Deirdre Breakenridge

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 succeed more powerfully than ever before.

This book shows how to reinvent PR around two-way conversations with traditional and new influencers, bring the "public" back into public relations and earn a new level of results that just wasn't possible before now.

Drawing on their unparalleled experience making Social Media work for business, PR 2.0 blogger Brian Solis and industry leader Deirdre Breakenridge show how to transform the way you think, plan, prioritize, and deliver PR services.

You'll learn 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.

This book gives you a complete roadmap to stop being a "publicist" or mere "communicator" and become what your clients or company really need: a genuine enthusiast for whom and what you represent.

In this book you will learn in-depth:

- What's wrong with PR and how to fix it: Leverage Social Media and Web 2.0 to reinvent PR, build meaningful and valuable relationships, and supercharge its effectiveness

- Social Media PR and how to build blogger relationships, reinvent the press release, and make social networks the hub of your online brands

- Why it's about sociology and anthropology -not technology- and how to master the art of listening and leverage today's powerful, emerging micromedia

- Real PR metrics for the Web 2.0 world
Measure the results that really matter and demonstrate your value as never before

Putting the Public in Public Relations is written for the those facing the new intersection of all that is literally "Public Relations" including PR, customer service, brand managers, advertising, social media, community management, media and journalism, marketing, teachers and students, content publishers, and everyone in between.

Ashton Kutcher

Social media has democratized influence, forever changing the way businesses communicate with customers and the way customers affect the decisions of their peers. With platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, anyone can now find and connect with others who share similar interests, challenges, and beliefs-- creating communities that shape and steer the perception of brands. Without engagement in these communities, we miss major opportunities to shape our marketing messages.

However, use of the tools does not guarantee that people will listen. Engagement is shaped by the interpretation of its intentions. In order for social media to mutually benefit you and your customers, you must engage them in meaningful and advantageous conversations, empowering them as true participants in your marketing and service efforts.

With Engage! as your guide, you can effectively compete in this new era of digital Darwinism while engendering the support of online champions. Social and participatory media significantly contribute to the success of every modern business, and with this book, you will find out how to:

- Create a space in the online ecosystem that truly represents your business and cultivates your customers' loyalty and trust

- Participate in the unique culture of each available social media platform to engage your customers

- Establish an organizational structure that constantly targets the next new media trend

- Attract online champions and change agents who will uncover the social networks you need to reach and the influencers who will help build your reputation in the networked world

- Consistently adapt your company to market needs and trends based on the invaluable connections you forge and the empathy and insight you garner in the process

There are thousands of customers waiting to hear from you about your business and vision. It's the minimum ante to create a vibrant and loyal online community. When you engage, you will build an authoritative social network that increases your visibility, relevance, influence, and profitability. It's time to Engage!

"It's no longer an era of business as usual. Executives and entrepreneurs must embrace new media in order to not only compete for the future, but for mind share, market share, and, ultimately, relevance. This book helps you engage. Without it, you're competing for second place."
-- Mark Cuban, owner, Dallas Mavericks; investor; entrepreneur; and Chairman, HDNet

"Affinity is personal and emotional. Without personifying the company and what it symbolizes, it's difficult for customers to connect with your brand. The concepts from this book can help your brand engage in a way that inspires communities to extend your message, promise, and reach."
-- Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

"The power of the top-down, A-list influencer is winding down. Now brands must engage on a direct-to-many basis. Social media makes this possible, and Solis makes this happen. Read his book or be left in the dust."
-- Guy Kawasaki, cofounder, Alltop