Online business is in a state of perpetual change. It requires a high level of passion and dedication to keep up with the latest information. That’s why it’s important to hire people who absolutely love what they do. If they don’t love it, they’ll never be dedicated enough to follow the endless learning curve.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use a few shortcuts to stay on top of things though, and that’s what this list of top online business books is all about. Here you’ll find the latest and greatest resources so you can head into 2016 with a firm grasp on today’s eCommerce, Marketing, Small Business, Online Start-Ups, Business Growth, Online Reputation Management, and more.
It is getting really difficult to find great books with a search on Amazon these days. There are literally thousands of pages of results, most of which are self-published drivel under a hundred pages. The only way we can narrow it down is to search under paperbacks instead of eBooks, but there are still thousands of tiny “books” to sift through. Aren’t you glad we did the legwork for you? Because I have the aforementioned extreme passion for online business, I’ve already sought out and own the following selections (in no particular order).
Top Online Business and Marketing Books of 2015
DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online by Russell Brunson – This book will help you understand how to structure your company’s products and services in a way that will allow you to make two to three times as much money from the same traffic that you’re getting now.
No B.S. Guide to Direct Response Social Media Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Guide to Producing Measurable, Monetizable Results with Social Media Marketing by Dan S. Kennedy and Kim Walsh-Phillips – The authors urge readers to see their social platforms for what they are—another channel to reach customers and gain leads and sales for their efforts. Illustrated by case studies and examples, this No B.S. guide delivers practical strategies for applying the same direct- response marketing rules Kennedy has himself found effective in all other mediums.
Will the Real You Please Stand Up: Show Up, Be Authentic, and Prosper in Social Media by Kim Garst – Social media is redefining the buyer/seller relationship and the winners are the ones that can form meaningful, authentic relationships with with their social media communities. Kim’s book is now out in paperback and she also recently launched a course, Periscope Profit Machine.
Managing Online Reputation: How to Protect Your Company on Social Media by Charlie Pownall – A practical guide to protecting and defending your company’s name and image on the internet and in social media.
Millionaire Within: Untold Stories from the Internet Underworld by E. Brian Rose – These tales of failure and success will motivate you to jump in and start your own online journey, while keeping your feet firmly planted in reality.
Start Your Own eLearning or Training Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success by The Staff of Entrepreneur Media and Ciree Linsenmann – This book explores varied opportunities for beginner “infopreneurs”, while providing business ideas, teaching and training methods, and an overview of essential tools.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly, 5th Edition, by David Meerman Scott – The pioneering guide to the future of marketing has been updated and revised to retain its place as the top marketing and public relations book available. Learn the latest tools and techniques to communicate with buyers directly and in real-time, raise online visibility, and increase sales.
The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry by John Warrillow – You can get virtually anything by online subscription these days, from pet treats to cosmetics and beyond. This emerging subscription economy offers huge opportunities to companies that know how to turn customers into subscribers. Automatic customers are the key to increasing cash flow, igniting growth, and boosting the value of your company. John Warrillow provides the essential blueprint for winning automatic customers with one of nine subscription business models.
Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-figure Business With Zero Advertising by Dan Norris – Whether you are a blogger, content marketer, entrepreneur or marketing manager, Content Machine will help you see the return you deserve from your content marketing efforts.
Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses by Joe Pulizzi – The radical six-step business-building process revealed in this book is smart, simple, practical, and cost-effective. It’s a strategy that Joe Pulizzi used to build his own successful company, Content Marketing Institute, which has landed on Inc. magazine’s list of fastest growing private companies for three years straight.
The Content Code: Six Essential Strategies to Ignite Your Content, Your Marketing, and Your Business
by Mark W. Schaefer – It’s very difficult to get me to click on a link to read a blog post, because I’m too busy to read anything but the most useful and informative articles. I first recognized Mark’s talent when I found myself clicking on his post links almost every time I saw one. His book includes in-depth explorations on the connection between brand and content transmission, with a focus on audiences that will move content, practical steps to build “shareability” into all your content, and the new role of promotion, distribution and SEO in a very competitive, digital world.
