Going Social - What's in it for B2B Companies?

What are the effective social media strategies for a business-to-business organization?  How can you explore, and leverage the variety of social media in your online marketing strategies?  And how can you best measure those efforts?

These are the questions that we've seen posed on the net, and in various forums.  We've pulled together information from around the web, and contributed some of our own experience as well.  Given that this is a LinkedIn group, I think we all can share about our experience with LinkedIn.  But what about others, such as Twitter, Squidoo, Facebook, Digg, Del.icio.us, and others? 

We'd love to hear from you, either in the LinkedIn discussions, or contact us if you have other great material that we could link to and expand the conversation and thinking.

Social Infrastructure - setting yourself up to succeed!

Oct 21, 2009 blogpost on APM Digital blog outlines what the right and necessary tools are when engaging in social media campaigns. Highlights the need for microsites over corporate websites, email capabilities, and flexibility.

Turn That Follower Into a Retweeter

Sep 17, 2009 MarketingProfs blog post - you win in social media when you get people to share your content/ideas. Not by accumulating followers, subscribers, and friends/fans. Good thinking!

The Future of the Social Web: In Five Eras

Apr 27, 2009 post on Forrester's Blog for Interactive Marketing Professionals provides a summary around a Forrester report that examines social media adoption rates, and the idea of "portable identities", so you don't have to establish a profile on each social network. It's worth the read to keep you up-to-date on some things that are emerging in the social realm.

Social Media is Human Nature

Apr 30, 2009 post on seowizardry.ca blog - a thoughtful post that looks at the naturally social nature of human beings, and what happens to us when we add "business" to the social mix. If you are curious how to think about your participation in the social space for business purposes, this post may provide insights.

Top 13 Twitter Don'ts

Apr 15, 2009 Article in PC Magazine that outlines 13 microblogging faux pas that you'll want to avoid. If you are new to Twitter, check it out!

26 Good Tips For Social Media Participation

Apr 8, 2009 post on Ink Foundry site, provides great rules of thumb about how to participate in the Social Media space. Well worth the read, if you're curious about how-to get involved.

Social Networking within the Enterprise

Mike Gotta from Burton Group published this whitepaper to help you understand the business, organizational, and technical factors to consider when formulating social networking strategies and initiating internal projects.

Twitter Step-by-Step Guide

Mar 27, 2009 post has a complete listing of how to get started, walking you right through the process... so for all who are curious, check it out!

The Social Media Marketing Industry Report

Mar 26, 2009 Junta 42 Blog post highlighting the state of social media marketing and linking to the report.

Social Network Shorthand

Mar 24, 2009 post on The Social Media Marketing Blog explores the easy difference between LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Use Social Media to Gain PR Traction

Mar 24, 2009 post from Sales x Marketing blog has an interesting approach for using social media to create buzz in your industry.

Social Nets and Blogs More Popular Than E-Mail

Mar 17, 2009 - From eMarketer: According to Nielsen Online, more people in the US and other leading digital countries worldwide are using social networks and blogs than e-mail.

Presentation: Social CRM

Mar 17, 2009 - Brent Leary presents "Social CRM" -- how to engage with your customers, and what CRM means in 2009. Definitely a thoughtful presentation that is worth listening to and engaging with. Find out how social ties in with your lead nurturing.

Social Networking's New Global Footprint

Mar 9, 2009 post on Nielson Wire, points to a downloadable research study captured from Dec 2007 - Dec 2008 that shows two-thirds of the worlds internet population visit social networking or blogging sites. Great info to add to your social media research efforts.

Report: The Increasing Impact of Social and Other New Media on PR

This Report (freely available PDF) is available from the Institute For Public Relations website. Researched and written by Michelle D. Hinson and Donald K. Wright. This report marks their 4th year studying how new technologies are impacting PR.

Slideshare: Twitter for B2B Marketing

From www.slideshare.net, quick ideas for how to use Twitter if you're a B2B Marketer. The comments about the presentation are worth the read.

B2B Social Media Checklist

It's a quick list -- but good to have. We're all interested in getting the most out of our efforts, and this list is a good one to keep top-of-mind.

Social networking is 'good for business'

Nov 15, 2008: From the B2B Marketing Online site, an analysis of social media finds it's "good for business"...