“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. Thanks to advances in Internet technology and increased bandwidth over the last few years, online video has emerged as the fastest growing media platform with an estimated 72% of Web users watching online video clips. In the next three years, Web video consumption is projected to double. The message to marketers? Visitors expect a rich experience when they come to your site. As one of the most powerful tools in the marketer’s arsenal, online video offers a wealth of opportunity for rich storytelling, differentiation, brand building and traffic-generation.

The resurgence of video in storytelling
In the 90’s, corporate capabilities videos were commonplace, but distribution was limited to VHS and DVD.
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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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A recent article in emarketer cites a study of senior-level search engine marketing executives who are not satisfied with how SEM is working for them. How about you?

As you plan for 2010, you should consider techniques and tactics that will help you get more and better B2B search results - organic, paid or both. You probably think I'm going to talk about landing pages, page URLs, meta descriptions, inbound links and other arcane tips. Nope. I will leave that to my colleagues, or at least to another time.

Today I want to urge you to use the "secret weapon" that will increase your search engine marketing results. It's called integrated marketing communications. Yes, boring, traditional marcom. Except that there is nothing traditional about web-centric, digital marketing communications the way we practice it.
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When getting to know other design professionals, I often like to ask a version of "So, what do you do?" Since we all know — in the broad sense — what each other does, I tend to skew the question more toward the "how". "Tell me about your design style," is an invitation to discuss one's work, creative philosophy and tastes. Overwhelmingly, I hear people use the terms "simple" and "clean" to describe their ideal layouts.

Simple, clean designs are often the most clear way to communicate a given idea. A place for everything, everything in its place, with an effective rhythm and hierarchy to the elements on the page can really make a message sing. On its own, this fact is enough to make any communicator set "Simple" as their goal. Another reason is that, in our modern marketplace, with its cacophony of garish printed and electronic messages vying with our own thoughts for our valuable attention, a well-organized, well-planned, simple page becomes a visual
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When the economic recovery begins to vibrate the sales needle in your industry, what's one thing your customers will demand before they buy? Credible references: Other satisfied customers; proof you have handled successfully their type of application before.

Traditionally we tackled this with reference lists and case study articles, often posted on-line with relevant photography. Why not kick this up a notch with video case studies so prospects can see and hear your customers talk directly about their experience with your firm?

Video has impact and authenticity. It's flexible; it can be used on-line and in sales presentations. It is searchable and shareable on the Web, and views can be tracked and quantified. And there is growing evidence that on-line video has a solid place in B-to-B marketing communications and PR programs.

A recent study by Knowledge Storm Inc.
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Finally, we're seeing some early positive indicators among the headlines about the economic situation. They remind us that, eventually, things will turn around. When, how much and how fast are anyone's guess. And there may be more bumps in the road, depending on your industry and company health.

But as we make our way through 2009 and prepare for 2010, it's time to change our thought process from "marketing in a downturn" to "marketing in the recovery." But it isn't just about remembering what to do with a real budget.

Things have changed.

This recession coincided with other changes in the B-to-B marketing landscape. We think it has accelerated some changes and that the marketing landscape in the recovery will not be the same as the one pre-recession.

• The media have changed. Some of the changes are jarring - some storied print properties have gone out of existence.
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The economy has taken a down turn but that doesn’t mean marketing tactics have to completely dissolve – it just means they have to adapt. There are various cost-effective ways to continually reach your audience, whether to generate leads, build brand or maintain awareness. The key is to continually integrate them into your marketing program throughout the year.

E-newsletters have become a very popular marketing tool and with the cut back of marketing dollars, you can definitely “do more with less”. Make sure that you not only develop an engaging piece but you reach your audience on a regular basis - whether weekly, monthly or quarterly. Think “campaign”, not just a single deployment.

To help drive traffic to your e-newsletter and grow your database, update your web site to include standard links to sign up for the newsletter. Integrating them into the navigation or including them at the bottom of each page will allow your audience
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Keep tabs on your competition’s creative with this easy checklist

Quickly: Describe five of your competitor’s advertising campaigns and how they differentiate themselves in your industry. How do their advertising efforts match up to yours? If you’re spending more than a couple minutes thinking about this, then you’re not alone.

Given the fast-paced environments we work in, it’s all too easy to focus on short-term, easier to accomplish tasks, which prevents you from achieving larger objectives. Long-term goals, such as overcoming a host of competitors in order to position your company as an industry leader, require an ongoing cycle of industry observation, self-evaluation and refinement of your marketing materials. While this may seem common sense, too often we become so concentrated on our own marketing efforts that it’s easy to skip the most crucial aspect of this process—observation of the
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What can you say about the state of B-to-B PR right now? That it's holding its own in the midst of severe marketing budget cuts? That its value is shining through because it is so cost effective? That it's leveraging social media and social networks in innovative ways that many B-to-B marketers wouldn't have imagined 12 - maybe even 6 - months ago?

I think I would say all of those things, but they are all so obvious, right? There's another level where PR plays that's always important but is absolutely critical in times of crisis, and for many B-to-B companies the current global economic situation is a true crisis.

At its best, PR can help frame issues and articulate policy for senior management. It can then be the engine of communication to all stakeholders. At its best, PR can be the tip of the spear, leading the charge as companies manage through this recession and simultaneously begin to plan for the turnaround. 

PR can be the level head and calm
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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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