Best Small Business Marketing Books for 2008

Here are my votes for best small business marketing books for the new year ahead. I should clarify that these are not newly released small business marketing books. Instead, they're small business marketing books that EVERY small business marketer should own. They will teach and inspire you to grow your business:

Type and Layout; Are you Communicating or Just Making Pretty Shapes? – Colin Wheildon – This is probably the BEST marketing book I’ve read in 10 years. And that’s because it offers practical, research based advice on what works (and what doesn’t) in marketing communications. For example, did you know a headline that is in all caps is significantly harder to read than one in lower case? Then why are so many headlines these days still in all caps? Another example: Wheildon proves that body copy is much easier to comprehend when it’s presented as black type on a white background. Why then do so many publications suppress comprehension by placing colored copy on top of a tinted color block? If you have graphic designers who are hell bent on generating “creative designs”, keep this book nearby to convince them that it’s not about winning awards, but communicating effectively with your buyers. VERY highly recommended.

Don't Make Me Think; A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug - This is probably the most entertaining book on website design I've come across. Krug identifies the most common mistakes when designing websites and then gives recommendations on how to address them. But the way he writes the book is the real clincher. All throughout, he uses cartoons to help you understand what's really going on inside people's heads as they navigate through a website. A fun read.

Words that Sell by Richard Bayan - This is a must-have desktop reference if you write marketing copy. It lists more than 2,500 high-powered words, phrases, and slogans, and provides instant access to key words that will move your readers. If you're stumped about how to write a convincing call-to-action, crack it open. If you wonder how you can creatively begin a letter with a generic salutation, open it up. If you've overused a word and need to find another way of saying the same thing, crack it open. Just for starters, it gives you 62 different ways to say "exciting" and 57 variations on "reliable". If you write copy (and what marketer doesn't), this book will expand your vocabulary every time you open it. This book was so successful it spawned Phrases that Sell and More Words that Sell. Five stars.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my two books: The Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses and Stand Out from the Crowd; Secrets to Crafting a Winning Company Identity.

Happy reading to you in 2008...