5 Must-Read Digital Media Books

by Kim Niemi

The masses’ attention spans may be shorter, but savvy innovators and entrepreneurs still look to smartly written books for inspiration and education. 

The five books below share one common thread: they all have something to teach those who want success in the digital world. (Isn’t that everybody?) 

Whatever level your business is at, there’s something for you on this list.

​1. How to Get PR for your Startup: Traction, Murray Newlands & Drew Hendricks

Startups might think it wise to mimic the PR tactics of companies that have been around a while, but there are some inherent differences in approach when you’re just getting off the ground.

Says Newlands, “Startups often have the problem that they do not know who their customers are and what message they need to tell. Telling the right story and why you started the company is something that startups can do well that is often not critical to established companies.”

2. How Google Works, Eric Schmidt & Jonathan Rosenberg

No, it’s not an instruction manual for using the popular search engine. It’s the story of how the company grew to be an industry giant. “In an era when everything is speeding up, the best way for businesses to succeed is to attract smart-creative people and give them an environment where they can thrive at scale. How Google Works explains how to do just that.”

3. Social Media Mastery – Daily Action Series, Tara Ross, Ph.D.

As Laura Hope-Gill, author of Look Up Asheville, notes in her review, "Successful social media requires a brave mix of technological expertise and exposed personality. For many, these two are not only very separate entities, but they are both fraught with anxiety.” This book is the antidote to both ailments.

4. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary Vaynerchuk

You know content is important, but as the back cover of New York Times bestselling author  Vaynerchuk’s book reminds us, “It's not just about developing high-quality content; it's also about developing high-quality content that's perfectly adapted to specific social media platforms and mobile devices.”

Yes, every platform requires subtle variations, but instead of freaking out about it, now you’ll have the tools to approach each platform perfectly.

5. Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build a Business You Love, And Live the Life of Your Dreams, Jeff Walker

Once you’ve been inspired by “How Google Works,” follow-up with this step-by-step guide to building your own successful business written by “[T]he pioneer innovator of online marketing launches, as well as the online marketing industry’s foremost teacher,” according to Dan Sullivan, President and Founder of The Strategic Coach.

These books offer takeaways as valuable as hours of classroom study (or life coaching sessions), for a few dollars and a few hours of time. Take advantage of their lessons and let us know how they change your business.


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