There are so many changes happening in our industry these days that I find myself reading several books at time. Following are my three favorites from the past year.

“Six Pixels of Separation” by Mitch Joel

If you have been putting off taking your business into the world of Social Media, hoping the silly time sucking craze will just go away, then you must read this book. Even if you have gotten your feet wet on Twitter, you still need to read this book. “Social media is not a fad,” says Mitch Joel. He guides you through the world of Wikis, Twitter and blogging and explains the necessity of getting involved in the conversations going on out there. Take control of your company’s messaging and branding through the great internet tools available now. READ THIS BOOK TODAY!

“Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

If want to learn how to make your ideas stand out amongst the barrage of information that is out there now, you have to read this book. After extensive research, Chip and Dan Heath discovered that ideas that “stick” share six basic principles. This book explains these principles and cites relevant examples from their studies. The authors explain why many people with important ideas can’t seem to get them across and yet urban legends and conspiracy theories spread like wild fire. The presentation of ideas was so fascinating that I ripped through this book like a kid opening presents at Christmas. The sure-fire methods for making your ideas “stickier” presented made me wish I could use a highlighter on Kindle! I recommend actually buying the book (not reading it on your Kindle or borrowing someone else’s marked up copy) because you will want to go back and reread many sections.

Read the Time Magazine article about the book here.

“Killer Brands: Create and Market a Brand That Will Annihilate the Competition” by Frank Lane

Frank Lane’s three basic principles to creating a “Killer Brand” are presented very simply in this fun, easy to read book. Through his years of experience he has narrowed the process down to three things: Focus, Alignment, and Linkage. While reading this book you will inspired to rethink your entire marketing process. I know I was. Don’t ask to borrow my copy though. It has been loaned out so many times I can’t remember who has it now.

NEXT ON MY LIST

Waiting patiently on the shelf are two more exciting books. “Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion” is written by one of my heroes, Gary Vaynerchuk. He is the brilliant, straight forward, although sometimes loony, creator of “Wine Library TV.” His personal story and “in your face” style will inspire you to go out and do whatever it is you do better, NOW.

I have heard wonderful things about “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan. So this one too, sits there on my shelf, staring at me, making me wish I had 4 or 5 more hours a day than everyone else so I could sit and read all day.

Feel free to add your comments on these books and/or add your recommendations. I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Tags: Crush It!, Killer Brands, Made to Stick, Marketing, Six Pixels of Separation, Trust Agents

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 9:56 am and is filed under Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.