7 Copywriting Books That Every Marketer Should Have in Their Arsenal

 

While the technical aspects of your website such as site speed and UX are crucial, no SEO strategy is complete without top-notch copywriting. Long gone are the days when websites could stuff their articles with keywords and use other black-hat SEO strategies to boost their rankings.

Search engines are becoming smarter, and are getting better at doing what they’re intended for: to serve the user. That means that if you provide your readers with valuable and relevant content, the search engines will reward you for it with a higher ranking.

Good website copywriting can boost your rankings by encouraging backlinks, lowering bounce rate, and providing relevant value to your readers. Whether you’re an SEO, freelance copywriter, or any digital marketing professional, these 7 copywriting books will help you write copy that will boost your content quality and search rankings.

 

1) The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells by Robert W. Bly

4.5 Stars on Amazon

This comprehensive guide to copywriting is a must-have handbook for advertising beginners and veterans alike. It hits on the basic points of copywriting that helps marketers to write content that persuades, engages, and converts. While following a handbook for writing may go against the notion that writers should always “think outside the box,” the book states it best: “before you can break the rules, you have to know the rules.”

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“This is a book for everyone who writes or approves copy: copywriters, account executives, creative directors, freelance writers, advertising managers . . . even entrepreneurs and brand managers. It reveals dozens of copywriting techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that are clear, persuasive, and get more attention―and sell more products.”

 

2) Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley

everybody writes ann handley

4.6 Stars on Amazon

Everybody writes, and everybody’s writing can improve. That’s what Ann Handley drives home in her time-tested guide for creating compelling content. This book breaks down the principles of good writing and emphasizes that the best content isn’t necessarily the most complex or even grammatically perfect. Copywriting is intended to entertain, but also inform the reader. That means that clarity and cohesiveness is just as important than flowery language.

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“Our writing can make us look smart or it can make us look stupid. It can make us seem fun, or warm, or competent, or trustworthy. But it can also make us seem humdrum or discombobulated or flat-out boring.

That means you’ve got to choose words well, and write with economy and the style and honest empathy for your customers. And it means you put a new value on an often-overlooked skill in content marketing: How to write, and how to tell a true story really, really well. That’s true whether you’re writing a listicle or the words on a Slideshare deck or the words you’re reading right here, right now…”

 

3) All Marketers are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works–and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All by Seth Godin

All Marketers Are Liars Seth Godin

4.3 Stars on Amazon

The product or service you’re selling doesn’t have to be something that the consumer already has in mind. The marketer’s role is to convince the consumer that their product or service will make the consumer’s life easier or better in some way. This book is a great reminder that marketers don’t sell products – we sell stories. Godin dives into the authentic writing that persuades audiences that the product, service, or feature that you’re selling them will fit into their already existing worldview.

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“As Seth Godin has taught hundreds of thousands of marketers and students around the world, great marketers don’t talk about features or even benefits. Instead, they tell a story—a story we want to believe, whether it’s factual or not. In a world where most people have an infinite number of choices and no time to make them, every organization is a marketer, and all marketing is about telling stories.”

 

4) My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins

My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising claude hopkins

4.6 Stars on Amazon

Marketing has no purpose unless it’s tied to real results. Written in 1923,  Hopkins’ philosophy of forming marketing strategies around measurable results still stands as relevant as ever today. He was one of the first marketers to implement test advertisements, measuring his campaigns’ effectiveness to maximize ROI.

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“Gain a lifetime of experience from the inventor of test marketing and coupon sampling — Claude C. Hopkins. Here, you’ll get two landmark works in one, and discover his fixed principles and basic fundamentals that still prevail today.”

 

5) Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy

Ogilvy On Advertising book

4.5 Stars on Amazon

What better way to learn about advertising than the “Father of Advertising” himself, David Ogilvy. Ther brain behind several iconic advertisements, Ogilvy distills his time-tested advertising methods for memorable and profit-driven campaigns into this essential copywriting book.

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“A candid and indispensable primer on all aspects of advertising from the man Time has called ‘the most sought after wizard in the business.’”

 

6) Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples

Tested Advertising Methods book john caples

4.5 Stars on Amazon

John Caples, a pioneer in effective copy-testing techniques, shares his findings in this readable classic. Advertisers can find 35 proven headline formulas, as well as best practices for call-to-actions and running marketing tests.

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“A legend in advertising for more than 60 years, John Caples still serves as a guide to generations of creative marketing people. Now his classic work on how to create successful advertising has been updated by respected advertising consultant Fred Hahn.”

 

7) Copy Logic! The New Science of Producing Breakthrough Copy (Without Criticism) by Michael Masterson & Mike Palmer

Copy Logic Michael masterson mike palmer

4.4 Stars on Amazon

Anyone who has written copy knows that sometimes improving your existing content is more effective than scrapping and starting over completely. Masterson and Palmer, both respected copywriters, share step-by-step how to turn out clean, captivating copy.

 

Here’s an excerpt taken from the Amazon summary:

“In this book, direct-marketing expert Michael Masterson and master copywriter Mike Palmer reveal their methodical, step-by-step process for turning ‘B-level’ copy into control beating ‘A-level’ copy in just 24 hours.”

 

Want more recommendations for books that will up your marketing game? Check out our list of the top 8 Recent Digital Marketing Books!

