DIGITAL MARKETING/COLLEGE STUDENT
10 Best Books I’ve Read This Year As A College Digital Marketing Student
Chris Chan, Digital Marketing Consultant
14 October 2020
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Need book recommendations as a Digital Marketer?
How about book recommendations as a College Business student?
Well, you’ve come to the right place because I’m both of those things and I’ve got some amazing books for you.
Quick note: If you love books but you don’t want to spend a fortune on buying them on Amazon check out your local library! There’s also an amazing app called SimplyE that I’ve been using.
SimplyE is a free App (not sponsored by them!) it allows you to borrow books from your local library through your phone, iPad, or other mobile devices. Only for readers living in New York City!
If you’d like to support me you can also use any of the affiliate links on this blog post! (Thanks in advance!)
Anyway back on topic.
Books are doorways to a person’s mind, skills, and experiences. I highly recommend checking out each author’s website and profile before deciding to read their books.
These are 10 books that will take your Digital Marketing to the next level.
I recommend that you read these books in the order I have listed them in. That’ll give you a more complete picture.
These books give you a great overview of what it takes to become a great Digital Marketer.
1. Start With Why-Simon Sinek
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”-Friedrich Nietzsche
You’ve might have heard of this saying before.
The truth is, starting with Why isn’t a known tactic.
People like you and I can go years without ever thinking about Why we do things.
Instead, we go paycheck to paycheck, hour to hour, thinking about HOW we’re going to get by and WHAT we’re going to do.
Simon Sinek sheds some light on Why you should start with Why and why it matter (I know, that’s a lot of Whys!)
One of the most important points from Sinek’s book Start With Why is the concept of the golden circle (Insert Image here).
The Golden Circle starts with Why you do something then How you’re going to do it before finally concluding What to do.
Seems pretty simple right? Why don’t you start with Why?
If you want to learn more about Simon Sinek click here.
Click here to buy Start with Why.
If you’d like to figure out how you can get started finding your Why click here.
2. Emotional Intelligence-Daniel Goleman
One of the most overlooked skill sets is that of Emotional Intelligence.
In his award-winning book Daniel Goleman tells us about this slippery term known as Emotional Intelligence.
Goleman writes about different kinds of Emotional Intelligence and how they contribute to daily life.
You can learn more about that here.
Emotional Intelligence is a wonderful book.
It contains some of the most useful information out there for learning unique interpersonal skills.
I highly recommend learning about Daniel Goleman and his research on Emotional Intelligence, you can check out his site here.
Click here to buy emotional intelligence
3. Influence The Psychology of Persuasion-Robert Cialdini
Oh boy, this one’s a classic.
If you’re a Marketer, Digital Marketer, a Marketing Student, or even just a Business student you need to read this book pronto.
It’s one of the classics of the Business world.
It’s all about the fundamental processes of psychology in the world we live in today.
There are 6 central concepts in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion:
Reciprocity
Commitment & Consistency
Social Proof
Authority
Liking
Scarcity
If you want to learn more about Robert Cialdini’s groundbreaking book Click Here.
You should definitely check out Robert Cialdini’s Website as well.
Click here to buy Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
4. Way Of The Wolf-Jordan Belfort
Jordan Belfort is the infamous Wolf of Wall Street.
Not many people in Wall Street get their own name!
If you haven’t watched Wolf of Wall Street yet you should check it out here.
Don’t worry, Jordan is a changed man after his time in federal prison and he’s now busy using his incredible sales tactics for good.
As Business students, sales skills are one of the most important skills that no one will teach you in school.
You can click here to read more about Way of the Wolf.
You should also check out Jordan Belfort’s training videos! Click Here for more!
Click here to buy Way of the Wolf.
5. Million Dollar Consulting-Alan Weiss
Alan Weiss is one of the most successful boutique business consultants in the world.
And it’s for good reason.
He’s changed the nature of consulting as a whole.
As one of the most highly successful individual business consultants, he has a lot of light to shed for fledgling business students like us.
The biggest piece of wisdom that I got from reading Million Dollar Consulting is that you should always charge based on the value you bring, not the hours that you work.
Check out my article on Million Dollar Consulting.
