Book Review
Public Relations on the Net – Shel Holtz, AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, 212-903-8315; www.amacombooks.org ISBN: 0 8144 7152 8, July 2002, 444 pages, $24.95
Reviewed by: G.A. “Andy” Marken Marken Communications andy@markencom.com
If you don’t recognize the author’s name – Shel Holtz – you desperately need to read this, the second edition of the book that gives you “Winning Strategies to Inform, & Influence the Media, the Investment Community, the Government, the Public, & More!”
If you recognize the name…get the book and find out what public relations opportunities you are missing or missteps you are making on a daily basis.
Public Relations on the Net isn’t just another book on how to do cheap PR on the Internet because we hear those words almost every day. The second edition shows that Holtz understands that public relations on the Internet is really a work in progress. Every evening when we go to bed and believe we have a handle on exactly how things can and should work; we wake up in the morning and find out communications on the Net has been changed.
It is difficult to think of any technology or tool that has changed the way business, government and the world operate as has the Internet. It has flattened organizations, erased national borders and changed the economic balance of institutions everywhere.
Even with all of the Net’s capabilities, opportunities and potential; it is sadly the most misunderstood, misused and abused communications tool at our disposal. Just ask any editor, reporter, reviewer, industry analyst, strategic partner, consumer.
We’re certain that Holtz would be delighted to have you hire him as an internet communications consultant and do the Internet PR for you. But it is so much less expensive and more professionally rewarding to buy the book and spend a number of evenings reading and rereading the book.
We’ve been involved with the internet for over 20 years – back when it was still ARPANET – and we continued to learn something new in reading the new edition…twice.
While a lot of PR “professionals” jump on the newest Internet trend – Web 2.0 social networks, podcasts, videocasts, blogs, RSS – Holtz emphasizes the Internet as a total and well balanced communications tool firms need to use today in communicating with the media, investment community, government(s), activist groups, consumers and employees.
Holtz has developed an excellent educational tool for PR people (and management) at every experience level. He not only gives you the 30,000 ft strategic view but he also delivers hundreds of how-to guidelines you can put to work in your communications and public relations activities.
He shows you – in detail – how to:
- create an e-press kit that reporters will use - maximize the effectiveness of mass email messages, newsletters - conduct online focus groups and research activities - leverage the Net when crises arise - effectively participate in newsgroups - easily monitor what is being said about your company, your market, your proudcts, you - carry out quantitative research online - post investor relations materials on the Web - measure and quantify your online activity ROI
With the Internet changing so rapidly, Holtz didn’t simply hit the screen refresh button on his keyboard so even if you have the first edition don’t expect the second edition to be a rehash of his first excellent effort.
It is quite obvious that he spent a lot of time and effort reviewing and researching every chapter. He has developed a totally new model for you to consider, modify and use in your communications activities. He spells out how to craft and think through your efforts and activities before you stub your toe or make hundreds/thousands of enemies.
Public Relations on the Net is like a graduate course in communications that will benefit everyone involved in business, government and non-profit work.
The part of the first edition that we found to be the most interesting and useful were the case studies he included. In the newest book he has gathered a new set of studies that are entertaining, informational and we feel extremely helpful.
Holtz delivers some of the best advice and assistance you can get between two covers to understand what the Internet is/is not, how others are using it to advance their causes/ideas/products and how you can improve your use of this rapidly changing universe.
The Internet – contrary to what some people seem to believe in the way they communicate with this tool – was not developed just for PR people to barrage their message targets. The base of hackers, whackers and crackers grows with each day and it is increasingly easy for them to dilute, divert and even turn your PR efforts on you.
We believe Holtz has done a real service to the profession by researching and writing Public Relations on the Net and solidly delivers ideas, solutions guidelines and tips on how you can improve your PR efforts, program and success.
The Internet is a big, wide, beautiful and feature/capabilities rich two-way communications opportunity for you that can turn ugly in the blink of an eye. Holtz delivers all of the information, ideas, tools you need to avoid the landmines and succeed in the expending and open world of Internet PR/communications.
It will be interesting to see the third edition!
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Public Relations on the Net - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
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