The top 6 must-read books for bloggers
As business owners we can never tire of continually learning more outside of our experience. As bloggers we can find ourselves just testing, testing and testing some more. We can forget that there are techniques and ideas to be borrowed from other industries and small business owners who have gone before us, whether you’re blogging for fun or seeking to monetize (i.e. affiliate marketing, advertising, e-commerce or a mixture). In all my years of blogging, I have read some really awesome hard-hitting books.
Here is my top list of must-read books for blog owners!
Disclosure: All links in this post are affiliate links.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robin Cialdini
This book revolutionized my thinking of psychology and why people say “yes” – whether simply saying yes to being engaged with my blog or saying yes to the products/services I market to them. Dr. Robert Cialdini presents this book in such a way you’ll be highlighting each page – almost guaranteed. I have a notebook full of notes that I still refer to every time I am looking at implementing (or revamping) a new feature or product on my blog.
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
We all want our blogs read. We want them to be different than the next thousand blogs in cyberspace. Seth Godin encourages and highlights ways to be completely different than anyone else (i.e. be the purple cow!). The goal is to be noticeable – to stand out in the marketplace.
Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey
This book is primarily a leadership book for employers, however, I found the techniques and theories in this book to be translated into being a consultant and guide for my audience. While I primarily focus on law and blogging, I consult with a variety of different types of businesses, and all of Dave’s theories have helped shape my presentation of leadership in the field to attract new readers and invested clients.
The Laundry List by Rachel Brenke
Hey! Look at that familiar name. Yes, I include my own book on the top list of must-have reads because I know from research a majority of my readers are female and mothers. This book comes out of my real-life experience of trying to balance running a business (and blog) while maintaing the home. This targets if you have an out-of-home office or are sitting amongst the legos trying to work. Running a business is hard work – here is my guide!
Worth Every Penny by Sarah Petty & Erin Verbeck
Blogging is relatively new, but the idea of selling yourself as a business owner isn’t. Don’t let fear of the unknown in the cyber marketplace overtake you. If your goal is to create a profitable business without having to constantly offer discounts and compete with those who aren’t charging a fair market value and/or their worth – this book is a great read for you. Today’s society pressures the idea of discounts and sales to gain attention and money – however – it doesn’t have to be that way. This New York Time’s Best Seller is a fabulous read to help encourage and lead you to avoid falling into the discount trap.
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
On first glance you may think, “I don’t need to book myself solid, I don’t sell anything!”, but the theories taught through this book are ones that can be directly implemented to gain readership even if your goal isn’t monetization of your blog. The techniques are rooted into strategies and skills necessary to gain more clients and increase profits, if you so desire! The tangible exercises are my favorite aspect to the book – instead of just being “spoken to”, I can engage and learn through the book.
