The book’s 2nd edition came out in 2023.
Joe Pulizzi is the man behind the Content Marketing Institute, who coined the term “content marketing” back in 2001.
Memorable Quote: “Content is just…content, unless it’s driving behavior change in your customers and prospects. Then it’s called ‘content marketing.’”
2. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
Year Published: 2014
Number of Pages: 320
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Another classic in the annals of the industry, Everybody Writes is a vital resource for anyone navigating the digital landscape. In today's content-driven world, every individual is essentially a writer, especially if you have a website or engage in social media. Despite the trend towards brevity and instant gratification in online communication, writing remains crucial. Your online words represent your brand and can convey intelligence, trustworthiness, warmth, and more. That’s why mastering the art of writing and storytelling is essential for effective content marketing.
Ann Handley provides expert guidance in content creation, production, and publishing across various online platforms, making this one of the best content marketing books you can buy and an indispensable tool for large corporations and small businesses alike.
The 2nd edition of this tome was released in 2022.
Memorable Quote: “Good writing serves the reader, not the writer. It isn’t self-indulgent. Good writing anticipates the questions readers may have as they’re reading a piece, and it answers them.”
3. All Marketers Are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works—and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All by Seth Godin
Year Published: 2012
Number of Pages: 240
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This is a content marketing book not exclusively about content marketing, per se, but it focuses on a general principle of marketing that will resonate with content marketers. Namely, Seth Godin’s thesis is that marketing is held together by one principle: storytelling. Whereas some marketers believe in advertising the benefits or features of products, Godin believes marketers need to tell stories, even if they fib a bit.
Of course, Godin isn’t advocating deception, in spite of the book’s title. However, what he does stress is that all marketers do bend the truth here and there, in the service of storytelling, especially when a story already fits with a given demographic’s beliefs or worldview. The problem is when marketers veer into the all-out inauthentic.
All Marketers Are Liars is an engrossing read that digs deep into the sometimes blurry lines between storytelling for marketing and outright fibbing.
Godin is a bestselling marketing author and former dot com executive.
Memorable Quote: “All marketers are storytellers. Only the losers are liars.”
4. Practical Content Strategy & Marketing: The Content Strategy & Marketing Guide Guidebook by Julia McCoy
Year Published: 2017
Number of Pages: 390
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Content marketers searching for a comprehensive guide bursting with in-depth instructions on content strategy and marketing need look no further than Practical Content Strategy & Marketing.
In this book, Julia McCoy shares her expertise as a content marketing strategist and entrepreneur. She provides practical advice and step-by-step instructions on how to create a successful content marketing strategy that resonates with your target audience.
McCoy's book is particularly helpful for business owners and digital marketers who are looking to leverage the power of high-quality content to drive their marketing efforts. She emphasizes the importance of creating trustworthy and compelling content that not only attracts your target audience but also converts them into loyal customers.
The book is filled with real-world examples and case studies of companies with successful content marketing strategies. McCoy also provides insights on innovative brand identities and the power of storytelling in content marketing.
Memorable Quote: “Not knowing who you are educating and helping with your content will mean that you end up targeting randomly, not achieving clear content results.”
5. Master Content Strategy: How to Maximize Your Reach and Boost Your Bottom Line Every Time You Hit Publish by Pamela Wilson
Year Published: 2018
Number of Pages: 216
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5
A measure of the best content marketing books is their accessibility. Master Content Strategy applies to both veterans who are managing a huge amount of content on their CMS to newcomers who are just learning about content marketing.
Pamela Wilson, a business owner and advertising consultant, makes the point that your content strategy should be based on the stage of growth your business is in. Her book presents a lifecycle approach that works for B2Bs and B2Cs. The gist is that this method lets you create the appropriate content at the appropriate time—for the stage of growth your website is in.
Some of the key concepts she discusses are how to define very important content; road-mapping your content for the month, quarter, and year; and developing your own idea bank to repurpose your content and get more mileage out of it.
Memorable Quote: “Your content strategy will change and adapt as your website and business mature.”
6. Content That Converts: How to Build a Profitable and Predictable B2B Content Marketing Strategy by Laura Hanly
Year Published: 2016
Number of Pages: 145
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
For entrepreneurs and B2B leaders seeking a consistent flow of quality leads, Content That Converts is your go-to guide. It unveils a replicable system to harness the potential of content marketing in a very real way. This step-by-step process can be applied to any business, resulting in increased lead generation and conversions.
Discover how to define your target audience, refine your messaging, and enhance your offers. Learn to establish yourself as an industry authority through recurring content and valuable assets like books and courses. Effective content distribution via email and SEO expands your reach, creating conversion opportunities. Plus, master the art of persuasive sales copy and continuous improvement for lasting success.
