Smart Marketing

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...

New reviews for Stand Out from the Crowd

My second marketing book, Stand Out from the Crowd; Secrets to Crafting a Winning Company Identity, was just reviewed by the prestigious Midwest Book Review.

Here's an excerpt:

"Offering a plethora of tips, tricks, and techniques to build a reputation and make a long-lasting impression upon clientele, Stand Out From the Crowd covers how to properly craft a mission statement, create an intense focus on one's target markets, deliver world-class service, determine a properly balanced fee for services rendered, write copy that motivates people to buy, use taglines, logos, and colors to maximum effect, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended especially for anyone involved in establishing a company's brand and identity."

I'm honored that any book of mine would garner praise like this from the Midwest Book Review.

Some book reviews from Eric Dondero

Eric Dondero is a successful blogger who recently reviewed my two books The Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses and Stand Out from the Crowd.

His review is called "Two Good Books for Online Marketing" and he goes into how the books have helped him with his websites and blogs...

Top Marketing books for small business marketing

Often I'm asked what the top marketing books are for small business that I recommend. Small business owners don't have a lot of time on their hands, so they want to know what the top marketing books are so they can get the information they need without a lot of wasted time.

So I've created a page on my website called Marketing Books for Small Business. Check it out and if there are some I've missed, leave me a comment...

PS -  The first two books are mine, but based on reader feedback, I still feel good about including them on the Top Marketing Books for Small Business list.