I highly recommend taking a look at the amazing work that Alan Weiss has done on his website.
Click Here to buy Million Dollar Consulting here.
6. Can’t Hurt Me-David Goggins
David Goggin’s book Can’t Hurt Me has been one of the most unique memoirs I’ve ever read.
I’m not going to call it inspiring because that’d be the opposite of what Goggins would want.
Instead, it’s a book that puts you in the center of it, you get to be the hero of the book and change yourself.
Goggin’s story is unusual in every respect.
He grew up with an abusive father and his step-father to be was shot by a local drug gang.
He had every odd stacked against him and he should’ve been in the streets for the rest of his life.
Instead, he became the toughest man on planet earth.
He’s run hundreds of miles straight, done record numbers of pull-ups, and become an elite Navy Seal.
He’s one amazing dude.
But his whole book isn’t about how amazing he is or his amazing journey.
It’s about you!
You get to choose your road no matter where you are and no matter where you’ve come from.
You get to be the one who makes the change in your own life and who takes control of your own path.
Check out the amazing feats Goggins has accomplished on his website here!
Click Here to buy Can’t Hurt Me.
7. Books on Learning How To Learn
I’ve clumped together a bunch of books on learning and mastering skills quickly and effectively for you.
You don’t have to read all of them but I suggest reading at least one.
Ultralearning-Scott Young
So Good They Can’t Ignore You-Cal Newport
Mastery-Robert Greene
As a business student, your first priority should be sharpening your skills.
Scott Young, Cal Newport, and Robert Greene are all incredibly well-versed in the art of skill-building.
My recommendation?
Read all four of these books to really understand how to master your craft.
Click here to learn the most in-demand skill on the market right now.
Want to learn more about Ultralearning? Click Here!
Check out Scott Young’s Website here.
Click here to buy Ultralearning.
Cal Newport has plenty of helpful tips on his blog Study Hacks. You can check out Cal Newport’s Website here.
Click here to buy So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
Check out Robert Greene’s website here.
Click here to buy Mastery.
8.What Doesn’t Kill Us-Scott Carney
Okay, so this is a weird one.
Why is there a book about physical traits you may ask?
Just like David Goggins, Wim Hof has shown us how to push past the boundaries of human potential.
Wim Hof ventures into the unknown, and so can you.
What Doesn’t Kill Us is a small snippet into Wim Hof’s life from the perspective of a devoted skeptic.
Well, we already have David Goggins’s book Can’t Hurt Me which is superhumanly physical.
Scott Carney’s book is a must-read for students like us who are often stuck to our devices.
We need to get out there and live a little.
Check out Scott Carney’s personal adventure with Wim Hof in his book What Doesn’t Kill Us.
P.S. take a look a the scientific research that’s being put into this guy! It’s pretty incredible if you ask me 🙂
You can also learn more about Wim Hof in my article here.
I highly encourage you to check out Wim’s website.
Click Here to buy What Doesn’t Kill Us.
9. Content Creation Books
Content marketing is at the core of every business and Digital Marketing.
These days you can’t be an amazing Digital Marketer if you can’t make content.
There are plenty of amazing books on writing and creating awesome content but these 3 really stuck out to me.
Marcus Sheridan is an awesome keynote speaker and entrepreneur.
Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk are industry-leading marketers.
There’s absolutely every reason to read all of these books.
You can check out amazing articles on each of these badass business people below:
Check out Seth Godin’s Website here.
Click Here to buy This is Marketing.
Check out Gary Vee’s website here.
Click Here to buy Crushing It!
10. Show Your Work
Last but not least is Show Your Work by Austin Kleon.
I know you hated showing your work in math class but this is different.
Work is never really completed it’s only abandoned. Don’t abandon your work after you complete it.
Share it with the world. Like I’m sharing with you right now!
This book is about leaving your mark on the world and building your legacy while you’re still young.
Conclusion: What’s Next?
Now that you know the Top 10 (ish) books to read as a Digital Marketer it’s time to take action!
Pick one of the books on this list and read or download them.
Remember, you can use the SimplyE app (if you live in New York and have access to a library card).
This will get you free access to most of those books.
Happy reading and get crackin’
Chris Chan
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