California-based consultant on Internet communications Holtz has updated his 1998 guide by removing the basics of computer use that he can now assume readers to know, and by replacing case studies from the period with ones that make sense four years later. The Internet is one of the most significant tools for public relations, he says, but using it to best advantage requires strategic thinking about how to apply it to communication efforts. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The internet has totally revolutionized the practice of public relations. This revolution has not only affected the way PR professionals communicate but has changed the nature of communication itself. This thoroughly revised, second edition of Online Public Relations shows readers how to use this potent and energizing medium intelligently and effectively. David Phillips explores the growth of social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Flickr etc, and of virtual environments, virtual communities, information sharing sites and blogs. PR practitioners must now explore and experiment with new technologies and new ways of thinking to get their message across - and an environment which has been made far more transparent, due to social media. Other topics covered include new models of information exchange, commercial implications of the internet, how social media impacts on PR strategy, developing online PR strategies, risks and opportunities and CSR. This second edition is a timely and authoritative overview of the new online PR. Any PR professional wanting to conduct business in the modern interconnected world will regard this book as a must.

This Element is an excerpt from Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR (ISBN: 9780137150694) by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge. Available in print and digital formats. Discover the new public relations for the Web 2.0 era--and what it means to you, the PR professional or client. Web 2.0 introduced the new read/write Web paradigm, where hosts and participants contribute to a more collaborative Web experience. It’s not the tools that make Web 2.0 or New PR what it is today; it’s the many people who collaborate and share information every day in communities, demonstrating how the latest Web tools can facilitate conversations and foster relationships....

Forget the "pitch": Yesterday's PR techniques just don't work anymore. That's the bad news. Here's the great news: Social Media and Web 2.0 offer you an unprecedented opportunity to make PR work better than ever before. This book shows how to reinvent PR around two-way conversations, bring the "public" back into public relations and get results that traditional PR people can only dream about. Drawing on their unparalleled experience making Social Media work for business, PR 2.0.com's Brian Solis and industry leader Deirdre Breakenridge show how to transform the way you think, plan, prioritize, and deliver PR services. You'll learn powerful new ways to build the relationships that matter, and reach a new generation of influencers...leverage platforms ranging from Twitter to Facebook...truly embed yourself in the communities that are shaping the future. Best of all, you won't just learn how to add value in the Web 2.0 world: You'll learn how to prove how new, intelligent, and socially rooted PR will transform your organization into a proactive, participatory communication powerhouse that is in touch and informed with its community of stakeholders.

This title aims to bridge the gap between action and analysis for public relations and the Internet. It covers up-to-date research and gives practical advice on every aspect of successful on-line public relations.

Praise for PR 2.0 “An ‘easy read’ filled with practical examples of how marketing professionals can leverage these new tools to enhance PR activities. The ‘Interviews with the Experts’ sections were especially useful in helping to highlight how companies have benefited from PR2.0.” Maura Mahoney, Senior Director, RCN Metro Optical Networks “P.R. 2.0 is a must-read for any marketing or PR professional. It is filled with expert advice, real-world examples, and practical guidance to help us better understand the new media tools and social networking concepts available and how we can use them for our specific branding needs. This book is excellent for someone who is trying to understand the new web-based media and social networking concepts, as well those who are experienced in applying the new media tools and are curious about what everyone else is doing and what tools are producing the best ROI. This isn’t a book filled with simple tips and tricks--it’s an essential guidebook for the marketing/PR professional to better understand the new media options and how to apply them effectively to achieve results.” Jenny Fisher, Director Sales and Marketing Operations, Catalent Pharma Solutions “Wading through the thicket of expanding Internet tools--from MySpace to Facebook, from Twitter to Flickr--is no easy challenge. And once you finally understand these strange new art forms, how the heck do you harness them? Answer: You buy this book. Deirdre Breakenridge knows the Net--how to measure it, monitor it, and use it to maximize public relations performance. Best of all, she explains it in a style that even a Luddite can comprehend.” Fraser P. Seitel, author of The Practice of Public Relations and coauthor of IdeaWise The New Future of Public Relations! In today’s Web 2.0 world, traditional methods of communication won’t reach your audiences, much less convince them. Here’s the good news: Powerful new tools offer you an unprecedented opportunity to start a meaningful two-way conversation with everyone who matters to you. In PR 2.0, Deirdre Breakenridge helps you master these tools and use them to the fullest possible advantage in all your public relations work. You’ll learn the best ways to utilize blogs, social networking, online newswires, RSS technology, podcasts, and the rest of today’s Web 2.0 tools. Breakenridge shows how to choose the right strategies for each PR scenario and environment, keep the best Web 1.0 tools, and stop using outmoded tactics that have rapidly become counterproductive. Breakenridge introduces an extraordinary array of new PR best practices, including setting up online newsrooms, using visual and social media in releases, and leveraging new online research and analytics tools. She offers powerful new ways to think about PR, plan for it, and react to the new PR challenges the Web presents. Breakenridge also includes interviews with today’s leading PR 2.0 practitioners. PR 1.0 vs. PR 2.0 Identify the needs of companies and clients, and how to integrate them for greatest effectiveness Reaching today’s crucial wired media Powerful new strategies for pitching and media distribution Best uses of traditional PR tactics Better ways to use viral marketing, online newsletters, e-blasts, VNRs, and webcasts PR 2.0: Making the most of the newest tools Interactive online newsrooms, visual media, blogs, RSS, podcasts, and beyond Social media: Your new 24/7 focus panel Powerful new ways to capture emerging customer desires and needs

Long admired as the "practitioners" Public Relations text, Seitel's The Practice of Public Relations continues its tradition as the most visual, up-to-date and straightforward principles text available. For the aspiring student of public relations to the veteran professional seeking a refresher, Seitel's text leads the reader thru the evolution of the practice, the preparation and process necessary to reach a variety of "publics" and most importantly how to implement actual PR practice. Drawing on his own vast professional experience, his role as a PR commentator on major U.S television networks such as CNN, ABC and FOX, and his network of industry leaders, Public Relations faculty and generations of PR professionals, Seitel presents the industry with dynamism and relevancy.&&