Anything.
That’s what you can accomplish in an age of free-flowing information.
I personally invest a few hours per day reading various blogs, news pieces, and message boards to learn new stuff.
But on some occasions, I shut my laptop’s lid down, pick up a book, and digest knowledge the old-school way.
That said, I decided to list down the top books that every aspiring blogger and entrepreneur should read.
Best Books For Bloggers
- Expert Secrets
- DotCom Secrets
- Epic Content Marketing
- Start with Why
- Ca$hvertising
- Getting Things Done
- The 4-Hour Work Week
- Rework
- Permission Marketing
- The One Thing
Just a quick word…
I know — my blog is about blogging, but most of the books I’ll mention below aren’t.
The truth is, blogging books rarely add anything new to the table. If you really want the skill set of a seasoned blogger, I advise you to check out online courses or eBooks that can provide you with up-to-date information for best results.
Besides, here’s what I believe:
If you understand a book well enough, then you can apply its lessons to anything you do. It doesn’t have to spoon-feed the exact steps you need to take.
Most of the books on this list may not contain strategies that are directly related to blogging. However, they will equip you with the wisdom and technical know-how so you can formulate strategies yourself.
With all that out of the way, let’s begin.
10 Books That You Must Read As A Blogger
1. Expert Secrets
Want to know the full title of this book?
Expert Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Creating a Mass Movement of People Who Will Pay for Your Advice.
Lengthy, I know. But it also sums up what bloggers like me want to accomplish in the online world.
Expert Secrets is written by serial entrepreneur, ClickFunnels co-founder, and online marketing thought leader Russell Brunson.
The book delves into the nitty-gritty of building your own personal brand and identity. It covers fundamentals such as brand storytelling, buyer psychology, and sales.
You will also find an in-depth guide on how to leverage a webinar series for lead generation.
I would recommend Expert Secrets for bloggers who envision themselves as future thought leaders in their respective niches.
You can grab a free copy of Expert Secrets from their official website. You just need to pay for shipping and that’s it.
2. DotCom Secrets
DotCom Secrets is yet another Russell Brunson book aimed towards budding online businesses, which you can get for free plus shipping.
It’s “The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online,” but it still has loads of value even for small-time bloggers.
To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a screenshot of the book’s back cover.
DotCom Secrets is a collection of strategies that can help online startups scale their business.
Remember, there may be bloggers out there who do it purely for the joy of writing. But for the rest of us who care about monetization, we need to view our blogs as businesses.
The lessons range from building conversion-optimized sales funnels to developing successful email marketing campaigns. All of which are skills you need to master if you want your blog to thrive and be self-sustaining.
Get your free copy of DotCom Secrets Book from here.
3. Epic Content Marketing
The phrase “less is more” can be applied to numerous aspects of blogging.
Writing shorter articles with more meat, for instance, is better than writing thousands of words full of fluff.
When it comes to online marketing, piecing together too many marketing components can hamper growth rather than accelerate it.
With that in mind, Epic Content Marketing takes us back to the basics that are guaranteed to get results.
Epic Content Marketing is written by JoePulizzi — one of the pioneers of modern content marketing in its infancy.
The book walks you through the process of constructing a content marketing strategy that pulls in customers like a magnet. This involves crafting a marketing mission statement, developing a content creation and curation strategy, and distributing content through social media.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
4. Start with Why
If you wonder why some blogs are more profitable than others, this book will show you the answer and more.
Start with Why is written by Simon Sinek, who popularized the concept in his TED Talk appearance in 2009.
It breaks down how the most influential people think and act when faced with leadership decisions. It also enumerates pointers on how they communicate with their target audience online and offline.
The main premise behind Start with Why is that customers don’t really care about what you offer. Rather, they’re more interested in why you chose your path.
Finding the “whys” in your career will then lead to brand-building and marketing opportunities that could propel your blog forward.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
5. Ca$hvertising
Let’s step away from content marketing for a moment.
