I’m checking out the paper.li app that let’s Twitter users create newspaper-style web publications based on links shared within their Twitter streams. Paper.li is yet another interesting example of mining interesting information and rendering it in a relevant format for sharing. It’s based on a user’s followers, lists or hashtags so presumably the content is of interest the to creator and those choosing to read it.

I think paper.li has a splash of brand journalism in its DNA – brand journalism being when a business creates relevant content for its audience with the genuine intent of being helpful and no sales pitches attached; in the process positioning itself as a valuable resource.

While “creating” is an ingredient of that definition, examples of brand journalism are emerging that aggregate the wisdom and good writings of people outside an organization with the goal being everyone’s mutual benefit. Working in the technology industry, for example, I see this in the form of online publications created or sponsored by a business that bring in original content from former and current journalists, or re-purposing existing work with their permission to support a common theme. Paper.li offers this in a drive-thru sense, at minimum. A business of any size or stature can create a “Daily” that pulls in stories and resources from people it feels are most relevant and share this out to its audience offering some of the goodness that is brand journalism.

Rocking the data!

I’m no ace at it yet, but I created “goodmusic Daily” on the fly using my @ryanzuk/goodmusic list that mainly follows classic rock acts with a sprinkle of jazz for good measure and folks like Jimmy Buffett to ensure a good-time vibe.

I can see I need to load my goodmusic list with more bands and artists to better fill up my paper.li Daily with stories and video, but even the inaugural edition has some highlights. A video of The Outfield, one of my fave 80’s bands, popped up and shows the fellas in the studio recording a new album (can’t wait). There’s a Huffington Post article promoting John Mellencamp’s new album (produced once again by T Bone Burnett I might add), and check out the “Duet With Myself” video link that popped up via Ben Fold’s Twitter stream if you haven’t seen it already (lots of views).

In this “goodmusic Daily” example a music publisher, radio station or talent agency might offer a paper.li or homegrown Daily for its audience without the corruption of fluffy sales pitches, although you’ll notice some Google/blog style ads that seem acceptable thus far given the free nature of tool.

What’s next?

I expect added functionality to emerge if it all takes off for paper.li and similar services. Features such as the ability to customize graphics for your Daily’s layout, standard commenting features or those that incorporate reader tweets, and the ability to provide links to your own sites (where sales dialog might then occur based on the visitor’s preferences) among others could prove helpful.

Anyone else digging in to paper.li or similar services to aggregate and share helpful data? I would enjoying learning from what you’ve found.

Intel’s efforts enlisting the online community to blueprint and develop the “home phone of tomorrow” is yet another purpose-driven crowdsourcing use case. The company’s “Intel Ideas of Tomorrow” Facebook page uses the Idea Challenges application from Bulbstorm, a provider of online innovation communities and marketing platforms, to facilitate idea sharing and archiving, voting and contest management.

In a ten-day stretch, Intel’s program has driven 1,800 ideas and 54,000 views of those ideas which have generated 31,000 votes and 5,000 comments according to Bulbstorm’s Matt Simpson. Some detailed submissions are emerging from among the masses including those from Jordan Jach and Anita Childress who diagrammed their ideas for Intel’s consideration.

The depth, breadth and value of ideas that companies can obtain outside their own domain with just a modest technology investment, some prizes and sound community management can inspire marketable assets many times over the cost of establishing crowdsourcing platforms in the first place.

The top idea producer for Intel’s phone project will receive a notebook PC, software and an invitation to visit Intel’s Chandler, AZ facility for a “VP of Product Development” experience with Intel engineers. I applaud inclusion of the onsite visit because it helps bridge the virtual aspects of crowdsourcing with the reality of providing hands-on help to develop a product; and should the product become commercially available it too will be a reality-bridging milestone.

Actually bringing a community-submitted idea to market, however, is an inherent challenge of crowdsourcing. I spoke recently with Shiv Singh, author and Pepsico North America director of digital, for a PRSA Tactics article. We discussed that it’s entirely possible to ask customers to help design a new product that, in the end, you’re just not happy with. When organizations gather many ideas from fans and customers these audiences expect many of them – at least those declared “winners” – to see the light of day. Having contingency plans, additional uses that is, for ideas is an important part of a crowdsourcing plan.

