I truly believe that books can change the world. And the right ones can certainly change your business. The stories, ideas, and strategies in good books can ignite a fire in you and give you the tools to take your business and life to the next level. Today, I’ll share my ten favorite books for affiliate marketers…and show you how you can win the top five!
Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said it best:
You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.
Here’s the thing about books though, whether they be marketing or otherwise. The books themselves don’t actually do anything for you.
They only change your business if you actually put what you learn into practice. With any of these books, I recommend reading them in the following format.
How to Read a Marketing / Business Book
- Read it quickly all the way through. This initial reading gives you an overview of the themes, ideas, and strategies in the book. Highlight key parts if you must, but this initial reading on most of these books will take less than four hours.
- Go back and read in-depth. Get a notepad or Evernote ready and go back and read more carefully. Sometimes, I’ll read only a few pages, take ten pages of notes, and most importantly, take action on what I’ve learned right away.
- Implement as you go. The worst thing you can do is finish a book having accomplished nothing yet. Implement what you learn as you go on the second reading.
- Take advantage of the bonus content. Most of the books below have bonus content mentioned throughout the book. It might additional case studies, video tutorials, or swipe files. These are often some of the best content.
- Use it as a reference. Continue to use the book and the bonus content as a reference. Organize your notes using Evernote or something else so you can easily refer back to them when you need them.
You’ll notice as you go through the list below that these aren’t “affiliate marketing” books (except one). That’s because most affiliate marketing books are outdated by the time they are published. They tend to focus on “get rich quick” schemes and not the principles that lead to affiliate marketing success.
The books I list below are online marketing books and foundational books for your business. I’ve listed them in order from what I call “foundational books” to more “tactical books.”
My 10 Favorite Online Marketing Books
10. Influence by Robert Cialdini
This book is by far the most foundational of them all. There are very few practical takeaways from this book, but I re-read it every few years to remind me of the principles of persuasion and influence.
The book is full of timeless psychology studies that will get your wheels turning. Every time I read this book, I have at least three new business-changing ideas of my own.
When you read Influence (or any of Cialdini’s books) and then read one of the other pure marketing books below, it will all make sense. Plus, you’ll see just how much the other authors are pulling from Cialdini’s research.
EPIC QUOTE:
People seem to be more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the thought of gaining something of equal value.
9. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
This is not a marketing book. At all.
So why did I list it?
Because far too many people come to me seeking that one tip or strategy that will make them an overnight success. And that’s not what they actually need.
I want affiliate marketers and online business owners to think bigger. And Michael Gerber’s book will help you do just that.
This book is all about building a small business that grows and lasts. Whether affiliate sales are a small percentage of your revenue or 100%, you need to read this book to learn how to set up your business the right way.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY:
Make a chart of all the tasks and “departments” in your business on day one. At first, you will be the only one responsible for each task. Begin to hire for the tasks and departments that you are least skilled or enjoy the least.
8. YES by Robert Cialdini, Noah Goldstein, and Steve Martin
Yes, another Cialdini book. (In fact, I recommend all of his books)
This book took me nearly a year to read the first time. I broke my rule of reading through it because of the way it is laid out.
Each chapter focuses on a single idea to help you be more persuasive. And by a quick count of the dog-eared pages, 34 of the 50 chapters were relevant to me.
I’d plan on reading one chapter each week and spending some time thinking about how each idea can shape or reshape your business.
KEY CHAPTER: Chapter 33 which points out that People respond better when you point out a piece of supporting information that is uniquely known by you AND that you point out it is uniquely known by you. People like exclusivity and having that “edge” in terms of info.
7. Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
This was the first book I ever read about virality. And it was written before the explosion of social media (2007).
The Heath brothers clearly lay out why some ideas (even those that are not true) go viral and survive for generations while others simply die.
They show you what makes ideas “sticky.” And those sticky ideas are what make your business grow.
This was the book that taught me the power of story and BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front). Those two lessons alone transformed my company’s marketing in 2009. And the lessons are still relevant today (perhaps even more so).
KILLER QUOTE:
The most basic way to get someone’s attention is this: Break a pattern.
6. The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer
This was the first book about selling that I ever read…way back in 2004.