Laura Hanly is a marketing expert whose B2B agency does consulting work for high-end companies around the world.
Memorable Quote: “The only way to make content marketing pay off is to develop a complete ecosystem around your primary platform (whether that’s your blog, podcast, or YouTube channel), instead of hoping it will just work by itself.”
7. Content Strategy for the Web (Voices That Matter) by Kristina Halvorson
Year Published: 2012
Number of Pages: 248
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Kristina Halverson’s Content Strategy for the Web is written for any organization that wants to make sense of the value of content in a business context. She identifies the people and procedures involved in a successful content strategy, which helps readers make more intelligent choices about the kinds of content to create and how to create it.
This book is for any organization whose team has asked itself how to get off the ground running with a content strategy but isn’t sure how. The book comes with detailed case studies, so your team can see exactly how teams can apply a content strategy solution to their business cases.
Memorable Quote: “The reality is that, within most organizations, content has always been an afterthought—it’s considered a byproduct of people’s everyday efforts, rather than an asset that requires strategic considerations.”
8. Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-Figure Business With Zero Advertising by Dan Norris
Year Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 226
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Content Machine will appeal to the digital marketing entrepreneur, especially the small business owners and solopreneurs. This content marketing book is unique because it’s a case study. It details exactly the steps that author Dan Norris took to grow his own WordPress support business from nothing to more than $1 million AUD annually in just two years. The best part of it? He only spent $181.23 on marketing.
Norris teaches the fundamentals of content marketing in this tome, covering how to build content and differentiate your brand from your competitors. He also goes into detail about the worst mistake that entrepreneurs commit when it comes to content.
If you’re interested in using content to grow and scale your business from scratch to significant profits, then Content Machine is worth a read.
Memorable Quote: “Content marketing is releasing something interesting that grabs attention for a business and builds trust.”
9. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
Year Published: 2017
Number of Pages: 240
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand was a #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller whose message can be summed up in one word: clarity. Miller boils down the reason why customers aren’t buying your product: It’s you using the wrong words to describe it, which is why clarity is second to none.
Miller’s solution is for brands to use his process for connecting with customers, so they won’t tune you out—a problem that’s only getting worse in our digital world. In this book, you’ll discover his seven universal elements for unforgettable storytelling that will empower you to cut through the noise and connect with your customers better than ever.
Memorable Quote: “The first mistake brands make is they fail to focus on the aspects of their offer that will help people survive and thrive.”
10. They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer by Marcus Sheridan
Year Published: 2019
Number of Pages: 352
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5
In today's digital era, the old sales funnel model is obsolete. Businesses must now focus on addressing their buyers' questions, concerns, and problems openly and thoroughly. By providing honest answers to the questions buyers ask online, you can attract potential customers effectively.
This approach, known as "They Ask, You Answer," propelled author Marcus Sheridan's pool company from a struggling business to one of the largest pool installers in the U.S. This content marketing book offers practical tactics and insights to transform your marketing strategy, emphasizing trust-building through content and video, turning your online presence into a magnet for qualified leads, and embracing a content culture. It's a must-have resource for businesses seeking proven methods to boost traffic, leads, and sales in the digital age.
Memorable Quote: “The simple fact is sales and marketing will never be the same, and the line between them will only become more and more blurred over time.”
11. Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins by Mark W. Schaefer
Year Published: 2019
Number of Pages: 318
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Have you felt overwhelmed by the lightning-fast changes in the business world? Are you baffled by shifting consumer trends, the relentless pace of technology, and the breakneck speed of digital marketing, leaving you feeling out of touch? The best content marketing books answer these questions clearly.
One of them is expert marketing consultant Mark Schaefer’s book, which provides a practical framework to keep you ahead of the curve. In Marketing Rebellion, Schaefer explores how hyper-empowered consumers are shaping business outcomes.
You’ll discover how today's consumer trends trace back to a century-old revolution and why to shift your focus from advertising impressions to creating lasting human connections. Uncover the five timeless human truths crucial for successful marketing, and learn why customer loyalty is fading and how to address it promptly.
This engaging book, filled with fresh research and compelling case studies, challenges your perception of modern marketing and offers a pioneering roadmap for business growth.
Memorable Quote: “Consumers are in control. The sales funnel is gone. Advertising is dying. Great marketing may anger people. Loyalty is a myth.”
12. The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas (For Marketers and Creators) by Melanie Deziel
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 204
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Are you struggling with creativity and content generation? In The Content Fuel Framework by Melanie Deziel, an award-winning content marketer, you'll discover a method to supercharge your creativity by organizing it. This straightforward framework streamlines brainstorming, making idea generation effortless and nearly automatic. Say goodbye to writer's block and the perpetual "what should I post?" dilemma. With this system, storytellers across all industries can conjure fresh story ideas on-demand.