Regardless of whether or not Intel’s phone challenge inspires a new product, the company plans to mine ideas submitted for insights into how new products should be developed. These could range from enhancements to current products to marketing strategies regarding product naming and demographic targeting.  For example, says Simpson, if a large number of the ideas center on phone use in the kitchen a “mom” or “family” demographic would be strongly considered.

My thoughts always turn to PR and communications opportunities that can develop from well-managed crowdsourcing. A “made for the people by the people” message can certainly resonate for companies that develop consumer-specified products. Likewise, the likelihood of a brand activating legions of evangelists to communicate its value proposition is greatest when the community’s own ideas are baked in. And along the way that effort can pick up media attention and blog posts like this one.

I’m interested in examples of companies either designing or stumbling upon media coverage based on crowdsourcing projects, if you have them to share. Tales of companies – whether household names or not – collaborating openly with customers can definitely create an impact.

Image: The Go Daddy Group

Earlier this year Go Daddy crowdsourced a “Create Your Own Commercial” contest that generated hundreds of submissions by customers, fans and creatives. The top eight videos split $250,000 in prize money. Not bad.

The company looks to keep a good thing going with the “Go Daddy Commercial Contest: Summer Edition,” and expects the sequel to be a blockbuster. Continuing the project speaks well to crowdsourcing’s value.

Go Daddy stands to again benefit from a slew of new user-generated commercials containing creative ideas the company itself probably would not have come up with on its own  - the beauty of innovation and collaboration that is crowdsourcing.

The company has committed at least $500,000 in prize money, so a fair investment is involved yet the volume of submissions is likely to be in the hundreds and return on award cash in terms of creative options, production value, social networking and web traffic could liken the half-million price tag to a Kmart blue light special.

Participants get an even bigger piece of the action too this time around. The grand prize is $250,000, the runner up will take home $150,000 and third prize will claim $75,000.  Any entries worthy of honorable mention will be awarded $25,000 for their time, and the incentives keep coming. A “campaign bonus” of $100,000 is available for a contestant who submits three or more themed ads Go Daddy takes a shine to.

While fan-based advertising submissions are nothing new, I can appreciate that Go Daddy isn’t being lazy monetarily in order to encourage engagement and creativity. The company isn’t shy about asking professional agencies to compete either. RedTie Productions won the first contest with an entry title “Go Momma.”

Marianne Curran, executive vice president of media and communications for Go Daddy, answered some questions for me recently about her company’s crowdsourced marketing mindset.

RZ: What was the catalyst for Go Daddy’s video contests?

MC: We’re always looking for new ways to get our message out. Since we often hear from our customers about our ads, we decided to engage them via the social community. We’re looking for people who can translate their passion for our products into advertising suggestions. We came up the contest idea and once we launched it took off.

RZ: What benefits did you anticipate from crowdsourcing commercials?

MC: We launched the contest during the Super Bowl earlier this year and it exceeded our expectations. We had hundreds of submissions with about 500 entries making the cut for judging. The social chatter, ideas shared and online community voting alone have made the project valuable. The videos have been great for sharing on social networks. One video has had over 80,000 views on our website and more than 175,00 views on YouTube.

We’ve also used some of the top clips from the original contest in our national broadcast media schedule.

RZ: Any key learnings thus far?

MC: Listening to and collaborating with the social community is key throughout the process. When the challenge went out for the first contest our community told us that increasing the prizes would generate more interest and greater quality entries. We took their suggestion. Bob Parsons, our CEO, added additional winners including five honorable mention awards that were $15,000 each for the first contest. Overall, the contests have allowed us to have back-and-forth dialog with some of our most passionate customers who’ve been able to contribute to a well-known brand image and add their creative interpretation to our advertising messages.

Videos from the first Go Daddy contest can be viewed here, and go-getters interested in throwing their hat in the ring for the current contest can find details at www.GoDaddy.com/Contest.

