Reputation by Association: Becoming a "trusted advisor" can be expedited when the sites that syndicate your content also syndicate content from the leading bloggers in your industry. I've been having an interesting conversation with Tony Karrer ( @TonyKarrer ) and Tom Pick ( @TomPick ) about how the way content is used and distributed is changing as B2B companies embrace the idea of becoming online publishers.   Tom's post, Content Aggregation: The Future of (B2B and Consumer) Media? Examples include Junta 42 and The B2B Marketing Zone. Maybe so, maybe not. MORE >>

The blogs and bloggers featured here tirelessly share and spread ideas. I'm honored to have my leaf on The Blog Tree created by Eloqua with JESS3. And I especially like my lofty view from the top. But, what inspires me most about the Blog tree is that I'm reaping the benefit of all the other leaves as they send their insights and expertise up the tree to feed my thinking and let me play with their ideas. One day, as the tree grows, there will be leaves above me that will hopefully find value from what I send up the tree. read most of the blogs on the tree.   MORE >>

  We would send the info to a few key bloggers.  Over the weekend, I received an email from a reader of my book, eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale, sharing his success with contagious content. With his permission (he requested anonymity) I'd like to share with you what he discovered. read your book and am beginning to implement your strategies.    We are a startup software company in silicon valley.    For the last 6 months we have issued press releases and product information -- all company directed.   And, that was it. MORE >>

But promoting your own stuff without consideration for the blogger, the topic under discussion, or the audience is intrusive, rude and will get you deleted, or even reported as spam. Okay, I've had about enough of this mindless, self-serving, me-me-me focused spamming. It was bad enough when it happened via email. Now it's happening with alarming frequency on LinkedIn, Twitter and Blogs. Can't people restrain themselves? Do they really think that pelting people with irrelevant messaging is going to help their cause.or their companies? Nobody likes it, so KNOCK IT OFF! MORE >>

Consider analysts, leading bloggers and non-competing companies that are using social media. Yesterday, I posted round 1 of the answers to questions submitted during the webinar. This is round 2. Unbelievably, I still have a few more, so stay tuned. Does marketing have the right to unplug a prospect from a nurture sequence or is that the responsibility of sales? This depends on your lead management process. Once sales confirms, then it would be prudent to move the lead to a later point in the sequence to align with their stage in the buying process. Help them connect the dots. MORE >>