According to Statista, only 76 percent of American adults read a book in the last year. This number is one of the lowest totals in recent decades, which is a shame. There are more outstanding digital marketing agency books than ever sitting on bookshelves and in online stores.
Publishers release hundreds of books on digital marketing each year. There are titles covering everything from search engine optimization to email marketing to social media engagement. The bevy of options ensures something for everyone, regardless of their industry.
Sifting through all this knowledge would take years. That's where we come in. Our team read and ranked the essential digital marketing books that serial entrepreneurs and business owners need to read. Here are our choices for the 13 marketing books every digital marketing agency should own.
1. The Seven Figure Agency Roadmap: How to Build a Million Dollar Digital Marketing Agency by Josh Nelson (2019)
- 226 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.9/5 (91 ratings), #19 in Business Mentoring & Coaching (Kindle Store)
“Everything that Josh does is first class and his latest book ‘The Seven Figure Agency Roadmap' is no exception. Josh shares his personal story from struggle to success and then outlines a comprehensive plan to build a 7 figure agency. The case studies and proven methods shared all form a game plan for success. This is a must-read for anyone serious about growing their marketing agency.” – Christopher Yates, Author
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2. $100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff by Alex Hormozi (2023)
- 438 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.9/5 (3,006 ratings), #2 in Direct Marketing (Books)
“Alex's book is an absolute masterclass in how to get leads. He explains each concept in an easy to understand, concise manner that is straight to the point with executable action steps in each section. This book will become a staple in the business world!” – Lance Watson
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3. $100M Offers: How to Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No by Alex Hormozi (2021)
- 210 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.9/5 (20,203 ratings), #1 in Direct Marketing (Kindle Store)
“In this book, Alex Hormozi shares everything you need to know to create a great offer…But remember, it's not magic. You have to do the work. You have to provide value to your potential clients. Alex gives you the tools in this book. Just put them to use and you can't lose!” – J. Bailey
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4. Sell Like Crazy: How to Get As Many Clients, Customers, and Sales As You Can Possibly Handle by Sabri Suby (2019)
- 305 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 (3,240 ratings), #9 in Marketing for Small Businesses
“Sabri is a genius when it comes to marketing and scaling businesses, this book is an absolute must read!” – Nathan Chan, CEO of Foundr Magazine
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5. The Client Retention Handbook for Digital Marketing Agencies: How to Keep Clients on Board Long-Term and Reduce Churn by Josh Nelson (2022)
- 188 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.9/5 (97 ratings), #394 in Customer Relations
“Josh tells you, step-by-step, how to get results for your clients, how to implement your own agency marketing, & how to design systems that grow with your agency long-term.” – Ryan Deiss, Founder & CEO of DigitalMarketer.com
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6. The Marketing Agency Blueprint: The Handbook for Building Hybrid PR, SEO, Content, Advertising, and Web Firms by Paul Roetzer (2011)
- 256 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.4/5 (147 ratings), #127 in Search Engine Optimization
“It's time for a new type of agency…Roetzer shows you how to transform your firm to thrive in the real-time world we live in today.” – David Meerman Scott, The New Rules of Marketing & PR
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7. Digital Agency Hacker: Forget Theory! Tactical Wisdom From an INC 5000 Agency by JC Hite & Karen Hite (2022)
- 239 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 (35 ratings), #511 in Entrepreneurship Management
“JC is one of the few resources on building and running a successful agency who is providing insight and value to the market who not only has done it, but is doing it. Because of this, what he wrote in this book is all based off of proven strategies that are currently working and that is clear when you read it.” – Bradley Akers
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8. Beyond The Agency Box: The Phoneless, Meetingless Digital Marketing Agency That Creates Lifetime Happy Clients Without Facebook Ads, Webinars, Google, or SEO by Frankie Fihn (2020)
- 271 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 (94 ratings), #18 in Online Advertising
“After trying to build an agency for so many years and going through lots of bumpy roads, this book helped provide so many tools, wisdom, knowledge, and out of the box perspective of how to build a successful agency towards living the BEST life you truly want to live–more beach life, less computer life!” – Verified Customer
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9. How To Build a Kick-Ass Advertising Agency by Peter Levitan (2023)
- 276 pages
- Amazon Rating: 5.0/5 (20 ratings), #269 in Business Management (Books)
“Peter Levitan has delivered the go-to guide for building an agency. I expected HOW TO BUILD A KICK-ASS ADVERTISING AGENCY to be like most of the other agency books I've read—a waste of time and money. Instead, I found it to be smart, accessible and entertaining. It is filled with substance!” – Rainny Fidelis, Expert Content Writer
