The Top 10 Best Social Media Marketing Books To Read in 2024

Summary

In this video, Rick Kettner presents 10 of the best social media marketing books, focusing on strategies that apply across all platforms. He highlights key skills like creating viral content, building trust and authority, and gaining initial momentum. The list includes books such as 'Contagious' by Jonah Berger, 'Start with Why' by Simon Sinek, and 'Influence' by Robert Cialdini. Each book offers valuable insights on effective marketing, audience engagement, and brand positioning. Kettner encourages viewers to choose books based on their specific goals to maximize success in social media marketing.

Takeaways

• 📚 Rick Kettner recommends 10 social media marketing books that focus on high-level skills rather than specific platforms.
• 🚀 The first book, *Contagious* by Jonah Berger, teaches six principles to create viral content and increase word-of-mouth sharing.
• 🎯 *Start with Why* by Simon Sinek emphasizes the importance of defining and communicating your deeper purpose to build a stronger connection with your audience.
• 🧠 *The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing* by Al Ries and Jack Trout explains how to position your brand to stand out in the minds of your audience.
• 🎥 *Break Through the Noise* by Tim Staples and Josh Young focuses on creating viral video content, particularly for platforms like TikTok, IGTV, and YouTube.
• 🎓 *Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion* by Robert Cialdini outlines six principles of persuasion and highlights ethical use to avoid manipulation.
• 🤝 *The Language of Trust* by Michael Maslansky emphasizes the importance of building trust and credibility with your audience, especially in today’s skeptical world.
• 🌱 *This is Marketing* by Seth Godin suggests starting with a small, loyal audience to build momentum before reaching a broader audience.
• 📺 *YouTube Secrets* by Sean Cannell and Benji Travis covers YouTube-specific strategies, emphasizing its role as a search engine and how to maximize video content visibility.
• 💡 *Superfans* by Pat Flynn encourages focusing on nurturing loyal 'superfans' rather than obsessing over total follower counts for long-term success.
• 🏗️ *Marketing Made Simple* by Donald Miller advises building an independent platform (email lists, websites) to avoid over-reliance on social media algorithms and ensure consistent reach.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the social media marketing books mentioned in the video?

The books primarily focus on high-level skills for social media success, such as creating viral content, attracting loyal followers, influencing people, building trust, and gaining initial momentum on any platform.

What are the six principles of contagiousness discussed in 'Contagious' by Jonah Berger?

The six principles of contagiousness include various tactics that can make content more likely to be shared and recommended by others. While the video does not list them explicitly, they are mentioned as key concepts in the book that can be creatively applied to social media.

How does 'Start with Why' by Simon Sinek help in creating deeper connections with your audience?

'Start with Why' encourages creators to focus on communicating the deeper purpose behind their efforts, rather than just explaining what they do. This helps create a loyal and meaningful connection with the audience, as people are more likely to be drawn to the 'why' than the 'what' or 'how.'

Why is 'The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing' by Al Ries and Jack Trout relevant to social media marketing?

This book teaches the power of positioning, which helps brands create strong associations in the minds of their audience. In social media, positioning can give a brand a competitive advantage by associating it closely with a specific category or theme, much like ESPN is associated with sports news.

What unique insights does 'Break Through the Noise' by Tim Staples and Josh Young offer about creating viral video content?

The book provides nine practical tips for making video content more shareable and likely to go viral, specifically for platforms like TikTok, IGTV, Facebook, and YouTube. The authors draw on their experience creating viral campaigns designed to promote specific business goals.

What are the six principles of influence discussed in 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' by Robert Cialdini?

The six principles of influence covered in the book are reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. These principles can help marketers understand how people make decisions and how they can influence them ethically.

Why is 'The Language of Trust' by Michael Maslansky important for building a personal or business brand on social media?

The book emphasizes the importance of building trust and credibility with a skeptical audience. In today's world, simply doing the right thing isn't enough; marketers must also communicate effectively to cut through skepticism and build stronger connections.

How does 'This is Marketing' by Seth Godin suggest creators should approach building momentum on social media?

Godin suggests that creators should focus on the smallest viable market to build early momentum. By starting with a niche audience that cares deeply about their content, creators can build advocates who will help them reach a larger, more diverse audience over time.

Why is YouTube considered different from other social media platforms like TikTok or IGTV according to 'YouTube Secrets' by Sean Cannell and Benji Travis?

YouTube is primarily a search engine, making it different from other platforms. The book emphasizes that to succeed on YouTube, creators must understand how the platform's search functionality and algorithms work to help their content get discovered.

What is the core message of 'Superfans' by Pat Flynn regarding the importance of followers?

'Superfans' stresses that not all followers are equal. It's more important to nurture highly engaged and passionate 'superfans' than to focus on vanity metrics like total follower count. Superfans are more likely to share content and convert into loyal customers.

What does 'Marketing Made Simple' by Donald Miller suggest about building an independent platform?

The book highlights the importance of creating a separate platform (like a website or email list) to avoid over-reliance on social media algorithms. This allows marketers to maintain control over their audience and build deeper, more sustainable relationships.