Ca$hvertising by Drew Eric Whitman — also known as the “Direct-Response Surgeon.”
It divulges over 100 consumer psychology hacks that ad agencies use to supercharge their conversions.
Ca$hvertising is a must-read for bloggers who are thinking about paid advertising as their next avenue for growth. It discusses every single facet of managing and running ad campaigns — from designing landing pages to writing compelling copy.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
6. Getting Things Done
Here’s a cold hard fact: knowledge is nothing without action.
Unfortunately, lots of bloggers struggle to have the energy, motivation, and time management to be productive.
Getting Things Done by David Allen can help you overcome these hurdles and shift your blogging game into high gear.
The book describes a complete, repeatable system that will help you accomplish more while utilizing fewer resources. As a blogger, this can be applied to projects like redesigning your site, developing infomercial products, and so on.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
7. The 4-Hour Work Week
To have all the time in the world while your blog passively makes money for you — that’s the dream.
That’s also the philosophy behind The 4-Hour Work Week by author, entrepreneur, and investor Timothy Ferriss.
The book pushes you to escape the “9-5” and be completely in charge of your time and finances. It includes case studies, tools, and templates that inch you closer to financial freedom — one handy tip at a time.
Time management is, obviously, a key focal point of this book. That’s why it touches topics like outsourcing virtual assistants, pre-planning your list of priorities, and integrating automation into daily tasks.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
8. Rework
Sometimes, all you need is to stop thinking and take the next step.
Don’t worry about the potential outcomes, preparations, and all the fine details in between.
Instead of letting uncertainties hold you back, just focus on getting started and figure things out along the way.
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson can be your guide through simple lessons you can practice every day.
Minimizing interruptions while you work, for example, is as clear-cut as you can get. It is a straightforward life hack that will help you gather momentum and speed up the fulfillment of your goals.
For the rest of the book, chapters pertain to individual aspects of business management. These encompass how to handle competitors, build your workforce, develop a company culture, among others.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
9. Permission Marketing
Before anything else, you should know that Permission Marketing is perhaps the oldest book on this list.
It was originally published way back on May 6, 1999, and written by Seth Godin.
The question is, why invest in a book that’s 20 years old? Isn’t the information inside already outdated by now?
Although most strategies you’ll learn from Permission Marketing are no longer actionable, all the marketing principles are still relevant. The book can teach you how to win your audience’s trust, understand consumer behavior, and build brand loyalty.
Here’s one more reason why I still recommend Permission Marketing.
While some of you may consider its age as a flaw, I see it as a reassurance.
You see, Seth Godin wrote and sold the book because he really knew his stuff.
Let’s face it, there are thousands of books on Amazon made by so-called authors who only “borrowed” their ideas. They are merely marketers who outsourced their book’s content and utilized the finished product as a brand-building tool.
I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to learn from someone, I’ll avoid the followers. I’ll head straight to the thinkers and bank on their words.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
10. The One Thing
If you ever felt unfocused, inefficient, or unproductive, it’s most likely because you juggle multiple things at once.
Ask yourself this, how often do you listen to music, read emails, or open social media while you work?
Probably more than you’re willing to admit.
This is the epidemic that Gary Keller wanted to cure in his book, The One Thing.
It’s built on the idea that to supercharge your productivity, you should concentrate on one task at a time. And based on my accomplishments with the Master Blogging brand, it absolutely works.
The One Thing also talks about concepts that will change the way you work forever, like multitasking, self-discipline, and prioritization.
Here is the link to order this book from Amazon.
Conclusion
By finishing this post, you’ve proven that you have what it takes to be a successful blogger.
Excellent!
I’m genuinely interested in where your blogging path will lead. After all, successful bloggers are lifelong learners — they’re always hungry for growth through knowledge.
Leave a comment below and share your latest experiences and accomplishments in the blogging space. Also, let me know if I missed your favorite, life-changing book.
I’m always looking for new titles in my “to-read” list.
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