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10. The Agency Build – Grow – Repeat: How To Build a Remarkable Digital Agency Business That Wins and Keeps Clients by Luca Senatore (2019)
- 308 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.2/5 (123 ratings)
“Luca's genuine and fearless drive for self-development, and for making a massive and positive impact on team members, clients, and community, is deeply inspiring.” – Alberto Frasarin, Director at Google
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11. The Wealthy Consultant: Confessions of a 9-Figure Advisor by Taylor A. Welch (2023)
- 124 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 (265 ratings), #13 in Consulting
“If you want to give yourself a time machine to shortcut the learning curve, you need to get yourself a copy of this book. So many expensive lessons given to you on a silver platter.” – Josh Harris, CEO of A.I Sales Systems
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12. Standout or Die: How to Make Your Digital Marketing Agency More Visible, Desirable, and Valuable by Gareth Healey (2021)
- 288 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 (30 ratings), #287 in Business School Guides
“A practical, step-by-step framework to guide you on the path to creating the agency you've always dreamed of.” – Peter Czapp, The WOW Company, UK
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13. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini (1993)
- 336 pages
- Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 (13,671 ratings), #22 in Marketing and Consumer Behavior
“If there is only one book you'll ever read, if there is only one expert whose advice you'll trust, it should be this book and this author, Robert Cialdini.” – Angela Duckworth, author of Grit and founder and CEO of Character Lab
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Digital marketing has never been more competitive. Digital marketing books offer advice for companies to best leverage their marketing skill and experience. Books provide that crucial push to put your marketing campaigns over the edge.
We assembled the best digital marketing books available, so you can't go wrong when selecting any of these. A great starting place is the Seven Figure Agency Roadmap, with its easy to understand and actionable guidelines. Follow the link to grab your free copy today.
So what is the best digital marketing book?
There is no shortage of options for outstanding digital marketing books. If we had to pick one aside from The Seven Figure Agency Roadmap, it would be Digital Marketing for Dummies. Ryan Deiss and Russ Henneberry wrote the authoritative guide for improving content marketing strategies. The comprehensive book covers everything from SEO to SEM to social media and more.
What is the best book on the general topic of marketing?
While Vintage published it in 1985, Ogilvy on Advertising remains a must-read for anyone in marketing. The material holds up well, even though Ogilvy wrote it long before the internet, social media, or personal computers. The book’s popularity and influence are so widely regarded that it remains a top two seller in advertising graphic design decades after its release.
How can I become a better digital marketer?
Take courses. Create content. Test ideas. These are just a few ways to become a better digital marketer. While every marketing guru has their philosophies, the best way to improve is through reading and experience. Take the time to gain insight into the craft and then hone that knowledge through practice and experimentation.
How do you gain a deep understanding of digital marketing?
Digital marketing encompasses any marketing services related to electronic devices. Unless you are an anomaly, you cannot become an expert in the field overnight. That said, reading digital marketing books and practicing provides a sturdy foundation. Give yourself time to explore different areas within the industry so that you can maximize your potential as a digital marketer.
Josh is a big-time believer in the notion that Formal Education will get you a job, Self Education will make you wealthy. Over the years Josh Nelson has read (or listened to) many books on Sales, Marketing, Business & Self Development. Below is a list of his favorite books based on the impact they have had on him:
- Self Development / Mindset – Secrets of the millionaire Mind by T Harve Eker
- Sales / Business Development – Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
- Sales / Business Development – The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
- Online Marketing – Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan
- Self Development / Mindset – Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- Business / Accounting – Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree
- Time Management – Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
- Business Management – The eMyth Revisited by Michael Gerber
- Time Management – Getting Things Done by David Allen
- Self Development / Mindset – How to craft a world-class life by Robin Sharma (Speach not a book)
Other great books:
- The Answer by John Assaraf
- All the NO BS Marketing books by Dan Kennedy
- Made to Stick by Chip Heath
- Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- How to Win Friends & Influence People
- Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play by Mahan Khalsa
- All the sales books by Jeffery Gitomer
- Customer satisfaction is worthless customer loyalty is priceless by Jeffery Gitomer
- The Psychology of Sales by Brian Tracy (anything by Brain Tracy is solid)
- SPIN Selling by Niel Rackham
- The Success Principals by Jack Canfield
If you're not a great reader and prefer to listen to books, we recommend www.audible.com. It’s a website where you can download audiobooks and play them directly from your mobile phone. A commute can be turned into great learning time.