You can learn a lot about social media and content creation (and even marketing!) just by searching a few hashtags or analyzing your own favorite creators. However, it’s easy to loose that information in the sea of cat videos, DIYs, and vlogs. And sometimes just hearing it makes it more confusing.
Reading can make learning easier, and you can mark pages to reference later. Plus books make you unplug from social media and force you to spend a few quiet minutes reflecting and absorbing. That’s something we all need, and something content creators don’t really get a lot of. So, we found 5 books to help you harness your potential as a content creator. Whether you need an introduction to marketing, have some imposter syndrome to overcome, or aren’t sure where to begin, there’s something on this list to help you.
Some of these, you’ll notice, relate more to business or selling a product. This was on purpose: if you’re planning to become a full-time content creator or want to make money from your content, you’re going to have to think of yourself as a business. Yes, you can still have fun, yes, you can create the content you want to. But it’s smart to start marketing yourself and understand your goals, your brand, your selling point, everything.
Mind Your Business by Ilana Griffo
Part business manual, part journal, Mind Your Business teaches you how to build a successful business from the ground up. This guide will give you everything you need to turn your creative hobby into a fully-fledged business. Covering concepts like finding (and capitalizing on) your interests, your brand, and legal and tax processes, Griffo will help you create a business you love.
Get Out of Your Own Way by Mark Goulston & Philip Goldberg
At some point everyone deals with confidence or self-esteem issues – and content creators are no exception. Goulston and Goldberg tackle it head on in Get Out of Your Own Way. They tell us where our self-defeating behavior comes from and how we can transform that into something actually useful. They’ll help you reflect on your own behavior and provide practical steps to…well, get out of your own way.
Hook Point: How to Stand Out in a 3-Second World by Brendan Kane
Social media is a face-paced game. It changes often, trends come and go, and you have mere seconds to get a viewer’s attention. You want to make the most of the time you have, and that’s why Brendan Kane wrote Hook Point. After working with music icons and Fortune 500 companies, he’s sharing all his insight on marketing, strategy, and getting your audience’s attention.
The Content Fuel Framework by Melanie Deziel
No matter how much you love creating, the content idea well will eventually run dry. Melanie Deziel has created a system to make you an unstoppable idea generator. The Content Fuel Framework systemizes your content creation process, helping you create new, fresh ideas at the drop of a hat. The best part? It’s adaptable and will suit your needs no matter your style.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
You’ve probably (definitely) heard of this book before. And with good reason! Atomic Habits is a guide for developing good habits, breaking your bad ones, and creating a system of change. James Clear is giving you new ways to find motivation, make success easier, and get back on track when you fall off. No matter what your goal is, Atomic Habits will help you crush it.
Want to learn a little more about content creation and where to begin? Check our our Ultimate Creator Guide, covering everything from finding your content to strategic thinking.