Public Relations on the Net: Winning Strategies to Inform and Influence the Media, the Investment Community, the Government, the Public, and More!

by Shel Holtz

Book Overview

Everyone knows about the Internet as a way to market and sell, yet few organizations have experienced even a fraction of the Net's power for true public relations. This guide, with step-by-step... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814479871
• ISBN13: 9780814479872
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Amacom
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The best PR is two-way and symmetrical

I had the good fortune to learn the art and science of public relations in a large organization (a trade association for a financial services provider). We had a ten-person PR team, each with a specialty. This was the 1980s and we used "one-to-many communications." Now I'm having to un-learn that. As part of my re-education as a PR practitioner I read "Public Relations on the Net." Shel Holtz wrote it to help communicators like myself and our organizations figure out how to achieve measurable business results by using the Internet to communicate. In addition to its value as a guide to strategically incorporating new media into a PR program, I recommend this book as a reminder of what the public relations field is all about - or is supposed to be. One point Holtz keeps emphasizing is that the best public relations efforts are two-way and symmetrical - they afford both the company and the strategic audience equal opportunities to participate in the discussion and, even more important, equal opportunities to achieve their objectives. As a whole, PR practitioners like myself have work to do in terms of using new communications media. The public often does a better job of online public relations than the professionals themselves, Holtz says, citing examples of activist groups and other passionate people who do a better job of understanding the Internet's networked nature and using it to their advantage. To effectively employ a medium as part of a communication strategy communicators must be intimately familiar with the medium. Holtz says to become better at online public relations, communicators must spend time online. PR practitioners should be the "eyes and ears" of the organization online, monitoring constituent content, extracting value from that content, and providing intelligence based on that content, which our organization can use to make strategic business decisions. EducationPR http://pbaker.wordpress.com

Excellent on Fundamentals

Public Relations on the Net successfully covers all the basics that pr pros should already know. Neophytes would be well-advised to learn these basics. But, that is where Holtz stops. For learning more advanced methods about pr on the net, I found Guerrilla PR: Wired by Michael Levine to successfully handle the advanced techniques. Holtz's book is not without merit, but if you're in the industry, then it's highly unlikely you'll learn anything new here. Well-written, though.

Offers Successful Public Relations Strategies For Online Use

Shel Holtz wrote Public Relations on the Net to promote strategies that will help readers to successfully influence the media, government, business communities, and the general public through online connectivity. This book features a wealth of helpful information that will assist any company, organization, or person to look good before the public. Holtz points out that the Internet can play a significant role in public relations work. This is so true. This book offers readers a full course in developing essential communication skills and sound public relations strategies intended for online use. Holtz covers the basic public relations tools used today - e-mail, e-mail newsletters, discussion groups, and Websites. He lays the necessary groundwork for their effective use. With many companies facing embarrassing situations such as strikes, recalls, work stoppages, plant closures, financial problems, litigation, and about-face actions, saving-face strategies are important and even crucial to the survival of any company. Holtz creatively guides readers through the use of these tools to achieve the maximum possible impact under every imaginable circumstance, good or bad. Readers will be encouraged to learn that any company or organization - large and small alike, are on equal footing online if good public relations campaigns are carried out. Strategies involving writing for the Web, designing Websites, follow-up action, and crisis response efforts will pay off for anyone. For instance, Holtz points out that companies can maintain good public images of themselves by providing links to timely, accurate, and up-to-date information at their Websites. Examples of good public relations work are provided. This book is ideal for companies and organizations who should be concerned about creating and maintaining positive and professional images before the public. Public relations consultants will glean important understanding on how to develop sound media relations skills. The book is highly informative and will benefit any public relations campaign!

Good Primer on Merging Two Worlds

Some books understand the Internet. Others understand public relations. This book is a marriage of the two. Mr. Holtz has written a text accessible to the layperson and to both IT and PR professionals (as difficult as that may be). It's organized well enough that experts in either arena can easily skip the rudimentary parts they already know and go straight to the good stuff.Holtz also takes readers down the path of understanding critical issues that internet hype often overlooks. He points out the paths toward finding online communities and grapevine-level conversations about your organization--crucial information for PR understanding of the environment. He also details the ways Internet-savvy David-sized organizations can wield online communications as a weapon against Goliath-sized companies. A good thing to know, regardless of which side of that fight you may be on.This book is well worth the read for those who desire to gain a stronger understanding of how PR techniques can be adapted to the online arena, as well as what new techniques need to be adopted.

Great primer on how to glue the web and PR together

Plenty of ideas and lots of examples splatter each chapter. You need to make sure you don't become gidy with what can be done especially when you start counting up the resources needed.