 

12 Content Marketing Statistics Based on Recent Studies [Infographic]

content marketing statistics 2018 infographic

 

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12 Content Marketing Statistics (Based on Recent Studies) to Show Your Boss

12 content marketing statistics featured image

We all know the phrase, come on say it with me: “Content is -” (i won’t finish it for your sake, don’t worry).

We all know content marketing is one of the single best investments a brand can make in order to increase their ROI – but, maybe others still need some convincing – like your boss.

They want numbers, they want hard data, they want the dollar signs. They’re not interested in the fluff, just prove it. If you’ve been trying to pitch a new blog or persuade management to create a content team, you need compelling evidence. Thankfully, some companies out there have already conducted studies to figure out and measure the effect content marketing can have on a brand’s bottom line.

All the content marketing statistics below are between 2014-2018, with the majority being in the last two years, so you can say the numbers are still recent 😉

Without further ado, here are 12 content marketing statistics to make your boss give the green light:

 

1) 47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. (Demand Gen Report, 2016)

 

This speaks to demand and trust building. This is for B2B customers, but think about the B2C process – as a shopper, you typically read the about page, read online reviews, maybe check out the Instagram before committing to purchasing from the brand. With so many options around them, why should they choose you? That’s where content marketing steps in.

content marketing statistic 1

2) Almost 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store. (Think With Google, 2017)

 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand more! In the age of Youtube and snackable content, short-form videos that showcase products make sense. Why waste the trip to the store if you’re not 100% sure of what it’s going to be? For more stats on video, check out this article.

content marketing statistic 2

3) 54% of people want to see more video content from marketers. (Hubspot, Updated 2019)

 

The consumers are TELLING us what they want. It’s not enough to sell them a story, they want a visual representation of what that product is going to do before they commit. Ours is an increasingly visual world, so providing video content will only boost the visibility of your products or services.

content marketing statistic 3

4) 74% of companies indicate content marketing is increasing their marketing teams’ lead quality and quantity (Curata, 2014)

 

I think we can all agree that one good lead is better than 10 bad leads. Content marketing allows you to target your user’s intent in a highly specific way. By targeting this intent, you can target better leads since the content is aimed at that persona.

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5) In 2016, 75 percent of businesses increased their content marketing budget. (Curata, 2016)

 

Word’s out – content is in. More businesses are realizing that content marketing is worth the investment and making it part of their marketing budgets.

content marketing statistic 5

 

6) Businesses that Blog Experience 126% Higher Lead Growth Than Non-Blogging Businesses (Hubspot, Updated 2018)

 

No, blogging isn’t dead! The blog acts as a lead generation tool. It’s a low-cost, potentially high-return strategy that can help the quality leads come to you, versus your business having to chase leads. A proper blog strategy targets the people you want and incentivizes them to give you their contact details or interact with the rest of your content.

content marketing statistic 6

 

7) Website conversion rate is nearly six times higher for content marketing adopters than non-adopters (2.9% vs. 0.5%) (Aberdeen Group, 2014)

 

The proof is in the pudding. Not applying content marketing in your marketing toolbox is like letting an opportunity slip from your fingers right before your eyes. Adding it to your marketing mix in a way that makes sense for your brand can potentially increase your sales.

content marketing statistic 7

8) Content marketing will be a 300 billion dollar industry by 2019 (MarketingProfs, 2017)

 

What this says is that the content marketing business is already established and thriving. Businesses and brands all over the world are utilizing content marketing and betting their marketing dollars on content. So, why isn’t your business already on the bandwagon?

content marketing statistic 8

 

9) 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week. (Hubspot, 2016)

 

Another form of content is social, and if you don’t have a strategy for social, you’re wasting your time. It’s a required tool for any content marketer and for content distribution. And when you think about the fact that most shared videos are under 2 minutes, an hour of video a week is a lot!

content marketing statistic 9

10) 68% of consumers feel more positive about a brand after consuming content from it. (MarketingProfs, 2017)

 

This is where content truly shines. All content should be made with two main goals in mind – driving conversions and establishing TRUST. If you offer something useful to your consumers and something targeted to them, they’ll usually repay the favor in dollars.

content marketing statistic 10

11) Engagement is the No. 1 reason marketers are using interactive content (CMI, 2017)

 

Doesn’t everyone want to increase brand engagement? What’s the point of having tons of content if no one is interacting with it? Interactive content is when the user is actively engaging with the content, whether it be a quiz, game or a content download, these kinds of content are becoming increasingly popular.

content marketing statistic 11

12) Companies that had published 401+ blog posts in total got about twice as much traffic as companies that published 301 – 400 blog posts. (Hubspot, Updated 2018)

The moral here is that more content is usually better. And when it comes to blogs, the SEO component is important. More blog posts equal more indexable pages which means you can rank for more keywords! If you consistently put out useful and strategic content, over time the traffic will follow.  

content marketing statistic 12

 

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this list and found it useful. Walk into that boardroom with a confident pitch with these up-to-date stats and remember – Content is…

Don’t worry, I won’t say it, it speaks for itself 😉

 

If you want to keep reading about content, check out Alphametic’s 5 Content Writing Apps to Improve Your Writing ASAP or What Content Writing Can Learn From Journalism: An Interview.