The Art of Smart Digital Marketing

Running your own small business means you are owner, manager, accountant, marketing expert and much more. Trying to build an effective digital marketing presence is difficult, and seeking guidance on the matter can often leave you even more confused... or overwhelmed! To cut through some of the noise, here are four recent trustworthy titles.

Guy Kawaski's The Art of Social Media is under 200 pages, but it is a thorough guide for making sure that you're building a great online presence. With chapters like, "How to Respond to Comments" and "How to Integrate Social Media and Blogging," he covers all the bases to turn users into power users.

A World Gone Social is about the fundamental adaptations that businesses have had to make to shift into a world dominated by social media. Published by the American Management Association, the book details how customer and employee interactions have changed and gives examples of companies that have adapted well, and those that haven't.

Need social media marketing demystified but don't have a ton of resources available to figure it out? Try Get Scrappy. Author Nick Westergaard is the host of the "On Brand" podcast, and this book gives action plans and advice on how to do more on a tight budget.

Dave Kerpen's updated (in 2015) bestseller Likeable Social Media will get you the word-of-mouth, friend-to-friend recommendations and likes that mean more than any advertisement. The book has case studies, including those for emerging social sites, so readers come away with a thorough understanding of the current landscape.