As summer officially approaches we take a look at what’s hot this week in digital marketing and what’s especially relevant to B2B. Google will make ranking changes to its mobile versions of Google Search, so Dan Pacifico advises we keep investing in mobile-ready websites and mobile SEO. Big Data analytics can improve B2B leads through a social scoring process, which Leanne Terpak thinks can also help us better understand and target audiences and lead to faster, better marketing decisions. Andy DeBrunner gives us the line on Line, the world’s fastest-growing social network – one that seems poised for a major presence in Asia with implications for B2B. Relevant content presented quickly and easily tops the list of essentials of a great web site, says Jenn Vitello, who offers more insights in her content blog. Speaking of essentials, Andy Hunt adds perspective for all who are implementing marketing automation systems or actively using them now: don’t be afraid to make hard choices between what’s really necessary and what’s just an option. Read on. And find us again right here next week. 

This week we discover the source of missing mobile data from Google Analytics, uncover a dozen ways to make social media data more actionable and welcome YouTube’s new “One Channel” design. We have tips on how B2B marketers can curate content – as we do here – as part of an effective lead nurturing program. And noteworthy in many markets: AT&T and the iPhone will step in with Push-To-Talk services as Sprint shuts down the previous PTT darling, the Nextel network. Read on for details, and post a comment to let us know what you’d like to see more of or less of in the weeks ahead.

Penguin 2.0, a.k.a. “Penguin 4,” is the latest Google search algorithm update we now must consider. It appears that a keen focus on content, a hallmark of best B2B practice, rather than heavy reliance on external links satisfies this bird. Web analytics and the massive amount of data it can produce can be overwhelming. A savvy B2B marketer gets focused and avoids the irrelevant – below are some remarkable analytics guides to help. Vine, which we blogged about last week, is now available for Android devices, dramatically expanding its potential user base; keep considering the B2B possibilities of very short-form video integrated with Twitter and let us know what you think. Jenn Vitello notices that even B2B publishers, the kings of content, are optimizing for mobile. Maybe you should, too? Rounding things up this week, our director of marketing technology considers what makes a site highly interactive, engaging and easy to share – often qualities we want in B2B digital experience. 

This week we highlight the “conversational search” capability unveiled by Google as Dan Pacifico starts to ponder the changes ahead for B2B marketers with natural language processing applied to search. We knew mobile was claiming more traffic:  how about more than one-fifth of all content visits? Other stats from Uberflip document the rise of shareable content and the importance of video. Speaking of video, Andy DeBrunner looks at the B2B potential of Vine, Twitter’s 6-second video service -- talk about tightly crafting your message! Helping us simplify things this week is a primer on the four keys to success in marketing analytics. We wrap things up with a reminder that users – often accessing mobile devices in the field, or in less than ideal settings – deserve our consideration as we design and deliver the content they need. Enjoy.

Welcome, or welcome back as the case may be, to The B2B Weekly Roundup, where we offer our take on some of the key developments affecting B2B marketing in bite-size form. Google’s I/O conference gave us all a glimpse into the firm’s integration plans; Godfrey’s Andy Hunt assesses the impact on B2B.  Separately, we note the opportunity to highlight your company’s deep expertise via web content for improved search results. Leanne Terpak poses a few key questions for marketers on the use of Big Data and suggests the most important thing is to turn insights gleaned into useful actions.  We share the inspiring story of a 17-year-old girl who won a Twitter hackathon as an example of the creativity that awaits B2B marketers in the social media space.  And finally, in case you missed BtoB Magazine’s Media Power 50 report, it’s worth a look; after The Wall Street Journal and WSJ.com, Google and LinkedIn occupy the #2 and #3 positions in the B2B media landscape.  No further comment on that one here, for now.  Enjoy and let us know how we’re doing.

Google's I/O conference kicked off yesterday. While the conference is billed as a developer's event, it really is a showcase for all things Google. During a massive 3 hour presentation various presenters showed all kinds of things we'll be seeing in the near future pertaining to mobile, search, education, maps and on and on. I've taken a quick look to see how it might affect B2B.

