As B2B marketers continue to wrestle with the ROI of social media a recent survey indicates that it is being used by millennial B2B buyers to gather information, seek advice and comment upon the B2B buying decisions that they are making.

Earlier this month, RAGAN’s PR Daily put out a piece called “12 traits of highly successful people”. As I read it, I couldn’t help but think that many of these same principles (most of which ring so true) also apply to successful B2B organizations.

In two previous posts, I suggested the Millennial cohort is moving into B2B management positions. New research from The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project sheds more light on how their tech-savvy, always-on nature may inform the B2B purchase decisions they are increasingly a part of.

Video is everywhere and consumers are embracing it. Over the past few years, we have seen the amount of time consumers spend watching video skyrocket. In B2B public relations, there are many ways to effectively integrate video into campaigns to engage your audiences.

A press release has always been seen as a platform to send a message, but in today’s digital world it is much more than that. Despite some claims that press releases are no longer an effective way to communicate, the opposite is actually the truth - a press release is the hub of activity.

The stats are all over the board regarding the B2B benefits of Facebook, with much of the feedback indicating a lag in Facebook popularity compared to other social media outlets for usefulness in B2B. Statistics aside, if you’re one of those in the “I’m skeptical about Facebook” camp here are several considerations that might help you rethink your position.

As B2B marketing efforts become more integrated, the line between paid, shared and earned media is becoming blurred. A successful marketing plan must incorporate all three, with focused messaging and strategic outreach. Find out what role PR plays in the overall marketing plan.

We must optimize PR efforts for search using tools and keywords that empathize with all audiences. Let's talk about SEO using a tried-and-true PR acronym, RACE. Fortunately, optimizing PR for search is a RACE you can win. Find out how.

How can you utilize breaking events and viral news to your advantage? Here’s a suggestion from David Meerman Scott: Figure out how to get your message in the second paragraph.

Spokesperson training is critical for any employee that will speak on behalf of the organization and that training must include social media engagement.

If we only look at your company’s “news,” we are going to miss a lot of great placement opportunities. There’s “news” – something inherently new, noteworthy or different that’s also timely. But there’s also “thought leadership” – valuable information, based on your own experience and perspective within the industry.

As a B2B communications professional, I’ve realized that being fully immersed in social media has taught me a valuable lesson: Less is more. One of the most important things we can take away from Twitter’s little blue birdie is the ability to write concisely.

By now, you certainly have heard the term thought leadership around meetings or business dinners. It’s an up-and-coming concept in the marketing world, including B2B. It’s a radically different way of considering leadership – it doesn’t travel from top to bottom through the ranks, but outward to a whole industry— and it changes how people think.

Millennials are moving onto B2B buying teams and influencing product and service purchase decisions. Are you ready to communicate with them?

How do companies go about creating a corporate social responsibility program? Here are a few simple steps.

Last fall I had the opportunity to attend PR News’ Digital PR Summit in New York City. The one-day seminar was filled with information on social media platforms, how to include social media in B2B PR campaigns and how to maintain and build relationships with editors through social media.

The Public Relations Society of America recently unveiled their list of 12 trends that will change the PR industry in 2012. Noted on this list is the convergence of brand management and reputation management functions within organizations.

Media interviews can be intimidating, however, there are several techniques that a spokesperson can implement which will allow them to succeed at any interview. There are several myths that spokespeople cannot afford to believe as well as tips and tricks to help the spokesperson stay on message.

Workhorse PR can reliably deliver good results year after year. With the rise in social media and other direct channels, is it time to implement more “racehorse” PR?

While B2B journalists are using social media more than ever, they still rely heavily on company contacts and industry sources to research, report and write about breaking news and emerging trends in the B2B space.

As marketers and professionals, our clients rely on us to be knowledgeable about of lot of subjects. It’s not surprising then, that many of us fall into the trap of feeling that we have to know everything. Here’s everything you wanted to know about questions, but were afraid to ask.

Media monitoring should be used to gauge public opinion, track issues and warn us of pending crises. It should be comprehensive and include all things digital. No matter your budget, you can still start some monitoring now. 

What is the relationship between profanity and marketing? Between profanity and business in general? Are there times when profanity is acceptable, and further, actually encouraged? This blog examines the power of those four to five-letter words.

As hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, there is no point in bothering to go where the action has been, but rather it is more important to go where the action will be. That concept, my friends, is true for so many things in life—not just hockey, but also to social media and measuring its success.

Customer intimacy is about trust. As B2B marketers, we need to be willing to make investments now that will help us become more intimate with our clients. And, as social media becomes more and more popular in B2B, we need to be aware of how it is changing the way that we interact with our customers.

Recently I’ve been testing the grounds with my twitter account and have started to follow the B2B trade publications and editors that I work with on a daily basis.

After relying on advertising value equivalents (or AVE) for measuring media coverage, I've decided that it’s time to move on.

The public relations landscape has changed dramatically but there are some tried and true “rules” to follow when pitching to the media that will never change.

How does public relations follow the motto of the Boy Scouts? When it comes to dealing with a crisis, you don’t know what may happen but you can take steps to be prepared for managing the communications.

The term “public relations” means many things to many people.  Even in my own company, there’s a difference of opinion.

The earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster in Japan may affect your B2B products or supply chain. Communicating with your customers and markets is essential during a time of high uncertainty. Hopefully you have a crisis communications plan in place.

Suggested tools to help you find relevant conversations in social media.

By now you’ve heard that good content is key to successfully attracting, interacting and engaging with customers online. In fact, this concept is so important that some companies have established the COO - chief content officer.

You’ve heard some great predictions for the New Year, but let’s be honest, 2010 was just too good to let go. And that’s why we here at Godfrey have compiled a 5 track, 13 disk compilation of what, in our fast-paced marketing world, are already oldies but goodies.

Searching for a lesson in knowing when to clarify your position, do right by a wronged customer or let the venting permeate and eventually disperse.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings

This month’s collection of all things Social Media sees another UI change at Facebook, proof Google cares what you think and putting blogs in the hands of the professionals.

It's easy to find resources to help when you need to come up with a creative idea. But what about those times when you have the perfect idea but aren't sure what to do next?

I remember taking a journalism class back in college where the professor harped on using the same adjectives more than once in a story. He urged us to be more creative to come up with different adjectives, and would even dock points if we duplicated words.

There is a running joke around the office about my "love" of twitter. So, it was not surprising when my colleagues asked if I will run out and buy a Ford after the news that twitter will be incorporated into future Ford Motor Co. vehicles. (And, the answer is no, by the way.)