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The content marketing and the blogging worlds are closely tied together. A common trait of both is that these environments change very quickly. What works this month might not offer good results the next month and you never know when these major changes might occur, because they are caused by many factors.
I’m mentioning this because it can be difficult to find books for blogging or content marketing that can always give you something useful. In the digital world, some practices might be relevant for a certain period of time and then they are never used again. In other words, finding the right resources is so tricky. This is why I’ve decided to do some research and offer book suggestions that you can always rely on.
When it comes to content, no matter if it’s for blogging purposes or marketing, it’s essential that you find sources of inspiration and expert opinions that could shape your style and make your better at what you do. If you want to write well, you need to read a lot as well, and today I am going to give you 12 books that are definitely worth the effort.
Visionaries & Innovators
1. “Nicely Said“
This is one of the most unique content writing books, as it addresses a lot of different approaches and categories of writing you can find online. Nicole Fenton and Kate Kiefer have really put an effort into helping aspiring web writers learn how to “breathe writing”.
Some of the areas that are addressed in this book include sales writing, blog writing, eCommerce writing, interface writing, creating a voice of your own, and many more. This book really helps you understand what kind of voice you need to create and how to succeed in any kind of web writing. It doesn’t matter if you are experienced or not, this book will prove helpful.
2. “Creative Confidence“
This book is written by two authors, David Kelley and Tom Kelly and it revolves around unleashing your inner creativity to become a better writer. Many writers, even experienced ones, reach a creativity blockade that they simply can’t get over, no matter how hard they try.
“Creative Confidence” is a title that talks about this topic and gives you strategies and principles that can help you be creative. At the same time, it’s written in an entertaining and creative way, giving inspiration in both a practical and artistic way.
3. “The Content Strategy Toolkit“
Having a full-blown content strategy is very important if you want your blog or your site to deliver a great user experience. This is what Meghan Casey emphasizes in this nearly 300-page long book. Within these pages, readers can find a lot of practical advice on how to plan, organize, and create amazing content.
You can learn how to recognize mistakes in your content and find the practical knowledge on how to fix them. It also gets into conversions and how content can impact them while showing you the big picture and how to come up with great ideas for an effective workflow.
4. “Websites That Convert“
If you want to learn more about the online marketing aspect, then this book by Claire Suellentrop will be an interesting read. When it comes to increasing conversion, website design is an important factor, but quality copywriting is equally important, as it allows you to better engage visitors.
This is what the book is mainly about – increasing conversion through good writing. Writing a compelling copy is essential for inspiring the desired behaviors on different sites. This book gives you a lot of insight on this topic, even though its only 85 pages long.
Experts
5. “Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income”
This is one of the most well-known books for bloggers written by experts Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett. It’s truly a complete and comprehensive resource that talks about many important things. The primary subject and one of the most important questions for bloggers is how to make money through their work. This book addresses that very question.
The fact that the book has three editions only shows how well it has been received and what important knowledge it shares. It can give valuable information and tips for both novices and already established bloggers on how to start making money from their work.
6. “Clout“
This book was written by Colleen Jones, content expert and the head content marketing strategist at MailChimp. In this book, she explains how you can elevate your web content to a whole new level through 8 important principles that focus on rhetoric and psychology.
The first thing she suggests is to avoid going for the easier, shorter marketing tactics and to take the longer, more difficult road that gives greater results.
She then continues to focus on an important aspect of content – context while giving advice on how to break through some of the most difficult roadblocks. The book also includes many explanations of qualitative methods that can be used for measuring content quality.
7. “How To Make Money Blogging”
Bob Lotich also explained “how to make money blogging” in his aptly titled book. Once again, this book can help both beginners and bloggers who aren’t making money start monetizing their work.
However, Bob speaks from his personal perspective and how he was able to start a blog after getting fired from his regular job and start earning more money. In his book, he shares his stories, the mistakes he made, and the right practices that made him a successful blogger with a stable income.
8. “Writing for the Web“
This book was written by Lynda Felder, an experienced content publisher, and technical writer. In this book, she talks about online content and its quick transformation in a few decades. This book can help readers learn how to keep it simple and get their point across in the best way possible.
The book explores this topic deeply and even gives a lot of examples found on some of the most successful websites. As an extra, it also talks about podcasting and what makes it different than written blogs.
Beginner Friendly
9. “WordPress to Go”
WordPress To Go is a book written by Sarah McHarry. If you are new to blogging or you are seriously considering starting a blog of your own, this book can be very useful to you. Given that most bloggers choose WordPress because it offers so many benefits, getting to know more about this platform and how to use it is the right way to start.
It can be difficult if you don’t know where to start and this book is a guide for complete newbies on how to start a WordPress blog, how to install plugins, themes, how to format content etc.
10. “How to Start a Successful Blog in One Hour“
This book is written by an eBook expert and a professional blogger, Steve Scott. This is a very simple blogging guide which offers step-by-step instructions on how to start blogging quickly.
This book covers the whole process from a beginner’s perspective and explains what a blog is and the fundamentals of blogging. After that, it switches to practical steps on how to use WordPress, how to register domain names, how to acquire web hosting, and much more.
11. “The 4 Hour Workweek“
This classic blogger’s guide for beginners was written by Tim Ferris. This book can be very useful for fresh bloggers who want to start off on the right foot and get comfortable in their new career.
This book can help you learn how to get used to your new habits, organize yourself, and quickly get into the daily routine of being a blogger. This is a must-read book for all aspiring bloggers and new entrepreneurs, and it will help them learn how to focus on what’s most important.
12. “Content inc.“
This is one of the best resources for people who are starting out with content marketing and online publishing. It’s a 350 guide that will teach you everything a beginner and intermediate needs to know about content marketing. It also talks about blog content, how to write it, and how to get noticed by people.
This resource also talks about guest blogging, how it’s done, and how it can be used to grow as a writer. Everyone in the content marketing world knows the name of this author and his book is truly a resource every new blogger can use for a successful start.
All these books are great resources for bloggers and content marketers alike. Of course, as a writer, you need to find your voice and your style, but you also need to make sure that you build them properly. This is how you’ll be able to become relevant and, ultimately, successful.
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Anja Skrba is an expert on Blogging. Anja is a Content Creation Manager for FirstSiteGuide – an educational website which provides tutorials and other useful resources that help people create, grow and maintain their online presence. She’s been in the world of blogging and content marketing for over 5 years.