Will a fan-produced commercial get the Go Daddy treatment for next year’s Super Bowl. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Go Bears!

(Go Daddy also appears in my August “Digital Dialogue” column for the Public Relations Society of America’s Tactics journal.)

This post also appears in the August issue of “PR Tactics,” published by the Public Relations Society of America.

What do you do when your organization is known for its creativity and you want to turn it up a notch?

For Go Daddy, the Web domain registrar and provocative Super Bowl advertiser asked customers to help.  The company’s “Create Your Own Commercial” contest yielded hundreds of submissions with the top eight videos splitting $250,000 in prize money.  First place winner RedTie Productions learned of their selection by seeing its ad air during ABC’s Indianapolis 500 telecast this past May.

Go Daddy’s contest achieved more than just goodwill and social media exposure.  The company acquired new commercials containing ideas it would not have conceived on its own for much less than it would have cost otherwise.

“The contest was a first for us,” says Marianne Curran, executive vice president of media and communications at Go Daddy.  “Our customers’ creativity generated hundreds of thousands of online views and brought additional traffic to our site.”

She says Go Daddy will air the commercials during national programming and measure results to guide next steps.

Crowdsourcing — engaging people to openly share and develop ideas, often via social networks — is paying dividends for Web-savvy communicators.

Shiv Singh, director of digital for Pepsico North America Beverages and author of  “Social Media Marketing For Dummies,” suggests that you crowdsource every product or campaign before launch.

“Campaigns that do well online do so largely because consumers share videos and information on social networks,” he says. “Consumers now expect to be part of a brand’s creative process. Smart communicators need to make sure their audiences are included every step of the way.”

Singh says public relations can help organizations go beyond customer-created ads by using crowdsourcing to impact real world events.

For example,  Victoria’s Secret mapped out a college tour by asking its Facebook community which campuses to visit and Pepsi’s Refresh Project encourages people to contribute ideas and vote on how it disperses millions of dollars among charitable projects.

Sustaining critical mass
Successful crowdsourcing requires compelling a large audience to take action.

And according to Singh, nobody has a deeper experience collaborating with audiences than public relations. PR practitioners can extend crowdsourcing through a program’s lifespan. He adds that public relations must help balance three challenges when managing audience engagement.

• Realize that engaging customers online invariably means that you will share some secrets about your strategy.  This puts competitiveness at risk, but if you do not share enough details, then customers may not participate.
• Demonstrate concern for customer privacy.  When seeking new ideas, you may need to share more information about customers’ behaviors than is normally in the public domain. Private online communities like Communispace mitigate this issue but may not yield accurate customer representation; and crowdsourcing as a PR angle itself is diminished when public collaboration is removed.
• Consider what you’ll do if customers help design a new product or campaign that you’re not happy with. Do you go forward or pull the plug?

Each challenge involves keeping many people happy and requires making tough decisions when developing your strategies. However, the benefits of finding the right balance can be significant: empowered customers who regularly share fresh ideas at little or no cost to you.

Ryan Zuk, APR, is a media and analyst relations professional and Phoenix PRSA Chapter member. Zuk can be reached @ryanzuk on Twitter. He also blogs at criticalmasspr.com and can be reached at ryanzuk at gmail dot com

This post also appears as the July Digital Dialogue column in “Public Relations Tactics,” a publication of the Public Relations Society of America.

Can you, your clients or your spokespeople be considered thought leaders in the digital era without a blog?

Joe Pulizzi, author of “Get Content Get Customers,” founder of Junta42, a content marketing advisory, and creator of the Content Marketing Institute, posed this question in a recent blog post.

“You can’t be taken seriously by business audiences unless you have a blog in the mix,” Pulizzi explained during a phone discussion, also noting that blogs are simply delivery mechanisms. Sharing your insights consistently is the true yardstick, according to Pulizzi, regardless of format. And while it is certainly possible to do business without a blog, having one is a key ingredient for establishing and sustaining online presence.

On a World Wide Web full of Twitter following, Facebook friending and YouTube viewing, it is easy to lose sight of blogging’s benefits. Blogs remain the most flexible online format for professional communicators.

