Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. – Groucho Marx

One of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, once wrote that if a person enjoys reading about their industry in their off-duty hours, they are on the right career path. I actually enjoy reading about marketing – I love learning about how companies promote themselves, new marketing tools I can use, and the pitfalls of unsuccessful marketing.

Here are a few of my favorite titles:

The Storytelling Non-Profit: A practical guide to telling stories that raise money and awareness  by Vanessa Chase Lockshin

Before reading The Storytelling Nonprofit, I was a big fan of Lockshin’s blog. It took me a while to buy her book (my parents call me cheap, I prefer the word frugal). I’m glad that I did.

Every nonprofit has a story to tell and I fervently believe that nonprofits can, and should, use storytelling to market themselves and raise funds. Part guide, part workbook, The Storytelling Nonprofit takes the reader step-by-step through a storytelling process that will reach audiences and donors.

The Crowdsourceress: Get Smart, Get Funded, and Kickstart Your Next Big Idea  by Alex Daly

I like the The Crowdsourceress for a few different reasons: 1) I love learning about people who took a circuitous route to the work that they do now, 2) it’s full of fun stories about successful (and not so successful) crowdsourcing campaigns, and 3) the book gets down to the nitty-gritty of marketing.

In the beginning of the book, Daly was working for a documentary film production company, writing grant applications, when one day a colleague asked her what turned out to be a fateful question: “What do you know about Kickstarter?” From there, the book takes a deep-dive into marketing for crowdsourcing campaigns. Even if you never crowdsource funding, this book is applicable to the marketing of any business or product.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott

Now in its 6th edition, David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing and PR is a great introduction to digital media that enables two-way communication between businesses and their customers. At the time that the first edition came out, I knew that social media could be used to build relationships with prospective audiences, but I wasn’t sure how. This book was a great introduction. Scott updates the book every year with fresh, new content.

Scott outlines case study after case study of businesses that used social media, video, and blogs to create an open dialog and build relationships with their customers. If you are unsure about the seemingly Wild West that is the social, online world, The New Rules of Marketing and PR is a great primer.

“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have – arm yourselves!” – Doctor Who, Episode: Tooth and Claw

If you love reading about marketing as much as I do, I hope you enjoyed this list. If you don’t, you can always call us, and we would be more than happy to help guide your next campaign.