pr20chat.com is Resource for PR Pros, Business Owners

Announcements — By Melanie McIntyre on January 10, 2011 at 8:00 am

An online hub for discussing public relations and social media best practices, trends, and what’s next launched during the holidays, and already has more than 100 registered users.

The hub −pr20chat .com− is a spinoff of the weekly PR 2.0 Twitter chat (#pr20chat) focused on the same topics and co-moderated by Heather Whaling and Justin Goldsborough.

pr20chat.com is expected to attract PR professionals and small business owners who want to better understand digital PR.

“Our goal is to provide a place where people can network, share resources, and learn from each other,”says Whaling, president of Geben Communication, a Columbus-based PR consultancy that works for small- to mid-size businesses and nonprofits.

Whaling and Goldsborough −who works for Fleishman-Hillard Kansas City, where he specializes in digital strategy and education− have co-moderated the PR 2.0 Twitter chat since January 2010.

Over time, the duo has received numerous requests from people who frequently join the Twitter chat, yet want to be involved in the community, Whaling says.

“Plus, I know there are a lot of people interested in PR who aren’t on Twitter yet or aren’t comfortable with the very public nature of Twitter chats,” she adds. “Hopefully, this site will give them an opportunity to learn, network, and share resources in a more comfortable setting, at their convenience.”

The site features forums and groups created for blogger outreach, business-to-business and business-to-consumer PR, as well as social media, nonprofits, and analyst relations.

“By creating groups and forums that focus on these topics, we’re helping connect with other members who share similar interests,” Whaling says. “We created these initial groups, but if someone identifies the need for additional areas of focus, they can create new topic areas, as well. We want the community to drive how the site evolves, ensuring it meets their specific needs.”

In the months ahead, Whaling and Goldsborough plan to offer exclusive members-only content to increase membership and add value.

On Twitter, Heather Whaling is @prTini and Justin Goldsborough is @jgoldsborough.

Author Bio: Melanie McIntyre:
Melanie McIntyre has served as editorial director of The Metropreneur since its launch in 2010. She previously worked as a staff writer for a business and legal newspaper, where she wrote more than 500 stories about finance and real estate and development in Central Ohio. Since 2008, Melanie has worked on a freelance basis for several local entities, including Columbus Underground, where she is a featured writer. She also blogs about fashion, style, and pop culture at Thoroughly Modern Melly. Melanie is a graduate of The Ohio State University, lives in the Short North, and enjoys reading and running.