Technorati’s most recent State of the Blogosphere report, released in April, found that 70 percent of nearly 3,000 bloggers surveyed say they are better known in their industries because of their blogs.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn, a PR and social media consultant based in Washington, D.C., is a believer. She started her Mopwater PR + Media Notes blog in November 2008, and has since seen her client roster grow and has had more speaking and training opportunities.

“People remember the Mopwater name, which has become an excellent icebreaker during networking events,” she says. “Blogging helps me stand out in the competitive D.C. region. People may forget about a specific PR project I managed, but my blog is always there archiving my expertise and advice. When people read its quality, they are instant believers.”

Her sentiments echo a common theme: Traditional journalists often prioritize interviews with bloggers because they see proof of expertise through a blog. Well-written, tagged and search-optimized blogs are their directories.

Pulizzi concentrates on frequent blog posts rather than press releases to promote Junta42, and says he receives three or four solid interview requests per week.

He finds that the most charismatic bloggers do not merely regurgitate the latest stats or trends about their industries, they offer opinions and analysis. They also expand their content’s reach, sharing it across Twitter, Facebook and other networks.

Blogging, then, is not only their central self-publishing outlet and home base; it is their resume for attracting new opportunities.

In addition, lacking a blog can potentially be perceived as lacking relevance within an industry. Blogs are the fabric of online communication, serving as outright thought leadership vehicles and behind-the-scenes content management systems. They require a time commitment, plus mind-set and priority shifts for those who haven’t yet tried one. Blogs are inexpensive (often free) and fully at our disposal. As professional communicators, we ought to maximize their use.

Ryan Zuk, APR, is a media and analyst relations professional and Phoenix PRSA Chapter member. Zuk can be reached at ryanzuk at gmail dot com and @ryanzuk on Twitter. He also blogs at criticalmasspr.com

Image: American City Business Journals

Three Phoenix Business Journal staff members were guests this week at Phoenix PRSA’s Media Breakfast. Each shared insights about busy times in the modern newsroom and how public relations professionals can work in sync with journalists to benefit stakeholders and audiences alike.

Their comments, while provided with their own publication in mind, can certainly apply to the journalism and PR professions at large. A few observations from the morning’s panel discussion.

On story life cycle

Ilana Lowery, (Editor): We publish online and in print. The difference with our weekly print stories is there’s more time to develop these. We’ll often present various perspectives in a series of online stories that build up to a more in-depth print article with new content added. This cycle presents multiple opportunities for subject matter experts to assist us and potentially become part of the developing stories.

Adam Kress (Multimedia Reporter): The days of having a story you can sit on for a while are long gone. There are two general modes of operation: breaking a story immediately or building an in-depth story as we go; regarding the latter start the information sharing process with us early to assist our research and generate the most value from your efforts.

Mike Sunnucks (Senior Reporter): The difference between blogs and articles for us presently is that our blogs function as informal and quick analysis. Our reporters choose what to blog on independently, with occasional suggestions from our web editor. Some of these ideas graduate into more comprehensive stories.

Lowery: There is so much more to a story beyond what’s in a press release. That’s really just the basic information. Be creative, your clients can probably give you trends about their industries. You need this. We’re not here to do feature stories on your clients, so this is a way in to help your clients become industry sources. Ask them what is really happening in their space and bring it to us.

Sunnucks: And note here that there is almost always room for new sources. We don’t want to quote the same three subject experts every time. We want to focus on people behind the businesses and their specific challenges. Citing an economist for facts and perspective is a valuable thing, yet quoting a small business owner’s firsthand account of economic hardship can be even more revealing, for example.

On corporate newsrooms and brand journalism

I asked the panel about the value they find in corporate online newsrooms or web site press pages, especially given the explosion of social networking tools now available. I asked this with the concept of corporate or brand journalism in mind (businesses publishing their own content online from a market rather than blatant sales and marketing perspective).

Sunnucks: An executive blog or similar thought leadership pieces on your site can be valuable if they are truly insightful about an industry or trend, and not scripted.