The eBay Millionaire: Titanium PowerSeller Secrets for Building a Big Online Business
, 2015 edition, by Amy Joyner – eBay beginners will discover proven strategies and the latest selling tips from eBay’s most elite merchants.
Google Analytics Integrations by Daniel Waisberg – Google Analytics Integration is your in-depth guide to improving your data integration, behavioral analysis, and ultimately, your bottom line.
Paid Attention: Innovative Advertising for a Digital World by Faris Yakob – Marketing Sherpa sent this one to me and I enjoyed the unique perspective presented here. Spanning communication theory, neuroscience, creativity and innovation, branding, and emerging technologies, Paid Attention explores how ideas move people and how advertising can and should change in response to changes in the communication landscape.
The Network Always Wins: How to Influence Customers, Stay Relevant, and Transform Your Organization to Move Faster than the Market and Deliver the Ultimate Customer Experience by Peter Hinssen – Step-by-step strategies to keep your company up to speed with your market, engage with customers at a time when loyalty keeps fading into the background, and transform your organization into a network so you can thrive in this era of digital disruption.
Online Marketing for Small Businesses in Easy Steps: Includes Social Network Marketing by Julia Doherty – Beginners learn how to construct an online strategy with a website, and then use key social networking sites to generate a stronger and more loyal customer base. Online Marketing for Small Businesses concentrates on Internet marketing activities that are essential and free.
Likeable Social Media, Revised and Expanded: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Amazing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and More, 2nd Edition, by Dave Kerpen, Carrie Kerpen, Mallorie Rosenbluth and Meg Riedinger – Packed with brand-new case studies from today’s emerging social sites, this updated edition of Likeable Social Media helps you harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing to transform your business.
Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies by Jan Zimmerman and Deborah Ng – Nine books in one, updated to include the latest information on engaging with your community, measuring your efforts, blending your social media with other online and offline marketing efforts, and leveraging data you collect into learning more about your community.
The Third Screen, New Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Marketing, 2015 Edition, by Chuck Martin – Defines the implications, strategies, and tactics used to thrive in business during the mobile revolution. This revised, updated edition links technological developments to behavioral changes, reveals the unexpected forces of the changes in mobile, and equips marketers and businesses for the future.
Congratulations to the winners of our 2015 Online Business Book Awards! Winners are free to place the award graphic on their website if they wish to.
What is the best book you’ve read about online business in 2015? Please share in the comments below.
✔ You may also be interested in reading:
How to Start an Affiliate Program for a Canadian Business
Checklist: Choosing a Website Host for your Canadian Business
Spike in Canadian Online Sales and Marketing (Statistics)
10 Hot Product Niches to Sell or Drop Ship Online in Canada
Top 10 Online Business Books of 2014
——————————————
© CanadiansInternet.com – Content on this website (all or in part) may NOT be used elsewhere without expressed permission. Content theft will result in legal action. Thank you for respecting the effort that we have put into our original content. If you would like to have high quality content created for you, please contact our writer directly.
DISCLOSURE: We may receive compensation for links to products on this website.
COMMENTS ARE MODERATED – Legitimate comments will be published after a short delay. Spam will not be published.
Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
Melody has worked with many businesses in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.
Started reading ‘The Netwofk Always Wins’ and it’s a great read!
I feel smarter just by reading the list LOL can’t wait to get started!
Great list! I love to learn and love to read so I’m in my glory now. Thanks for the recomendations!
I’m a little behind the times but I think Content Rules by Handley & Chapman was the best book I read this year on the topic of ebusiness. It came out a few years ago but the info is still useful. I’m going to order some of your list to catch up.
I haven’t even heard of half of the authors but sometimes that’s a good thing. I’ll be taking a chance on some new writers this year, that’s for sure. There’s always so much to learn about online biz.
Christmas Eve and I’m online looking at marketing books…..is that passionate enough for ya! LOL
Well I know what I’ll be doing over the holidays! I sent your list to my husband and son so I hope to find some under the tree! There’s so much to learn but like you I find it all fascinating. I work for a very small business so I do a lot of different things for them. Itg makes life interesting and I love it. Thanks so much and congrats to the winners here.