As a B2B marketing pro, you have a lot to keep up with. We’re right there with you. Now we’re right here with you, too, offering our take on some of the week’s most interesting news and powerful insights in the world of business-to-business marketing and communications. As we work out the schedule and topics I hope you’ll leave comments to let us know how to improve. Out of the gate, we’re committed to covering Search, Analytics, Social Media and Content Marketing and providing an anchor Digital Trend Watch. We know you’re busy. We hope this helps by giving you a quick handle on the relevant trends. Your feedback will help us do that better. Thanks, and welcome.

Twitter released a new advertising service for any advertisers using Twitter’s advanced advertising options on Wednesday. They’re calling the new service, rather unpoetically, “Keyword Targeting in Timeline”.

Technology may have blurred the lines between B2B and B2C, but at a fundamental level those lines are still there. And blurry or not, some of them aren’t going to be crossed anytime soon. Here are six reasons why B2B and B2C will always differ.

These four ruminations might just be what you need to bring your company to the social media front.

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.

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.

Facebook® is now worth billions of dollars. But marketers are having a tough time getting dollar one from using social media. Let’s dig into why Facebook and other social media sites run into problems when evolving their business model from cultivating friendships (a.k.a., social networking) to growing cash crops.

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.

Today’s technology has so utterly changed the world of B2B insight that any organization can develop insight experts on marketing topics. This (hopefully) humorous post highlights the differences between insight efforts today and yesterday.

This month’s collection of all things Social Media takes a step back to examine the tools of the trade.

Millennials are moving onto B2B buying teams and influencing product and service purchase decisions. Are you in present in the right places to engage with them?

I was pretty blown away by South by Southwest. While it would be foolish to try and cram a week's worth of discovery into one blog post there are a couple of quick observations to be made. 

For many B2B companies with the right strategy and access to data, determining ROI can be quite simple. This post shows you how to do it.

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.

This month’s collection of all things Social Media follows the masses to Pinterest and gets nerdy with connected devices.

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

The world is stuck on the newest social media network, Pinterest. Here, I outline some starting points to explore the network and see if it’s a good fit for your B2B marketing efforts.

I know what you’re thinking. “Sure, I know everyone’s using social media, but my company sells products that cost a ton of money and sales can take years to close. I can’t generate a sale, or even a lead, for any of my products using Facebook or Twitter.” If you’ve ever said some version of that to yourself, read this article to reframe the way you might want to think about social media for your business.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month's collection of all things Social Media examines a collection of lesser known networks and the content that fuels our social habits.

More and more, we see B2B salespeople embracing social media to meet their personal sales targets. Marketing teams could learn a lot from salespeople (or their social media activities), just by asking a few questions (and spending some quality time surfing social media sites).

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.

How do you know if your social media program is really resonating with your audience? Which tweets have resulted in conversions on your website? The following blog gives some tips on how to begin setting up an analytics strategy.

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.

Google just introduced “Search Plus Your World”. What does that mean for your B2B company?

2011 was a whirlwind year for the world of digital marketing and communications. And through it all, B2B Insights was reporting live on the scene.

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.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media sees new interfaces and functionality under the tree and we get all sentimental looking at the past year’s roundups.

We know you’ve got lots of questions about social media. Here is one that you’re probably seeking answers to, but don’t need to be.

Looking back on last year’s holiday/year end post with equal parts amusement and disbelief that I could be that corny, I decided this year to focus more on what has gone right in the B2B digital world.

If I'm being completely honest, I'm probably the least "social" social media professional you know.

 A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month's collection of all things Social Media sees Wall Street looking for a deal and examines big league tweets.

We know you don’t want yet another platform to put your brand on, but Google+ isn’t going away anytime soon. An Information Architect and Social Media Manager break down what you need to know about Google+ before you create a page for your B2B company.

