Lead nurturing is done best when it addresses each stage of the buying process in parallel with your prospect's position in the buying process. I just saw a Tweet come through the stream from the Marketing Sherpa B2B Summit that reads: So if sending an email isn't nurturing what is? b2bsummit. Lead nurturing is about providing the right content at the right time that addresses a problem that a prospect is focused on (or at least considering)  solving. Social media like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook can be a delivery system for nurturing content. As can virtual events. MORE >>

  LinkedIn is probably the best prospect research tool I’ve ever come across. One of the best things LinkedIn did was make it possible to open up groups – and many have taken advantage. Just like it doesn’t work to create one-size-fits-all content, it doesn’t work to post the same links to a bunch of groups and hope for the best. Jill Konrath and I recently released a report, Cracking the LinkedIn Sales Code , that details what we learned from a survey of 3,094 salespeople about their use of LinkedIn as a sales tool. Establishing a Professional Presence. MORE >>

Often, for economical reasons, only the best/biggest accounts get a lot of attention. The marketers who tell it first and best, putting an insightful spin on how their customers can reap even more value, will be the ones who help their company win more business. I'm starting to see customer retention, up sell and cross sell getting a bit more attention from B2B marketers these days. From account-based marketing programs to targeted microsites and nurturing programs, marketers are finally looking to increase the value of their existing customer portfolios. New Status Quo. MORE >>

Choose wisely and build a network of experts with complimentary expertise and business will follow in the form of referrals, which are truly one of the best ways into new customer relationships. Judging by the amount of online noise being generated, the idea of publishing content is no longer considered to be an "edgy" proposition for many vendors. But noise isn't going to help you meet your goals. The thing about noise is that we've all become adept at tuning it out. There's just so much of it that we've had to develop the survival skill of discernment. MORE >>

Integration with CRM systems will help us work with account managers to increase visibility into how we can best provide continuous value to each customer. According to research by BtoB Magazine, 58% of B2B marketers say that marketing involvement never stops and must continue across the entire customer lifecycle. Be that as it may, marketers are focused on driving qualified leads as their most important mission. So where does that leave customers? Research from the CMO Council finds that companies lose 10% of their customers each year, on average. " (American Society for Quality). MORE >>