Here's a list of recommended books to read if you're a marketer, small business owner, social media manager or content creator who wants to improve their content marketing and storytelling skills.

Books to Tell Better Stories and Improve Your Content Marketing

November 17, 2022

So you want to improve your content marketing and storytelling skills, but aren’t sure where to start?

I have compiled a list of books that have influenced my content marketing and that teach storytelling frameworks, content creation methods and tips that I use on a regular basis.

1. Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks

This book helps you simplify and organize your stories into five seconds. That sounds a little crazy to digest, but the author makes the case for why great stories usually take only five seconds to tell (i.e. the moment you fell in love, or out of love, the moment you resigned, the moment you felt regret).

This mental exercise is just one chapter of the book, but it helps you get into the framework of eliminating unnecessary details and telling great stories. The author of Storyworthy Matthew Dicks, guides you with specific techniques and brainstorming exercises to help you tell better stories.

Whether you’re looking to improve your storytelling skills during social events or in your marketing, you will find that there are many great storytelling exercises that you can implement into your personal stories, projects or business. Storyworthy is a great book for anyone if you want to improve your storytelling in your content marketing, personal brand or business.

Books to Tell Better Stories and Improve Your Content Marketing Share on X

2. Contagious by Jonah Berger

Breaks down some of the science of what makes content, stories or information contagious. In the book, Contagious by Jonah Berger you’ll read about real-life case studies of campaigns and social behavior that helps you understand why certain things catch on and go viral.

There’s a six-part framework to this called S-T-E-P-P-S that makes this all glue together (i.e. social currency, triggers, emotion, public, practical value and stories). Once you read this book you won’t be able to unsee how this framework takes place on a daily basis with information you consume and see.

The book “Contagious” by Jonah Berger is a foundational book that any marketer should read to understand why people share what they share and ways you can produce content or share ideas that include these key elements.

Content Calendar Template

Get access to this course and content calendar that helps you maximize your channel distribution and helps you with your content marketing.

This calendar has the foundational elements built into it that will help you be more strategic with the content and marketing activities you’re focusing on.

3. Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller

This is an essential book for any marketer who wants to improve their messaging and brand positioning. There are many useful exercises in every chapter that help you refine and reframe your messaging.

The author helps you identify the unique value you bring to your audience, the transformation you can provide and how you can guide your audience through this process. What you will find most useful are the questions and prompts the author shares along the way that help to provide clarity in your offer and unique selling points.

Books to Tell Better Stories and Improve Your Content Marketing Share on X

You will learn to see your customers are the hero and you are the guide. This concept is very important because this framework and positioning helps you get clear on the value you provide and how your content, services or offers all align with your customer’s journey and success.

The Story Brand framework can be applied to your marketing, your business, website copy, as well as your internal communications, leadership communications and even HR and recruitment efforts.

“Building a Story” Brand by Donald Miller is very useful for any social media or marketing professional and you may find yourself referring to this book through the year often because the exercises in every chapter are truly transformative.

4. Content Fuel Framework by Melanie Deziel

This book should be in every content marketer’s toolkit because it provides you with tips and implementable systems to help you create and publish content in the best format for your audience.

The author prompts you with content and audience questions and provides interesting insights about when and how to experiment with certain assets or formats. If you’d like a way to improve your content batching process, you’ll want to check out this article for some useful tips!

“The Content Fuel Framework” by Melanie Deziel is a great book for marketers, social media professionals, small businesses owners and content creators. You’ll find yourself generating endless content ideas that you can implement across different platforms and in different formats.

5. Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Do you want your message to resonate with your audience? In the book, Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, you’ll learn about the six principles that you’ll want to implement in order to make your message stick: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional and Stories.

Here's a list of recommended books to read if you're a marketer, small business owner, social media manager or content creator who wants to improve their content marketing and storytelling skills. Share on X

This framework that spells SUCCESs is what your message needs have in order for it to be remembered and stick with your audience. This book is a great guide that can help transform how you communicate your ideas as a marketer, small business owner or through your personal brand. You will learn how to apply these characteristics in your core messages.

6. One Hour Content Plan by Meera Kothand

This is a really fun and quick read! You will enjoy reading this book and will find a lot of useful takeaways and things you can implement in your marketing. Reading it is quick and you will want to set aside time to make sure you implement some of the prompts and action items. If you feel you’re on the verge of burnout, then check out this article for ways to improve your content creation workflow.

The “One Hour Content Plan” by Meera Kothand is a great book because it helps you generate endless content ideas in an hour all in an effort to help you better connect with your ideal reader and produce content that helps you promote your products and offers.

Content Calendar Template

This calendar has the foundational elements built into it that will help you be more strategic with the content and marketing activities you’re focusing on.

Do you have a favorite content marketing or storytelling book you’d recommend? Share it in the comments!

Nancy Casanova

Nancy Casanova is a content marketer specializing in storytelling, workflows and brand strategy. She loves sharing content ideas, inspiration and tutorials online.