Recently I launched my first Facebook advertising program. I’ll be honest: I was skeptical. After all, no one clicks on those little ads—or do they?

On the surface, it may not seem as though B2B social media and construction have much in common. But if you dig a bit deeper, you’ll realize that the practical processes of the construction industry are also quite relevant in B2B social media.

As 2012 B2B marketing planning should be in full-swing, I find myself internally rationalizing the necessity of early planning. A topical analogy seems evident as the 2012 Presidential Election is one year from today.

A recent article in Ad Age presents the social media dilemma expressed by many large, global B2B companies: not knowing what to Tweet about.

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.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media looks at the latest in the mobile landscape and a power player in hosted blogging solutions.

Many companies don’t think twice about dropping tens (sometimes hundreds) of thousands on focus groups while simultaneously ignoring a golden opportunity staring them in the face with social media.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media plays politics while Google continues its quest for world domination.

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. 

In the wake of Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote presentation at the Facebook developer conference, f8, last week, there are a few new words you will need to add to your FB lexicon – real-time serendipity, open graph and timeline. In this article, we'll take a look at what each of these changes is and what it means for your business.

Today, decision-makers include Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (or Millennials) and now Gen U. Each demographic is unique. Delivering messages and information using appropriate channels is becoming more complex and challenging. Gaining insight into our audiences is critical if we hope to reach prime decision-makers.

Today, it seems that many companies think social media platforms are best used to broadcast commercials for their company or brand. The idea that social media can be used to sell! sell! sell! 24/7 is all over the place.

Question and Answer sites have been around a long time but there have been some new additions to this category, including ones that have social and search implications.

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.

Building a solid, lasting perception of your company depends on how well you align short-term marketing initiatives with larger brand objectives and common-sense brand stewardship. As you battle to defend and grow your brand, keep these five basic tips in mind...

A recent study released by the Pew Research Center found that 65 percent of adults who spend time on the Internet are using social networking sites. What does this mean for B2B marketers?

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media takes a look at how far Social Media has come and how we keep up with it.

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.

Today may have been a record setting day: Earthquakes on the East Coast AND over 7,000 webinar attendees on 'The Science of Social Media'.

Is it a good marketing practice to request retweets or does merely asking the question have an adverse effect on your followers? I find there is an argument for both sides.

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.

LinkedIn recently released their second quarter financial results, including the fact that there are now 11.5 million users. If you are looking to make the most of your company’s presence on LinkedIn, here are five suggestions for where to start.

How I learned to stop delaying and love the Chrome.

We’ve all seen the Forbes article and the studies that show us that nearly 80% of business decision-makers believe their company will experience a crisis in the next year.

Highly regulated companies inherently require more confidentiality/privacy than most. These companies often ask how they can confidently engage in social media, given all the red tape – or what seems like red tape. Here are five initial thoughts to consider.

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.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media explores bureaucracy’s move toward the instant media and we mix business with pleasure at BlackBerry’s expense.

Ten years ago if you wanted to find out more about a company or learn about its products or services, you would pick up the telephone and dial a number. After a few rings a customer service representative would pick up the phone and say, “Hi, thank you for calling [insert company name, typically followed by their slogan or catch-phrase], how may I help you today?”

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media peeks behind the curtain at Google+ and starts to look at Facebook’s “awesome” announcement.

B2B marketers can take a lesson from the Arab spring, your constituents are talking about you, are you listening?

How eliminating a $60 cable TV subscription leads to a B2B social media strategy.

A few scenarios outlining pros and cons of Groupon-like Daily Deals for B2B companies.

There’s a lot of buzz these days about B2B publishers offering more “marketing services” and thereby competing with agencies (including Godfrey) who are also traditional partners in planning and delivering marketing communications for mutual clients.

If “B2B Branding” was a company, it would have a branding problem. Too many business-to-business marketers and senior managements think branding means logos, taglines, business cards and letterhead. It’s a lot more than that today.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt
This month’s collection of all things Social Media advances the renaissance of offline social interaction and puts some price tags on this Social Media thing.