This is all about sales principles, not tactics, though there are a few ideas in the book that have made me hundreds of thousands of dollars. Like the idea of leaving a partial voicemail and cutting yourself off halfway through (that one was easily worth millions to my second business).
Many of the ideas in the book may seem outdated or not relevant to online marketing, but this book is foundational to everything else listed below. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to learn the principles of selling.
TATTOO THIS ON YOUR FOREHEAD QUOTE:
People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy!
Get The Little Red Book of Selling here.
5. DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson
I’m currently re-reading this book now to refresh myself before I read Russell’s new book (more on that below).
There is a reason why he refers to this as a “playbook” because it is exactly that. It’s a great combination of high-level strategy and nitty gritty strategy.
When you get the book, make sure to check out the bonuses as well. There are literally entire email sequences you can basically copy/paste (with some edits of course).
I personally filled more than 40 pages in Evernote that have transformed my business. It’s that good.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY:
It is absolutely critical that you get clear on YOUR voice. If you are a leader, lead with authority. If you are a reluctant hero, don’t forget to be reluctant and don’t forget to be a hero. You need balance. Whatever your voice, get crystal clear on it.
4. Launch by Jeff Walker
I was pleasantly surprised at this book. While I think the world of Jeff Walker, who literally invented Product Launch Formula, I was expecting the book to be mostly an upsell to the course (which I DO highly recommend you check out).
Instead, I found that Jeff gives away a LOT of his best secrets in the book. I’ve heard from numerous people who’ve run $10,000+ (even 6-figure) launches just from reading the book.
That definitely sets it apart in the online marketing books category.
BEST QUOTE FROM THE BOOK:
3. ASK by Ryan Levesque
The traditional online marketing strategy prior to ASK seemed to rely on intuition and basic common sense. For some, those two things resulted in millions of dollars in sales. For others, it led to failure.
What I love about ASK is that it clearly shows you how to know exactly what your audience wants to buy.
When you use the ASK method along with affiliate marketing, you learn so much about your tribe. ASK shows you how to survey them and promoting affiliate offers that fit their survey results proves to you what they’ll actually purchase.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY:
This book is still revolutionizing how my business operates, but the biggest takeaway I’ve got so far is to make sure to ask open-ended questions. Let them write responses in their own words and then use those exact words in your messaging. Very powerful!
2. Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
This book literally just came out and I ordered two copies. One for me and one to give away.
I’m less than 50 pages in and already it is blowing my mind.
I have yet to put anything I’ve learned into practice yet, but my team and I are definitely going to be rewriting our scripts as a result of this book.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY (SO FAR):
The importance of taking a stand and not being afraid to be polarizing. Russell goes in-depth about creating an “US vs. THEM” mentality. You take a stand, share how you are different, explain what you are fighting for or against, and define WHO your tribe is.
Like him or not, Donald Trump did this incredibly well in the 2016 presidential election…and well, it worked.
Get Experts Secrets here (FREE as of this posting…you only pay shipping)
1. How to Write Copy that Sells by Ray Edwards
Ray Edwards is the reason I can even type this post coherently. He has literally taught me almost everything I know about copywriting.
And copywriting is absolutely the #1 thing you have to learn if you are going to make money online.
His strategies and tips have helped me to sell my own products better and sell affiliate offers better. When I first attended one of his webinars years ago, I more than doubled my click through rate on my emails.
That was the difference between giving up on my dream and pursuing it with everything I’ve got.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Ray is a client, but that does not affect my rating of his book.
SPECIAL OFFER:
Buy Ray’s book here and I email me your receipt (matt mattmcwilliams.com] and I’ll send you my free training on affiliate copywriting.
Get How to Write Copy That Sells here.
BONUS BOOK: My book – Turn Your Passions Into Profits
This not a purely affiliate marketing book, although, as you can probably imagine, it share A LOT about it in the book.
Turn Your Passions into Profits offers step-by-step guidance for turning your passions into a profitable and lasting business. It reveals how to find and attract your audience, build a following, and ultimately how to monetize your venture quickly and sustainably.
This book as all of my best wisdom for nearly 20 years in the platform-building and marketing world.
Plus, when you get it here, you get nearly $600 in exclusive bonuses!
What is your favorite marketing book?
Questions?
Text me anytime at (260) 217-4619.
Or…check out some of my free reports to help you get on the right track:
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