via Pam McBride, Leadsift, excerpt

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the fast-paced changes occurring in digital marketing, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to enroll in a two-year program or a certificate course just to keep your head above water. There are dozens of marketing experts who are eager to share their knowledge with you – for free.

We’ve compiled a list of our seven favorite ebooks that everyone working in the digital marketing space should read. They range from four page whitepapers to 20+page guides, and they all offer valuable insights from some of the top leaders in the industry.

The Connected Consumer and the New Decision-Making Cycle by Brian Solis and IBM

This ebook explores Generation C – the generation that is always connected, always “on,” always sharing. It is no longer enough to know basic demographic data about your customers (after all, as you’ll read on page 4, Ozzy Osbourne and Prince Charles look identical on paper). Marketers have to go deeper into personal insights and interests to understand how their customers make buying decisions.

If you’re looking for a method of optimizing your customer funnel, earning customer attention and understanding the new buyer’s journey (which is no longer linear), this ebook will be your guide.