The Internet has profoundly changed the way people communicate and interact with each other. But it has also changed the way businesses communicate with their customers (and those who they want to be customers). In the old days, companies could only communicate through the filter of expensive advertising or media ink placed by a PR firm. Today the rules have changed entirely.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR shows you how to leverage the potential that Web-based communication offers your business. Finally, you can speak directly to customers and buyers, establishing a personal link with the those who make your business work. You can reach niche buyers with targeted messages that cost a fraction of your big-budget ad campaign. Rather than bombard them with advertising they’ll likely ignore, you can focus on getting the right message to the right people at the right time.

When people visit your company’s Web site, they aren’t there to hear your slogan or see your logo again. They want information, interaction, and choice—and you’d be a fool not to give it to them. This one-of-a-kind guide to the future of marketing includes a step-by-step action plan for harnessing the power of the Internet, showing you how to identify audiences, create compelling messages, get those messages to the right people, and lead those consumers into the buying process. Including a wealth of compelling case studies and real-world examples, this is a practical guide to the new reality of PR and marketing.

This is an excerpt of the review I posted [...]

I read lots of material on business. Frequently, I purchase books in the hopes of using them as ready references. Sometimes I encounter a book such as this one that fulfills that goal.

The author is experienced, credible and articulate on a subject of increasing importance---marketing in conjunction with the Internet. Scott indicates in precise terms exactly why every business now needs to incorporate the Internet into its marketing and PR efforts. He supports his contentions with logic and facts and tempers the material with a familiar, but business-like tone. Mr. Scott's perspective is comprehensive and persuasive. Fortunately, he lays out options in a manner that is easy to digest. His suggestions are incremental, which helps to make implementation a deliberate and practical process.

Why, if I like the book, did I give it four stars? Simple. It was a bit disorganized. For example, there was material about using a blog in the front of the book and then, to read more, you had to go to the back of the book. I would have preferred all the information to be consecutive.

But, the content and the information was absolutely invaluable. I am a professional ad person and I discovered some ideas that I implemented instantly. Moreover, I now recommend them to clients.

Some of the material is pretty well known and easily available. But, there's a lot in here that is unique and that you're probably not aware of.

I highly recommend the book to you.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

I buy everything this book is trying to tell me. My new technological religion.

Be sure to read it more for the thinking behind it while keeping in mind that zillions of new examples of what he's talking about keep popping up in the media ether. This concept has a life of its own. That's its beauty.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time - and I read a lot -

David is articulate, great information, very well organized in his thoughts and frankly should be considered an expert in this matter. If you haven't read this book - it is definitely worth every penny -

Do you have a favorite business book that's streaked with highlights, scribbled with margin notes, has a broken spine, and dog-eared post-its? The New Rules of Marketing and PR, by David Meerman Scott, holds that honor on my business reference bookshelf. Subtitled How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing & Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly, this book seemed to shout at me from the shelf during one of my regular forays into Amazon's business section.

As a B2B marketing professional, I try to keep up with communications trends, so I was already familiar with some of the information in Scott's book. I'd purchased it specifically for the news releases and blogging sections, but, goaded by the author's light and enthusiastic tone I found myself learning about new (to me) online activities to support B2B marketing efforts.

New Rules gave me insight into some new tasks that have become SOP in my regular work at our Atlanta ad agency. As a result of the Buyer Personas section, we maintain and plan around the personas of our clients' customers as well as our own.

Overall I enjoyed this book, and regularly peruse my highlighted and tabbed sections. Fortunately, David is understandable as well as enlightening. Just like his blog, www.webinknow.com, the book has a conversational, engaging writing style and is thoroughly worth the space on any business reference shelf.

/mh