Monday, April 4, 2016

4 PR books you should be reading

Most PR pros don’t have the time to shop for—or even download—a new book.

Books are an important resource for expanding what you know about your practice. Professional development matters—especially to clients—so it’s essential that you not let it take a back seat to everything else on your plate.

Even if it’s just a chapter at a time, or a few pages in between meetings or on the train, exploring these PR books will broaden the scope of your business.

1. “The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly,” by David Meerman Scott.

Scott is a marketing strategist, advisor at HubSpot and a professional leadership and social media speaker. If the last time you read a PR book was before Twitter, then his work is essential.

He offers a practical guide to using contemporary communication channels to get relevant information out to potential buyers—all for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. Detailed case studies and examples bring his material to life.

2. “Reputation Rules: Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset,” by Daniel Diermeier.

How are culture and reputation related? Diermeier addresses the vital importance of reputation in today’s transparency-focused PR climate. He’s advised organizations such as Accenture, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s and Shell. He is also a senior advisor to the FBI.

[RELATED: Free guide: 10 ways to improve your writing today. Download now.]

His book details how a number of organizations overcame devastating scandals and used their reputations as strategic assets.

3. “Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game,” by Torie Clarke.

This book’s first piece of advice is this: “Deliver bad news yourself, and when you screw up, say so—fast!”

Clarke’s media relations advice is worth the price of admission. She was the Pentagon’s communications chief during the early years of George W. Bush’s presidency, as well as a high-ranking adviser to Sen. John McCain.

She recounts her experiences in dealing with the press in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, and she explains the ins and outs of how to inform, instruct and reassure the public when tragedy strikes.

4. “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie.

Although technology has changed the fundamentals of PR, the skills it requires depend greatly on developing relationships.

This book teaches three fundamental techniques for “people handling,” six methods for increasing your likeability, 12 ways to bring people to your way of thinking and nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

Now, go find your library card.

A.J. Bruno is a communicator and the founder of TrendKite. A version of this article originally appeared on the agency’s blog.

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