Lowery: Consumer or business-to-consumer stories, for example, are some of the most viewed. These are usually data driven, so rankings, lists and stats are most compelling. Consider these types of information in your posts and more editors are likely to take notice.

Kress: We definitely find business sites that offer up-to-date fact sheets and contact information helpful. Sites that take it beyond the normal press release links also offer video and audio clips that we might use portions of as quotes or simply check out to determine if we want to give you a call. The point is to illustrate that you know what you’re talking about.

Of course, if you have a client or executive with a lot of insight on a specific subject it still helps to send a brief email to reporters you know noting these credentials.

On being a good resource, and working outside the norm

Sunnucks: Don’t overlook that we need help on the difficult stories too. We realize you don’t normally gravitate towards negative or challenging issues, although offering your thoughts on a tough issue helps us present a more complete story to our readers, and ultimately it’s human nature to remember who helps us do that.

Kress: Similarly, bring us ideas for stories that do not involve your clients. Just simply being helpful for the sake of it is a great way to endear yourself to reporters. We then have a relationship based on back and forth information sharing and getting to know each other along the way. When you really do have a valuable client story to suggest, our familiarity with you will help that cause.

Thanks Ilana, Mike and Adam for offering your time. Also thanks to Paula Pedene and the Phoenix VA Medical Center for hosting a packed house, and Alison Bailin of HMA Public Relations for coordinating.

Claiming he decided this morning, LeBron James moments ago announced this evening on ESPN to all the world that he’ll grace the NBA’s Miami Heat with his athletic talents and star power for the next several years – a payday worth multiple millions for King James. The news and drawn out moments leading up to “The Decision,” as ESPN marketed it, has dominated sports media and lit up social networks for weeks. I tend to prefer lofty titles after a significant event has occurred – in this context Michael Jordan’s “The Shot” or “The Shot II” – yet it’s hard to blame ESPN for hyping this announcement given the competition for short attention spans in a crowded media landscape.

LeBron’s move impacts many things including but not limited to big brand endorsements, ticket revenue, ideally his new team’s winning percentage, the city he is leaving behind and also how businesses can promote relatively intangible events like where someone will work next. Even Brett Favre’s annual “will he or won’t he play” drama pales in comparison. Granted, LeBron had extra time this summer when his then Cleveland Cavaliers exited the NBA Playoffs early May 13th.

That time appears to have been used wisely by LeBron’s camp, as team after team made their best attempts to woo him while the media that matter most to James and the NBA pretty much followed his every move; a luxury by PR standards and understandable based on the performances James turns in.

Social media is likewise becoming a piece of James’ communication strategy. He signed up for Twitter just this week and quickly amassed 325,000 followers as noted by USA Today’s Jon Swartz and others. He hasn’t used it much but promised responses after – or perhaps during – tonight’s event. It will be interesting to see if social networking becomes a significant component of LeBron’s marketing.

What can we glean from the hoopla as marketers and communicators?

Developing charisma and leveraging your talent draws opportunities. It’s analogous to content marketing too – create compelling content and business will come to you. Consider this on your own scale. What do you have that can attract your target audience? Maybe it’s a differentiating product feature, but more likely there’s a personality on your team ideal for conveying the story you want to tell. Identify that combo and it’s nothing but net!

The lure of exclusivity remains a viable option in a wired world. ESPN was a logical choice for the made-for-TV special and ratings should be rewarding. More specifically, keeping mums with your chosen media about your timed news helps generate powerful buzz. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban blogged earlier today that he couldn’t spot a leak when offering his witty PR-focused observations, so he ventured a guess. Anticipation begets drama begets coverage.

It’s always about relationships. And it’s especially about establishing them before you need them. LeBron’s talent and celebrity naturally garners media attention, yet this applies to him as well. Seven seasons have nurtured many marquee media relationships for LeBron and the NBA. Apply these to a seemingly common event as who an athlete will play for next and we have a nice example of relationship leveraging, blog and social network momentum and a dash of crowdsourcing with all the predictions that lead up to LeBron’s selection.

If nothing else, it was a polarizing marketing moment for Brand LeBron and the NBA.

