This post was mentioned on Twitter by broganmedia: Found this neat: An Open Letter to My Audience: What Do YOU Need From Me? http://bit.ly/aj25jU...

Pitch the new media as an opportunity to talk to the people they serve, as well as interesting other people in visiting the area.

Say you have a Town that twitters, The Mayor or whomever is put in charge of that, they should highlight local Garage Sale days, give shoutouts to Church picnics, Highlight Poker/Fun Runs and charities, as well as local businesses to patronize.

If you're in the water department, use it as a platform to teach the residents about their water system. If you're using a monster from the 1960s, tweet about all the makeshift repairs and possible epidemics that could be spread. Show the people how you're committed to giving them the safest, cleanest water for them and their children.

Street department: Can take reports of issues with potholes, non-functioning street lights. Were the lights (every other one) turned off because of budget woes?

There's no end to the possibilities. YES there will be chronic complainers and people making a nuisance of themselves, there always are. BUT you will find that engaging with people over their concerns and having the ability to speak with, not just pronounce TO, will keep you getting elected or keep you employed.

You can sit down and formulate plans with each of the departments that are going to tweet. On various issues to educate the public about, and share links to online content such as NEW state standards for tree trimming or what-not.

The only problems that might crop up are someone hacking the account, and PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE (the government people).

Tell these people that if they can't justify their jobs to the people they are supposed to be serving, then they should resign and let someone who needs a job, and who will do their best to serve the people take their place.

I work for local government. I'm dragging these people kicking and screaming into the 21st century and I'm not getting much help. I have public record laws to deal with and layer upon layer of bureaucracy. Most of that isn't your problem, but here is how you can help.

How do you sustainably create content on a single subject – as any agency might have to? How do you attract users/readers that primarily are using social media for entertainment? How do you address critics that say government employees shouldn't be “playing online”?

Keep up the good work.

When blogging for business, speak the way you'd want businesses to perceive you if they were sitting beside you. Your words and your actions end up telling the same story in the long run, so as long as you know what your story is, the tone finds itself.

It is a crying shame that small and medium enterprises (the group that do much for the economy and employment) are not profiled more often. Most of us are not big and never will be (and will never have Frank Eliason on our payroll).