In today's content-saturated landscape, the pressure is higher than ever to deliver unique and consistent content across various platforms. How do you keep up with the constant demand for web pages, social media, blogs, and newsletters?
This content marketing book is your answer. It will challenge and empower you to approach storytelling in innovative ways, providing an adaptable guide that you'll return to again and again.
Memorable Quote: “But the reality is anyone can generate content ideas quickly and easily, if they have the right framework.”
13. Brand Identity Breakthrough: How to Craft Your Company's Unique Story to Make Your Products Irresistible by Gregory V. Diehl
Year Published: 2016
Number of Pages: 272
Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Every business has a story to tell, according to author Gregory Diehl. The story is based on the unique products your business has to offer the market. Trouble is that many businesses struggle to stand apart from their competitors in their industries.
After more than a decade of studying businesses globally, Diehl has discovered what the successful ones have in common when it comes to crafting unique brand identities and the content of their business stories. Diehl shares his secrets in this content marketing book ,which include how to put together a unique value proposition for your brand, the best ways to sell small business products to your customers, and how storytelling can supercharge your product sales online and in physical stores.
Memorable Quote: “Blaming the customer for lack of sales is proof that the business owner has not created sufficient value around what he or she is doing—or else has not communicated that value in the right way to the right people.”
14. The Content Code: Six Essential Strategies to Ignite Your Content, Your Marketing, and Your Business by Mark W. Schaefer
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 204
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Mark W. Schaefer's groundbreaking book, The Content Code, delves into six, essential factors that go beyond the conventional strategies of content, social media, web traffic, and SEO. It takes you to the next level by revealing the launch code for marketing success beyond your current plan.
This book not only emphasizes the genuine worth of social media marketing but also outlines actionable steps for achieving tangible results. It’s innovative in its exploration of the psychology behind content sharing and is remarkably practical, offering a wealth of ideas suitable for organizations of any size and budget.
Key insights include examining the link between brand and content transmission, focusing on the audience's role in content dissemination, incorporating "shareability" into all your content, and adapting to the evolving landscape of promotion, distribution, and SEO in the digital world. Unlock your business's potential, engage your audience, and discover the six digital secrets within The Content Code.
Memorable Quote: “The imperative for your organization today is to unlock your content, unleash it, ignite it, and somehow convert it to measurable business value within this shrill world of overwhelming information.”
15. Conversation Marketing: How to Be Relevant and Engage Your Customer by Speaking Human by Kevin Lund
Year Published: 2018
Number of Pages: 218
Amazon Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Kevin Lund, a lecturer and content marketer, posits that many content marketing books talk about distributing content, but none at all talk about something more important, which is how the conversation is the center of successful content marketing. In Conversation Marketing, the author circumvents conventional wisdom to explain directly how you can talk to your audience by appealing to their hearts and minds.
In this tome, you’ll learn about Handshake Moments, which offer value at all brand touchpoints, as well as creating a meaningful story with all the content you publish. Finally, you’ll learn the finer points of selling without really selling and how your content can be central to a two-way conversation between you and your target audience.
Memorable Quote: “People today appreciate honesty and humility over ‘corporate speak and are far more responsive to personalized conversations that serve to make them feel connected to you—that you’re one of them.”
16. Inbound Content: A Step-by-Step Guide To Doing Content Marketing the Inbound Way by Justin Champion
Year Published: 2018
Number of Pages: 256
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Inbound Content is your single source of truth for attracting, converting, and retaining customers. In today's digital era, content holds immense power for engagement and promotion. To stay competitive, you must harness this power, according to Justin Champion, HubSpot Academy’s content professor.
The books explains that simply having a website and social media presence won't cut it. You need content that captivates the right audience, not mass outreach. This book teaches you to develop a cohesive strategy, craft tailored, high-value content, and leverage it effectively to bolster your brand.
Learn the art of storytelling, create a long-term content plan, produce and promote outstanding content, and measure its impact. In a noisy digital world, effective content is marketing gold. Inbound Content guides you to stand out and engage your audience successfully.
Memorable Quote: “Having a framework in place that’s repeatable, organized, and agile can make the process of creating content much smoother and more rewarding.”
17. Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business by Pat Flynn
Year Published: 2019
Number of Pages: 224
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5
Content marketers often get lost in vanity metrics like follower counts but forget that there are actual humans behind those numbers. That’s a peril for marketers because that’s a missed opportunity to show the real humans that your brand can be trusted in a highly competitive world.
In this book, you’ll learn how to turn those people into your superfans—by establishing yourself as a leader whom they can trust and who cares about them, instead of just metrics. Pat Flynn defines “superfans” as people who go beyond just buying your products: They’ll actually become evangelist marketers by promoting your products for you. It takes time to create superfans, but it’s well worth it for your brand and business growth.