I attended Gartner’s 360 Customer Summit this week as a Sage North America representative. Two sessions lead by Paul Greenberg, author of CRM at the Speed of Light – 4th Edition, were among the highlights. Many opportunities for PR  and communicators at large to help advance Social CRM (customer relationship management) surfaced within the sessions. Note that I’m not trying to evoke the “who owns social” debate here, but rather reinforce as many have that this is everyone’s space to engage in and benefit from.

Strategies for Engaging the Social Customer that Actually Work (Session 1)

Paul’s first session included Heidi Tucker of InsideView, Brian Komar of the Center for American Progress and Comcast’s Frank Eliason as panelists.

During a pre-panel hallway chat with Eliason he shared that PR has been one of the biggest advocates for his team’s well known customer support efforts at Comcast. He also gave nods to JetBlue and Southwest within the airline industry as prime examples of PR-lead social networking programs. Frank centered on PR’s concern for brand sentiment and reputation as reasons PR can play a major role in social media management; and he certainly wasn’t dismissing the value marketing colleagues bring to the mix as well.

As the panel progressed Paul cited Gartner’s Ed Thompson who earlier reminded consumer thinking has penetrated the enterprise, therefore we need to recognize at the end of the day we’re always dealing with consumers. At the end of BtoB there is still a C, as Paul put it.

And here we get deeper into Social CRM – Paul’s definition which includes elements he crowdsourced is good reference and grounding. You can find it in Jacob Morgan’s recent presentation (slide 27) for the Public Relations Society of America’s T3 tech communicator’s conference, and elsewhere. Open collaboration is a centerpiece of the definition supported by processes, systems etc.

I like how the “moment of truth” explanation many customer experience experts use fits here. We’re all looking to connect and solve problems through social technologies and the personal relationships they help develop, whether the “problem” is what movie to spend our leisure funds on or a much more complex personal or business issue.

Social CRM: Where is it today and where is it going tomorrow? (Session 2)

During his second session, co-presented with Gartner’s Michael Moaz, Greenberg explained that the social transformation of recent years has not been a business revolution but rather a communications revolution. Clear, concise, and I find this a nice nod to how the PR profession can participate in advancing the social web. PR practitioners, given their history and competencies, are in position to help nurture a good portion of the collaboration we seek, now in a more direct manner with customers and sort of as social glue if you will.

Dr. Natalie Petouhoff, a chief strategist for Weber Shandwick, suggested from the audience that brands need to be wary of becoming fractured if everyone in an organization is off pursuing different social media agendas.

Some orchestration is required and I think PR folks are in a great position to insert value throughout the organization-to-customer communications spectrum. Most of us have heard the saying that everyone’s job (sales, marketing, support etc) includes some PR elements. Social CRM helps emphasize and expand upon this, while presenting a wonderful opportunity to prove it out.

Moaz brought the session in for a nice landing with a well-placed Marshall McLuhan analogy – a fave among PR historians – recalling McLuhan’s “the medium is the message” proclamation. Moaz pointed out that McLuhan was talking about TV then and that we’re now always connected via mobile devices. We’re all the medium. “You’ve gotta be part of the stream,” he noted. “Businesses will go social because that is how you survive today. Resistance is futile!”

Image: Adobe.com

This post also appears in the June issue of PR Tactics, published by the Public Relations Society of America.

Internet video conferencing services have become standard issue for digitally savvy communicators. PR professionals are employing Skype, which lists more than 520 million users, and similar livestreaming tools such as Ustream and Livestream, to supplement traditional broadcast media — or circumvent them altogether. Their flexibility combined with reasonable audio/video quality has aided adoption, and practitioners should examine their capabilities for expanding reach.

Major TV networks use Skype to cost-effectively bring guests and reporters into national broadcasts. Oprah uses Skype with guests and viewers regularly.

Winfrey notes on her website that Skype “changed the way we do television.”

Last year, she appeared on a video screen in a New York Best Buy store having impromptu, comical discussions with passersby. She has also talked with newsmakers on location around the globe, such as a scientific researcher in Antarctica.

However, you don’t need a national stage to benefit from livestreaming. Professional sports, consumer technologies and even small businesses are among those tapping its potential.