We asked our partner agencies via Worldwide Partners, "How do you see B2B social media evolving in your country?" Stephanie Bishop, Online Marketing Specialist at Brighton in St. Louis, reflects on this question and gives us her views.

We asked our partner agencies via Worldwide Partners, "How do you see B2B social media evolving in your country?" Chris Knopf, Chief Executive Officer at Mintz & Hoke in Avon, reflects on this question and gives us his views.

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.

We asked our partner agencies via Worldwide Partners, "How do you see B2B social media evolving in your country?" Lee Gatchel, Director of User Experience at Carton Donofrio Partners in Baltimore, reflects on this question and gives us his views.

In the B2B market, should email and social media compete or complement your marketing strategy tactics?

Greetings, friends and fellow industry peers. As spring raises its leery head in Central Pennsylvania, I’m reminded of all the pleasant changes that accompany this time of year – shorts, sandals, outdoor basketball, barbecues, no longer having to scrape the ice off your windshield and so much more; it’s beautiful, really.

B2B marketers know how important it is to optimize their websites for search. However, what they often fail to realize is that their search strategy must be expanded beyond their websites to be an integral part of all aspects of their comprehensive marketing strategy, including videos that are uploaded to YouTube.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media takes “Liking” offline and explores that other network...

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

It has been a few weeks since Google rolled out their +1 technology.

What is it?

In the early days of the Internet, there was tremendous enthusiasm (“irrational exuberance” was a term bandied about) for the potential of the new medium.

When the major players in social media are named, twitter always makes the list. But should it really be classified as a "social" network?

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt
This month’s collection of all things Social Media has Facebook asking questions and we are reminded to keep checking in.

Of course there is Wikipedia, the all-knowing Britannica killer whose crowd-sourced volumes we all cautiously adore. But clever developments in social media have opened the flood gates to the namesake of a humble Honolulu shuttle bus.

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.

“Computers excel at creating problems that take computers to solve.”*

That quote pretty much sums up the tendency of social media -- and really, any networked-based technology -- to expand like a supernova.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz & Mike Wilt

This month’s collection of all things Social Media speaks to when the biz’s big names break, the B2B marketing version of Terminator and a unique approach to targeting you and I as B2B professionals.

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

I know email isn’t a trendy topic in comparison to all of the new developing technologies, but email shouldn’t be overlooked either. Utilizing your email lists can be a great tool to educate current clients on key brand and marcom strategy points.

Does a social media program result in better search rankings? It's why many B2B marketers are allocating more resources to being social.

Over the past few years there has been a social media evolution taking place with Super Bowl commercials. Super Bowl advertisers are now leveraging social media to allow the audience to build a deeper relationship with the products and brands being advertised.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings
by Anna Gerz  & Mike Wilt
This month’s collection of all things Social Media takes us uber-local, international and deal hunting with some of the big names in the game.

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.

Facebook recently rolled out a new type of ad unit, called “sponsored stories” What is unique about these ads is that an advertiser is not controlling the message; it is the user or consumer.

I've read a lot of great social media books lately. Here are a few of my favorites (and I would love to hear your favorites, too!)...

Facebook may be catching on in B2B, but face-to-face still gets the lion’s share of funding and contributes more to the bottom line. While the news is dominated by the social media explosion, B2B marketers continue to find ROI in the “social” atmosphere provided by trade shows and conferences.

Social media reached new heights in 2010, so what's in store for 2011?

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.

This week, the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show provides a front-row seat to see how Foursquare is being used during a trade show promotion.

Based on what I think I know today, here’s what we can expect to see in the year ahead:

New York Yankees. Los Angeles Lakers. Dallas Cowboys.

When you hear those names, what comes to mind? Top-notch professional programs? Over-paid superstars with über-inflated egos? Collections of prima donnas that have altered senses of what $1 million can buy?