Pat Flynn is a well-known author and podcaster who has founded numerous successful websites.
Memorable Quote: “By understanding a customer’s journey, you’re able to build a systematic operation that can actually make money for you, and that’s the goal.”
18. The Content Marketing Handbook: How to Double the Results of Your Marketing Campaigns by Robert W. Bly
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 293
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5
The Content Marketing Handbook will appeal to entrepreneurs, content marketers, and small business owners. It's designed to help you grasp the essential role of content in integrated multichannel marketing tactics. Instead of wasting valuable time and resources on content that doesn't bring returns, this handbook equips you to craft content that not only builds trust but also generates interest.
Learn to create top-notch content that captures attention, engages readers, and reduces the clutter of ineffective content. Discover how to boost your marketing response rates by incorporating lead magnets, bonus reports, and other enticing free content offerings. Leverage content to establish and enhance your brand's reputation while standing out in a competitive market. Get a roadmap for how to strategically plan, execute, and measure your content marketing efforts within a multichannel landscape. Finally, recognize the right moment to transition from giving away content to actively seeking sales orders.
With The Content Marketing Handbook as your resource, you'll be well-equipped to harness the power of content marketing to achieve your business goals effectively.
Memorable Quote: “Content marketing succeeds when it gets prospects to take action or change their opinion, attitude, or beliefs about you and your product as it relates to their needs.”
19. Content - The Atomic Particle of Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Content Marketing Strategy by Rebecca Lieb
Year Published: 2017
Number of Pages: 240
Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Content is the most important core of your marketing campaigns. Content marketers need to find balance between marketing and strategy, which is the challenge. The strength of Content - The Atomic Particle of Marketing lies in its exploration of years of quantitative research and details of interviews with senior marketers at some of the world’s biggest brands.
Author Rebecca Lieb, an industry thought leader, stresses the value of content in owned media like blogs and websites and other marketing campaigns like social media. When you’re done reading this tome, one of the best research-heavy guides to content marketing strategy, you’ll be able to streamline content management and production across numerous marketing channels.
Memorable Quote: “Now, brands respond to new customer expectations with relevant content at every stage of their purchase decision journey.”
20. The Content Puzzle…and the Missing Piece by Andi Robinson
Year Published: 2022
Number of Pages: 170
Amazon Rating: N/A
The Content Puzzle and the Missing Piece is a must-read for content marketers, business owners, and anyone looking to increase their online presence.
Andi Robinson’s book delves into the power of storytelling and its impact on effective content marketing. Robinson explains how storytelling can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level and build trust. Through real-world examples and studies of companies with innovative brand identities, you'll learn how to craft distinct business stories that set you apart from the competition.
Moreover, Robinson explores the role of content marketing in conversation marketing and its impact on the sales pipeline. By utilizing the principles outlined in this book, you'll be able to move beyond the traditional sales funnel and engage your audience in meaningful conversations that drive conversions.
Memorable Quote: “Content marketing is not about selling. It is about influencing, educating, and building loyalty.”
FAQs About the Best Content Marketing Books
We want to be the resource for content marketers, so we thought we’d answer some frequently asked questions about these books as well.
Q: What Are the Best Books to Help You Create a Successful Content Strategy?
A: While there are many content marketing books as you just saw when you read through the list, a few do stand out for content strategy specifically. The best books to help you create a successful content strategy are Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less, by Joe Pulizzi, and Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content, by Ann Handley.
Q: What Are the 5 C’s of Content Marketing?
A: The 5 C’s of content marketing refers to descriptors that all types of content must have to be successful, according to the author of numerous content marketing books, Robert W. Bly. They are clear, concise, compelling, credible, and feature a call to action.
Q: What Is the Most Effective Type of Content Marketing?
A: The most effective type of content marketing depends on what part of the sales funnel your customers are currently in. For top of the funnel leads, content like blog posts, articles, and landing pages are ideal for capturing organic traffic from people who are searching for specific keywords and solutions to their problems. For middle of the funnel, prospects are looking for more educational content like email nurture campaigns, more in-depth how-to guides, videos, and webinars. For bottom of the funnel content, the most effective type of content marketing is case studies, testimonials, demos, reviews, product comparisons, and white papers.
Build Your Business With These Content Marketing Books
Our rundown of the best content marketing books will hopefully inspire you to do great things at your business. Whether you’re a B2B, SaaS, or fintech—or a business of any size, at any stage of growth—mastering content marketing and how it can build relationships with your customers will make a huge difference in your growth.
If you’re interested in using content to grow customer relationships for your brand, but don’t have the expertise or time to invest yourself, partner with a content marketing agency like us to drive more organic traffic, conversions, and sales to your website. Contact The Glorious Company today for a no-obligation consultation.
Have any questions? Keep the conversation going by leaving a comment below.
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