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.

I had a fun phone conversation with Deirdre Breakenridge and Valerie Simon not long ago which formed the basis of my April PRSA Tactics article “Building an online community with PRStudChat.” PRStudChat, created by Breakenridge and Simon, in their own words is “a monthly Twitter chat bringing together PR students, professionals and educators for conversation about the Public Relations Industry and to provide opportunities for learning, networking and mentoring.”

I pop in the chat and read ongoing #prstudchat hashtag comments when I’m able and find the community to be all its creators claim and more. I think one of the most impressive indicators of an online community’s success is how it expands beyond its original boundaries – not in an out of control fashion of course, but rather in ways that further benefit its members. There’s plenty of value tucked right inside the monthly PRStudChat sessions themselves, and still I’ve also noticed instances where the community has opened doors to provide its members new opportunities. That’s what it ought to do right? I’m sure there are many more examples than the following.

University professors and students are threading the PRStudChat community into their curriculum. Breakenridge for example was interviewed via Skype by University of Maryland’s Rowena Briones. Portions were used in a PR class and also featured on Mikinzie Stuart’s PRepguide blog.

Real life mentoring opportunities are being created. Speaking of Mikinzie, she’s a PR student at Ferris State University who visited Breakenridge and Simon in New Jersey over her spring break to shadow each on the job. A brilliant and responsible use of one’s extra curricular time.

Career-supportive connections are being made. I sense this myself when connecting on Twitter with PRStudChat members and professional communicators across the board, as well as while observing others publicly communicate online. These are professional connections that can benefit us all, and our employers and clients, as time progresses. Helping others connect and do business always brings the goodness back to you one way or another.

Which brings me to tomorrow’s April 21st Noon Eastern PRStudChat that offers another concrete example of this community’s growth and networking value. The April chat features guests from five organizations who are responsible for PR recruiting. Firms represented are Fleishman Hilliard, Marina Maher Communications, Ogilvy, Paradigm Staffing, Qorvis Communications and RKPR. No doubt some ideal pairings will be made.

Good going PRStudChat and, for that matter, other online and Twitter communities like #pr20chat and #journchat for bringing talented people together and focusing them on solving problems, aiding each other’s career paths, and for generally having a good time doing it.

There are many vibrant communities and chats out there for PR practitioners and marketers. Any favorites you recommend?

Image Valerie Simon, BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas Blog

The first ever “Help a PR Pro Out” Day Twitter chat (hashtag #HAPPO) happens this Friday Feb. 19^th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This post is but one of many from bloggers supporting awareness of the event. Leave it to PR and communications folks to conceive and rally around a meaningful and timely event that has the capacity to help many job seekers, and likely create some new friendships along the way. If the turn out for #HAPPO is anything like mainstay PR-themed chats including #journchat and #prstudchat, it’s sure to be a critical mass moment on the social web (trending on Twitter and such).

Valerie Simon of BurrellesLuce teamed with digital communications consultant Arik Hanson to hatch HAPPO. She says “the great thing about HAPPO is that it helps everyone realize how social media can empower people to leverage their most valuable resources – their time and networks – to help others.”

Simon, a true social media sharer if there ever was one, thinks there’s a little something for everyone in the #HAPPO event, whether you are a job seeker, employer or helpful PR pro. She points to recent growth indicators for the PR profession as favorable timing for the event. Her advice for Friday: “Don’t necessarily think of yourself but of others who may be suitable for positions you’re aware of. Using our collective relationships we can all help some people out.”

I must admit I like the vibe … helping others will eventually bring some goodness back to you. And this is the ideal mantra for social networking outright. I wouldn’t be surprised if HAPPO itself becomes a mainstay.

The HAPPO event will go something like this … PR pros seeking employment should prepare a creative blog post to share on Twitter Friday, using the #HAPPO hashtag in their tweet. Employers can share links to career opportunities with a team of dedicated HAPPO bloggers (link below), and PR professionals can jump in and help connect those seeking and offering jobs using the #HAPPO hashtag as well. I assume college students approaching graduation are welcome to participate as well. Makes good sense. (Fyi, I featured two savvy PRSSA students in my PR Tactics column this month, “Getting ahead of the class, social media style.”)

Abbie Fink, VP & GM of HMA Public Relations, plans to be a HAPPO contact here in Phoenix. I can assure that you’re in good hands networking with Abbie, this Friday or anytime. And as for Friday she simply notes she’s “happy to hook up quality people with great jobs!”

HAPPO Fast Facts

• What – “Help a PR Pro Out” Day social networking event
• When – Friday Feb. 19^th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern
• Where – Twitter (use #HAPPO hashtag)
• Why – C’mon, it’s the spirit of networking and sharing social media style
• How You Can Help – share career resources, opportunities and network contacts; and spread the word online
• For Best Experience – consider using TweetGrid or HootSuite to keep up with the #HAPPO hashtag action
• Regional contacts – Valerie Simon’s HAPPO blog post includes a list of contacts
• Keep A Lookout For – regional hashtags that you can follow i.e. #happodc or #happoaz