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What it argues
David Meerman Scott first published this book in 2007, when the idea that companies could speak directly to buyers without going through journalists or media buyers was still genuinely new. The central argument is that the internet fundamentally changed the economics of communication: publishing had become nearly free, audiences could be built around specific interests rather than mass demographics, and companies that understood this shift could reach buyers more effectively than traditional advertising or press relations allowed.
The old rules, as Scott describes them, meant that marketing required advertising budgets and PR required cultivating journalists. Content existed to serve those intermediaries. The new rules mean that companies can publish directly: blog posts, white papers, news releases designed for search engines and readers rather than for news editors, podcasts, videos. Scott calls the resulting content "thought leadership" and argues that providing genuinely useful information — not promotional material — is the mechanism for attracting buyers who are already searching for solutions. The book covers the mechanics of this in detail: how to write for the web, how to optimize news releases for search, how to build a media presence without paying for placement.
What it gets right
- 1.
The internet eliminated the gatekeepers between companies and buyers. Direct communication with the audience — through content, search, and social platforms — is now both possible and necessary.
- 2.
Buyer personas are the starting point. Understanding exactly who is searching for solutions, what questions they ask, and where they look determines what you publish and where.
- 3.
News releases are no longer just for journalists. Written for search and for readers, they can drive direct buyer traffic and establish credibility independent of press coverage.
What it covers
Who wrote it
David Meerman Scott is an American marketing strategist, speaker, and author of more than twelve books. He is best known for The New Rules of Marketing and PR, which has sold over 400,000 copies and been translated into more than thirty languages. His other books include Fanocracy, Real-Time Marketing and PR, and Newsjacking. Scott has advised hundreds of companies on content strategy and speaks regularly at marketing and technology conferences worldwide.
