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.

At a time when print giants like former AOL sister company Time magazine and virtually every major daily in the U.S. are struggling to cope with the new media landscape, AOL has hired more than 500 full-time journalists and buys contributions from more than 3,000 freelancers.

Quoting CEO Tim Armstrong, the article goes on to say that AOL is using advanced analytics to measure reader interest and engagement in stories those journalists create, and may even share profits with writers whose stories earn the most page views.
As a former journalist, I understand how earth-shattering that approach really is.
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Recent posts by Stacy Whisel and Jim Everhart provide good reasons WHY B2B marketers should consider adding social media to their marketing communications programs.

As we engage marketing people about B2B social media, the conversations usually starts with HOW, whether it's externally (the technologies and channels) or internally (the company policy that governs social media participation).

Both of these are important, but what tends to be a secondary conversation is WHAT should be communicated. Maybe that's assumed, although the "wild frontier" nature of social media brings with it a lack of focus, so we don't like to assume away the need for a solid messaging plan. It's an essential part of brand guardianship in the social media arena.

What's more, there isn't much conversation about how to ensure that core messaging is conveyed in an effective manner.
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Is it just my imagination or is the Social Media landscape expanding faster than global warming on the Arctic’s polar ice cap?

On the publishing side of Social Media, we’ve got key players such as Wikipedia and Digg. On the sharing front, it’s Web sites like YouTube and Flickr. In the social networking arena, the heavy hitters are Facebook and LinkedIn. And don’t forget Twitter, which has taken blogging – in this case, microblogging – to a whole new level.

At this stage of the game, B2B marketers probably feel like they need a scorecard to keep track of all the Social Media players, their positions, strengths and weaknesses. The question is, which player is paying its dues right now in the minor leagues, poised to make a dramatic leap to the big leagues?

I don’t have that answer, but I do know one thing: Social Media is here to stay. And here’s
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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. They all have expressed an interest in one or more of the products you make or services you provide. What's more, they have actually expressed an interest in YOUR products or services. Now don't you want to invest some marketing dollars to turn their interest into leads for your sales force?"

Well, would you? Of course you would. How could a B2B trade magazine make such claims? It couldn't. But you may be sitting on a "circulation" that can. It's your prospect (or inquiry) data base. And if you haven't been cultivating it and turning inquiries into interested and qualified leads, then you've missed out on one of the most efficient marketing communications tactics you could have been using during the 2009 economic downturn.

As we turn the corner into a recovery, take a fresh look
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So, you are getting ready for an old fashioned b-to-b direct mail campaign. Don’t be ashamed, according to BtoB Magazine’s 2009 Marketing Priorities and Plans survey, 74% of b-to-b marketers are planning to maintain or increase their direct marketing budget in 2009. Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your campaign.

Use your Merge Purge Wisely - Most b-to-b rental lists are purchased with one-time use only, but when possible, be sure to use them completely. If your mail-house runs a merge purge for 10 rented lists and 30% are duplicates, that’s ok - you can mail the duplicates again. If the same name shows up on six rented lists, you’ve paid for the name six times and can use it six times. Just be sure that you are mailing the approved mail piece within the promised timeline.

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Understanding how your audience seeks information at various parts of the buying process is a key factor in determining the right media channels to utilize. While it is not easy or practical to assume everyone in your target market has the exact same motivations and behaviors, there are usually some strong similarities. The Pew Internet & American Life Project has an interesting online quiz, where after ten questions regarding the information technology you use, they can determine what typology group you fall under.

http://www.pewinternet.org/quiz/quiz.asp

I took the quiz, and as it turns out, I was classified as a “Connector.” While I don’t agree 100% with the classification, for the most part it was right. Connectors tend to utilize their cell phones and all of its options quite frequently; they go online to connect with people and manage digital content.
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According to a study reported in the online edition of B-to-B magazine, display ads on the web have a positive impact on search activity, improving clicks for organic and paid search by 155% on average, depending on the industry.

The study by Specific Media, an online media distribution company, analyzed comScore Ad Effectiveness data over a 12-month period.  While the study was largely consumer-focused, there’s no reason to believe the results would be different for b-to-b or industrial marketing.

And while not conclusive, it gives credence to the theory that online display advertising has a branding impact.

In our experience, search, both organic and paid, routinely enjoys significantly better performance than other online media, as measured by click-through rate, time on site, pages viewed, bounce rate,
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How many "Top Ten Tips" columns have you read lately, looking for a sure-fire solution for better marketing in difficult times? Are you getting a little jaded? There's the SEO or SEM expert who says you need to spend more of your reduced budget on (what else?) search. The direct mail company that says direct is the way to spend your way out of recession. The social media guru who says this new phenomenon is the way to success. While old-line publishers say it's time to get back in touch with print!

I guess it's true: if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

There is no "one size fits all" in this environment...or any other. You need to understand how a difficult economic environment may change overall business strategy, and then make sure your marketing communications strategy is appropriately revised and aligned. Then you can revisit your budget and invest in the activities that best support the strategy.
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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. With all of this going on, how can a low to mid level HVAC contractor compete against the big guys? While there is no perfect answer to this question, there are some suggestions to help you spend your precious marketing dollars wisely.

Start by looking to your manufacturer and distributor advertising programs. There are literally thousands of dollars available to dealers who agree to use branded and sometimes pre-packaged advertising programs. In fact some manufacturers offer up to 4 times a dealer’s advertising investment!

Next, think about timing and placement of your advertising. What are you really getting out of your investment? Case in point: if you put all of your dollars into yellow pages advertising then you
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