Regardless of your affinity for professional sports, there is a likely chance that you have some preconceived opinion of these brands.

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.

Social Media is all around us. Smart B2B marketers recognize that through social connections, information that is shared (good and bad), can impact the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of individuals and groups.

Ben Wilver’s recent post about Facebook Places started me thinking about how B2B marketers can use Facebook.  More specifically, is it somewhere B2B companies should be advertising?

It seems that everywhere you look on the web, more and more statistics and studies about the use of social media arise – so much so, that you can find secondary research to support essentially any claim you want to make.

A Regular Roundup of Social Media Musings

In our inaugural aggregation of social media happenings we look at Facebook Places, the Facebook privacy debate and social network gaming.

Recent research shows that the United States constitutes less than 20 percent of the overall online market. For a global company, that means that even with a 100-percent-successful domestic social media strategy, you are, at most, reaching 20 percent of your online audience.

In an interesting academic study titled: Pulse of the Nation: U.S. Mood Throughout the Day inferred from Twitter, researchers at Northeastern University and Harvard University, studied over 300 million tweets (Sep 2006 - Aug 2009) collected  represented as density-preserving cartograms (nice graphics).

Foursquare can be fun and socially engaging for personal use. It is ideal for local businesses trying to generate foot traffic. But, what about  B2B marketing?

In the 1994 movie, Babylon 5, one of the main characters, Ambassador Londo Mollari, makes the statement, "Only an idiot would fight a war on two fronts." (Blogger's note: I have never actually seen the movie.) This same notion - fighting a battle on multiple fronts - has also be attributed to the fall of the Germans in WW2, to the failure of the U.S. government of eliminating insurgents in rural Afghanistan, and - for the purposes of this post - to the ruination of many a reputation in the business community. If I may...

While this new "follow company" function can be a great prospecting, and job seeking tool, for some companies that like to keep a tight rein on corporate communications, this could be somewhat worrisome.

Let’s face it – it sometimes feels like a tangled world wide web. It can be daunting to try to keep up with the ever-changing social media technologies and platforms. But, it doesn't have to feel that way...

True or False: Anyone can set up a social media account using your brand name. 

The answer is TRUE! We had our quarterly “Hot Topic” lunch discussion at Godfrey today. The discussion was focused on managing your online brand identity in this social media era.

As the B2B world wades or dives into the deep end of the social media pool I am reminded of a meeting with a new client several years ago. The subject of the meeting was the development of an integrated marketing communications program, their very first.

I have really enjoyed the Winter Olympics this year. Perhaps it is because of the especially cold and snowy winter we have endured – or perhaps it is that I am truly in awe of the athletes who can spin, jump and fly on skis.

Social media has become a basic requirement for marketing communications programs. While B2B marketers may feel pressured to immediately be a part of popular communities and outlets, slapping Linked In and Facebook features on a web site and getting a few enthusiastic employees to tweet, isn’t a strategic way to begin participating.

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.)

In my last two installments on Creating and Maintaining a B2B Blog, I offered suggestions on who should write your company blog, how often you should post and how to develop a content strategy for your blog.

Case studies of leading companies effectively using corporate social media, and the high adoption rates of business professionals using social media in the workplace, have helped squelch questions of whether B2B marketers should participate in social media. But how?

I didn't mean to be anti-social. Really, I didn't. 

I shut down my Twitter and Facebook accounts recently because I was failing to maintain these on-line representations of me, a B2B marketing and PR professional, in a way that was adding value.

I have been neglecting my blog. I’m not the only one. About 95% of blogs are abandoned—a number from Technorati based on the fact that only 7.4 million of the 133 million blogs have been updated in the past 120 days.

Tired of Twitter talk yet? Wondering why the micro-blogging service with a 140 character limit is getting so much text? The latest Twitter Talley shows there’s good reason b-to-b marketers are twittering. Twitter is the fastest growing member-based community site on the Web.