Customer Reviews

Real-Time Marketing and PR, Revised: How to Instantly Engage Your Market, Connect with Customers, and Create Products that Grow Your Business Now

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It's appropriate that the Kindle edition of David Meerman Scott's Real-Time Marketing & PR is available before the print version--because, as he compelling describes in this book, "it's all about time."

Getting there first. Creating a position. Responding before it's too late. Being proactive instead of reactive. Making your presence known. Getting noticed.

David Meerman Scott has a habit of being ahead of the market; being both an observer and a pioneer. He was one of the first to offer downloads of his upcoming books from his blog, while writing his book--and, then--creating a best-selling business describing the whole process. His provided a road map to New Rules of Marketing & PR that is as valid today as it ever was.

Then, having established a paradigm for using "free" to build demand for "paid," he reversed direction and co-authored a best seller, Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead, and kept it a secret until 2 days before publication, then, let his carefully-nurtured fans promote his book for him (providing the impetus for A-list media to join the bandwagon).

Now, we have the (perhaps inadvertent) availability of the Kindle version of David's latest book available almost a month before the print version! How appropriate.

As a frequent interviewer of David Meerman Scott, I was fortunate to see Real-Time in its early stages. I liked it then, and I like it even more, now that David's populated the ideas and advice with dozens of examples of real-time marketing at work (or, in some cases, real-time opportunities wastefully squandered).

David's strength is showing entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, and self-employed professionals what's going on in the real world, and how to put the trends to work.

The message described in Real-Time Marketing & PR is as relevant and up-to-date as today's Tweets, blogs, and viral YouTube videos, yet--because the case studies are about individuals facing and overcoming challenges--it's a highly-readable story.

Real-Time Marketing & PR is a great story to have on your Kindle when the plane takes off--or (more likely) while waiting for the plane to take off.

If you are an artist, writer, blogger, consultant, executive or mid-level manager, you need to read this book (regardless whether or not you are a "marketer").

Here's the "big idea" of this book: "Social media are tools. Real-time is a mindset."

David is introducing a critically important philosophy and strategic mindset at the perfect time. With social media now mainstream, it's easy to begin with the question, "Which social media platforms should I/we be using?" This is the wrong question. David argues that we should begin with our customers: where they are hanging out and talking online, and where they are getting the information they seek.

Real-Time Marketing & PR continues David's overall thesis that 1) old marketing was about advertising and publicity using traditional media and 2) new marketing is about directly engaging customers and stakeholders in real-time conversations using online and mobile tools.

By the end of this book, you will:

1. Know how to find, connect with and listen in on your target market online.

2. Understand the science behind how news breaks in an always-on, ever-connected world.

3. Be prepared for crisis communication opportunities.

4. Drive new and repeat business using the power of the web and mobile technologies.

I've read all of David's work and can attest to the fact that he practices what he preaches. Leave a comment on his blog or tweet him sometime and you'll see.

I discovered David's work last year when I read New Rules of Marketing & PR and was further enlightened by his book World Wide Rave. To my great surprise I was able to download an advanced version of his new book via my iPad last week and think this book is on par or even better than his previous works. In today's "always on" society consumer behavior and tastes are rapidly changing and myself as a marketing executive am always trying to stay ahead of the curve. The rapid adoption of technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube propose new opportunities for marketers as customers no longer want to be talked at and instead want to participate and communicate in an active dialogue with their favorite brands. Real Time Marketing & PR provides beginners through expert marketers a practical and actionable handbook that is a must have in today's ever changing online marketing space.

David has an addictive writing style that's no fluff and is supported by facts and interviews with innovators in the online marketing space. In the book David provides great examples of both successes and failures from startups and major corporations who are tapping in and riding the real-time wave. No matter what size organization or position you are in, you will be able to bring forward ideas and tools from this book that will help your organization tune in and connect with your customer base. I promise your customers will thank you with comments, feedback, and their pocketbooks.

I was able to take what I learned from this book and create an action plan that I presented to my CEO and Board today, who are still figuring out that there is a thing called the internet;) It was well received and will be implemented over the next few weeks and I look forward to the results. Remember the longer you wait in line to be real-time, your walking a fine line to extinction. Definitely go pick up this book when it's released next month and make sure to pass it along to your colleagues. We need more organizations that understand that the market is changing and customers want transparency, input and a real person to answer back not a robot, ghost writer or lifeless auto triggered email.

As a side note David definitely practices what he preaches in regards to real-time response. Since this was an advanced copy, a few links in the book weren't working yet at as his research was being uploaded to his site. I sent him a tweet to let him know and he quickly responded within 10 minutes and promised that they would be up for the book's official release in November. I never would have expected to hear back so quickly from an author I value and like. Keep up the great work David.

This may well be David Meerman Scott's best book yet. It's stunningly well written, providing a wealth of you-are-there vignettes to illustrate observations on the need for speed. What's especially welcome is that Real-time Marketing & PR, unlike most American business books, offers a truly global perspective. Meerman Scott takes the reader from Amsterdam to Mumbai, Tokyo to Toronto in search of fascinating insights into the real-time frontier. This book not only offers timely lessons, it's a joy to read.

I read an advance copy of Real-Time Marketing & PR and found the information so urgent that I wanted to put the book down and race to get something done, right away. Fortunately, I was captive on an airplane, with only the book and time. What a combination!

Without hesitation or equivocation, I recommend Meerman Scott's latest book. While there are probably dozens of reasons why marketing and communications professionals should read it (and right away), I feel most strongly about three. Adopting the strategies and tactics highlighted in this book will undoubtedly:

1.) Improve your company's performance

2.) Enhance your own standing within your organization

3.) Make your job way more interesting

It will also put you in a position to affect - positively and permanently - your corporate culture, which is about the most important accomplishment an individual can have on a company.

Joe Chernov

Director of Content

Eloqua

@jchernov

The author convinced me to buy what is a puff piece.

Don't waste your time buying this. Instead write your own!