B2B Insights Blog

A Regular Round-Up 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.

So far, location based social media sites like FourSquare, BrightKite, Citysense and Aka-Aki, to name a few, have not hit main stream popularity. But the obscurity of location based services could be poised to change with the announcement of Facebook Places last week. With this announcement, we will now see location based functionality incorporated in to the most popular social networking site in the world.

You just released your b2b iPhone app, and now you’re ready to charge ahead with the iPad. You're excited, but first consider these tips on how designing for the iPad is different from the iPhone.

I love analyzing user behavior on websites and looking at outcomes through analytics. I think regularly about what does the user want to do when they get to a page on your site? And did they complete the task that they intended to do? Or more importantly, did they complete the task that YOU wanted them to do?

In part 1 of this series, I covered the process of keyword research. The first article walked you through how to build the foundation of your SEO house. In part 2, I will talk about the importance of your site’s structure and how to develop a navigation that will support your keywords. Developing a sound site structure is like building the frame of your SEO house.

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.

Has your product or service offering changed or evolved? Does your new offerings appeal to a broader audience than your existing customer base? Do you know who your new prospects are? To reach new prospects, do you need to leverage new channels of distribution and communication? B2B Research may be the surest way to get answers to these questions.

There are four keys to TRICing prospects into opening and reading your email.

2D codes seem to be gaining popularity as of late – the “new” way to download information in a pretty quick fashion. I hadn’t noticed these little beauties until they started appearing in magazines, touting specialized offers.

Nowadays any time you buy something, whether online or at a store, you are asked for your personal email address. With my cell phone synced up to my email, I’ve got instant access to my account.

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).

Many folks (me included) are not thrilled with AT&T iPhone service. Have I bashed AT&T? Yes. Did I buy into the general premise that there was general dissatisfaction with their service? Yes. Why?

Whether you have been blogging for years or are just getting started, these writing tips can instantly improve your B2B blog.

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?

Part 1 of this series will focus on keyword research. If you were to compare developing an SEO strategy to building a house, performing good keyword research would be like laying the foundation of the house. Keyword research is the process of finding the actual terms that users are actively searching to find your products or services online.

There is a new iPhone, Google is taking over the world and you just spent fifteen minutes updating your status, re-tweeting, checking in and getting a jump on your email before you got to the office. It shouldn’t be news that your marketing mix should consider mobile.

When someone says we need to do an "e-blast" I cringe. An e-blast is like throwing a long bomb in football. It sounds great in theory. A quick way to score. When it works you and your team look like heroes. But in practice it’s a low percentage play. When it doesn’t work the whole direct marketing effort can be put on pause...at least until the next e-blast.

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...

These days it’s so easy to generate information about which companies have visited your site. It’s also easy to purchase contact information for prospects from those companies, the real trick is figuring out how to use this information wisely and effectively.

I can't overemphasize the importance of writing good objectives for a successful research outcome. It is the cornerstone of tackling a research project.

Before you cut into your marketing budget or scrap all plans for conducting research, ask yourself this question:
Is insight into an industry’s perception of your company, competitors, prospects and clients something you can afford to pass up?

Every business has developed a list of competitors in their market. But how many have established who their online competitors are?

You may have noticed a change in sponsored ads that appear in the Google results.  Google AdWords can now include additional links, images or a map showing where a business is located. Google calls this feature “Ad Extenstions”. When used appropriately ad extensions can help searchers connect to your business.

I recently attended a web-conference that discussed how to improve the effectiveness of online advertising.  Several people mention using retargeting ad technology and mentioned Google’s Remarketing program specifically.  I identified retargeting as one of the top emerging B2B in a past post

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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.

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?

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...

Online marketing continues to increase in popularity and % of marketing budgets spent. In this post, I will look at Online Lead Generation, which is essentially tracking the more than 97% of visitors who come to a site and leave without identifying themselves – the ones that got away… for now.

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.

The current vast array of media channels can be overwhelming. It seems there is a new platform, channel or application with advertising potential appearing daily. The difficulty comes in figuring out how B2B advertising can harness the new application. Or more aptly, is this media channel being embraced by your audience? Will it allow B2B advertisers to connect with their audience.

Based on smartphone market growth it’s clear that B2B marketing needs to include mobile. You may be thinking about a mobile web site, app, or both. But with limited budgets and resources, maybe you are feeling pressure to pick one. But which?

As Direct Marketing continues to advance, it is clear that new technologies are making it easier to pinpoint targets and prospects. In an earlier post I discussed the ability to purchase one name at a time, in this post I will look at co-registration AKA Co-Reg in the B2B market space.

I've been a huge fan of The Karate Kid series for my entire life. Seriously.

My favorite memory to stem from the trilogy (yes, trilogy, for I do not count Hilary Swank's 1994 blasphemous disaster as part of the series) takes place when I was a child.

When developing marketing plans and strategies, you can no longer just think local – just about all marketing has some global component attached, and Direct Marketing is no exception. Direct marketers must learn to be sensitive to cultural differences.

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.

If you’re considering a quantitative B2B research study, there are two key areas to keep in mind when determining sample size: desired reliability of the results and the budget. Obtaining a good sample can be a the single largest line item cost in a B2B marketing study.

“Don't say the old lady screamed—bring her on and let her scream.” In his advice on storytelling, Mark Twain’s timeless wit and wisdom holds true in the discussion of online video.

A recent Business Week article reports that AOL plans to create the "newsroom of the future" by using high-powered technology to revolutionize the business of gathering and presenting news.

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.

On December 4, 2009, Google announced that they were rolling out personalized search to everyone, whether you are logged in or not. Your personalization will be based on your past 180 days of search activity, using information stored in an anonymous browser cookie.

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.

So, you are getting ready for an old fashioned B2B direct mail campaign. Don’t be ashamed, according to BtoB Magazine’s 2009 Marketing Priorities and Plans survey, 74% of B2B marketers are planning to maintain or increase their direct marketing budget in 2009.

Being connected to customer needs and desires should be a key aspect of shaping your B2B brand. But the engine of growth needs to include creativity, something many B2B executives don't spend much time on.

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.

What if you were a B2B marketing manager and a media rep called on you and said, "I have just the circulation you need. Every one of our subscribers is in the industries you serve.

All eyes seem to be on Big Ben these days.

No, I'm not talking about Ben Roethlisberger, starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers (although I keep getting requests to trade Kurt Warner for him in my fantasy football league - thoughts anyone?).

Identifying upgrades and additions to your web site is a critical part of 2010 planning. Perhaps you are considering a complete re-design, or you’ve been told you need a “Web 2.0” version of your web site. If you’ve already added engagement and sharing elements to your b2b site and are participating in social media, you may be wondering what the rumblings about Web 3.0 mean to b2b marketers.

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.

B-to-B marketers are looking for the most efficient ways to use dwindling marketing dollars. As the economic situation worsens and marketing budget cuts continue, the tactics to survive are the ones that are highly measurable.

I'm a big fan of Mad Men, the television drama series on AMC that depicts the advertising business in the 1960s. I've seen every episode. In fact, I even have my favorites saved on the home DVR. Therefore, it should likely come as no surprise that I'm including it as the introduction to my latest post.

BtoB Magazine reported that the popularity of B-to-B corporate blogging was waning, drawing on new information from Forrester Research’s report "How to Derive Value from B2B Blogging.”  53% of marketers surveyed said that blogs were irrelevant or marginal in their current marketing strategy.

The economy is creeping towards a recession. The DOE’s 13 SEER mandate has helped level the playing field, household buying habits have changed dramatically since the popularity of the internet, and media options have drastically fragmented.