A couple of years ago, viral videos were the rage and everyone wanted to have a video that people would forward to each other. Then businesses started to believe blogging was the best way to reach the world.

This year, we're seeing the hype expand to include social networks and social media.

The truth is that, trendiness aside, social networks really can have value in an organization's marketing--and beyond marketing, in operations and other areas.

Here are some ways revitalization groups, businesses, and others can use social networks:

Monitor public perception: Track mentions of your topic on blogs and microblogs. Use Tweet Scan and Google Alerts to have emails sent to you when a name or topic is mentioned on the web. Respond directly--offline--to the poster to gather more info or to address misperceptions.

Share plans and solicit input: On a Web site, post ideas in progress and solicit feedback -- but only if you're willing to honestly consider and use the feedback. Use offline media (print and broadcast) to drive people to the Web site.

Recruit and organize volunteers: Create a database of interested, active volunteers, then give them a task to do. Or, better yet, ask them what they think they should do to help, and then offer tools for them to connect with each other to get it done. Provide clear guidelines on how projects are evaluated for support and funding, then post a list of ideas that were backed and those that were turned down.

Offer a human face for the organization: Create a blog that shows the organization at work. Be real--share ups and downs. Allow comments only if you have the resources to monitor and respond. If a blog is too much work, create a bookmark list on Delicious (www.delicious.com) highlighting news and resources of interest, and embed it in your Web site.

Keep in mind that you still need to create an overall vision and strategy. Social networks work best as part of a larger plan.

Still, if your efforts are sincere and supported by the rest of your plan, you'll get back at least as much as you put in. And you have the chance to receive an exponentially larger return via true community engagement.

Imagine a volunteer-based organization that always had people on-hand to do work--even physical projects; that had enough money to fund improvements and to plan for future expansion; that regularly held events and enjoyed big community turnouts; that dealt with setbacks calmly and with a sense of perspective.

It might sound like a fairy tale, until you spend a little time with the Butler-Freeport Trails Council.

Recently, I attended one of the council's monthly meetings. It was the largest volunteer-based meeting I've attended in a while, with about 30 people there. The meeting was lively, and input and commentary weren't confined to only a few people.

The Butler-Freeport Trails Council is notable for getting things done: trail improvements, trail extensions, facility development, community involvement.

I think they've been successful for a few reasons:

•    They inspire people, inside the organization and outside it, with their vision. A few indefatigable individuals started the project with a vision, and were able to communicate this vision to create a team dedicated to the cause. Over time, the project acquired a momentum and life of its own.

•    They communicate, with regular and open meetings, newsletters, email lists, a Web site, a Facebook group, and more. They use every available channel to connect with the community and with each other.

•    Their processes are transparent. Work is discussed openly in regular meetings, and credit is given where it's due.

•    They balance project work with fund-raising, and they aggressively pursue funding sources.

•    They have a broad base of volunteers, and they invite volunteers to take on responsibility--but they also provide structure in which those volunteers can work. For example, they provide a Trail Project Worksheet and a clear process for reviewing and approving projects.

•    They complete what they set out to do.

What struck me as I sat in that meeting was the confidence that the people in the room had, individually and as a team. They believed in what they were doing, and they trusted each other to do the right thing.

They seemed to feel that any problem could be handled and that whatever happened, they would succeed. I can't imagine anything that could stand in their way.

We started Pittsburgh Bloggers in late 2004. Our goal was to make it easier to find blogs that originated in the Pittsburgh region. We knew they were out there, but no one had a definitive list, so we set out to create it.

We tried to put as few restrictions as possible on the kinds of blogs we listed.  We defined "Pittsburgh region" broadly--I lived and worked then, as now, about an hour's drive north of the city, and I wanted to be included on the fun; plus we recognized that the area in which residents define themselves as "Pittsburghers" extends well beyond the city limits.

We also decided to include blogs written far away, as long as they regularly included content about Pittsburgh or the region. That way, a blogger in Colorado who was a fan of the Steelers could be part of the local sports conversation.

The site has grown steadily since the start: From an initial list of a few dozen blogs on a range of topics, it's grown to include over 900 sites, including blogs, podcasts, and other variants of social media. It has been useful in finding and following blogs on various topics, although we never have enough time to make all the technological improvements we have planned.

But what I think is more interesting than the Pittsburgh Bloggers directory is the physical, in-person community that is connected with it.

Bloggers have the reputation of living at their desks, never venturing out to the real world, but we regularly have strong turnouts for our quarterly BlogFests. The bloggers and podcasters who have organized three PodCamp Pittsburgh conferences seem to enjoy the camaraderie as much or more than the chance to show off their knowledge. People in the community regularly offer advice, job leads, support, and friendship to each other.

We Pittsburghers might be a bit lucky in having an ideal foundation for this kind of community to form. Our area is rich in tech-savvy people who are comfortable in the online world, so that gives us a lot of tools for communicating and organizing, for following up on ideas formed during in-person meetings. And the relatively small size of the city means that a little change can have a perceivable impact.

I don't know if other cities have the same kind of community, one that thrives both online and off. I'd like to hope they do, because it's a wonderful kind of community to be part of.

A few weeks ago, I asked some of the out-of-town speakers at PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 what they thought of the Steel City. Every one of them said they found the place varied, cultured, pretty, and just all-around nice. And every one of them was surprised about it.

The reaction is a common one. First-time visitors to Pittsburgh seem always to come expecting sooty factory-style buildings, corrosion, and unemployed steel workers wandering the streets like zombies. They find instead an intriguing skyline, a robust economy, and a lively arts and culture scene.

In Pittsburgh and throughout western Pennsylvania we spend a lot of time fretting that we're still thought to be worn out, our best days behind us--and we spend a lot of time wondering how to change perceptions. The no-fail method seems to be bringing people here to see for themselves, but until we find a way to get everyone to come in for a big old slumber party, we need an alternative.

Here it is: We're having a Neighborhood Walk. Everyone is invited. And everyone's hosting too, if they want to.

The idea came up at PodCamp, in fact. I think it was Janko of I Will Shout Youngstown who suggested it, at a session that functioned as the second Rust Belt Bloggers meeting. We are looking for ways to use social media to help "promote the urban frontier"--most specifically, the post-industrial cities in the rust belt of the U.S. and Canada.

This isn't just about Pittsburgh. The same concerns apply to other rust belt cities: Johnstown, Youngstown, Erie, Cleveland, Buffalo. We want everyone to get involved.

The Neighborhood Walk will happen Nov. 11. On that day, everyone is encouraged to take a walk around their neighborhood and to photograph or video or draw or sculpt or somehow to document it, and then to share the media they create online.

The idea is to show others where you live--the good and the bad of it, and maybe your hopes and plans for its future.

Anyone can join in--including you, Gentle Reader. It's easy to start a blog for the occasion, or to post to Facebook or whatever site you use to stay in touch. Or you can send an email to the Rust Belt Bloggers site and we'll post it for you.

What will happen? Will this event have any effect?

I predict that there will be a small turnout the first time, and that each time we repeat there will be more and more awareness. Maybe like other events it will grow slowly and then suddenly blossom exponentially.

Maybe it will flop--if we don't follow through or if we all get distracted by other issues and concerns.

Or maybe it will gradually but steadily build until it becomes a part of the national/international consciousness. That's an exciting prospect indeed.