Jeramie McPeek, vice president of digital communication for the Phoenix Suns, has been a Skype guest on several programs including the Row Show, a live weekly Internet show about technology in professional sports hosted by digital marketing agency row27 Studios.

His virtual appearances are timely, topical and easily produced, benefitting the Suns’ PR efforts.

McPeek finds livestreaming intriguing and plans to use it across the Suns’ digital properties.

“We’re thinking about players livestreaming from the road via their iPhones and a Skype interview with a Phoenix Mercury WNBA player traveling overseas,” he says. “Player and fan chats also seem natural.”

Technology evangelist Robert Scoble used Ustream to livecast from Facebook’s f8 2010 conference this past April. He streamed the event’s press conference for nearly a thousand viewers, offering his insights and talking with other guests along the way.

Practitioners can consider the following to achieve similar results:

Get your gear — When Oprah calls you want to be ready.  Equip your spokespeople and clients with webcams now instead of sprinting to the store during your hour of need, or missing an interview opportunity.  You can pick one up for less than $100, and newer model laptops have built-in webcams.

Enhance your message — Good communications strategies require good content, and livestreaming can help you affordably achieve volume.  Web audio and video generates some of the best audience sharing statistics. Capture short discussions with your clients for video blog posts or record podcasts. Get customers involved by encouraging user-generated content. Report from your own event by sharing a livestream feed with your social network.

Expand your reach — Geographic, time and cost barriers are now more navigable thanks to livestreaming: the keynote address that your media cannot attend in person; the last-minute news station interview request; the international industry analyst you want to feature during your press conference.  All are doable with technology and openness to virtual attendees.

Imagination is the lead ingredient since livestreaming has mitigated previously limiting production factors.  And we’re PR people at heart, so there’s plenty of that to go around.

That headline may have tripped off some grammarians’ alarms but if you’re here reading, mission accomplished!

Some thoughtful readings about business relationships and applying social media to care for them gravitated my way this week, inspiring a few thoughts that expand on each.

Identifying And Attracting Your Audience

Perusing a print copy of BtoB’s 2010 Lead Generation Guide surfaced “Social media tips for demand generation” by Marketo’s Maria Pergolino. Maria includes seed nurturing among her methods for developing business leads, noting this is a vital early-stage part of the sales process. Content marketing (or Inbound Marketing as well branded by the HubSpot folks) is then emphasized to which I say “Bravo,” and I’d add a reminder that content offered in various social sharing forms (eBooks, podcasts, communities, etc) succeeds most when it refrains from chest-thumping. Share information prospects need to answer urgent questions even if only mildly associated with your product or service. When you do, as Pergolino notes: expect prospects to return for more content and be more willing to share their own information.

I then started thinking about personalized ways to develop and maintain relationships that now days often begin online before any face-to-face interaction occurs. Valerie Simon from BurrellesLuce shared a nice post recently with suggestions for bridging virtual relationships into real acquaintances. She outlined these with her attendance at today’s PRSA T3 conference for technology communicators in mind. You can draw upon these in nearly any situation. Important here is that you will get the most value using the social media tools that best suit your audience. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore other channels yet emphasizes you don’t have to be all things, and everywhere, for all people. Valerie suggests many good options to consider. Knowing where your audience “participates” and spending a large degree of your time sharing there is the ticket!

Engaging That Audience

Denis Pombriant’s “Membership is not participation” post next caught my attention. Denis aptly reminds us that membership in and of itself does not translate to participation. Commenting and contributing content are typical activities that qualify online community members as participants. Call this giving something of value to the community at large. Denis references crowdsourcing and diversity, to which I’ll add that people most naturally contribute to communities based on their areas of expertise. This alone goes a long way towards generating value out of diversity. From there it’s a shared responsibility between a community’s purveyor (a vendor, organization, business person, fan, thought provoker) and its members to keep conversations worthwhile. Recognize and encourage insightful participants to further enlighten the group and keep at offering your own thoughts too. In an attention-deprived culture large membership numbers are impressive but not the only criteria for defining a community’s or company’s success.