I spent some time with comic video whiz Tim Washer  (also @timwasher ) at B2B Forum last week, and he followed up with a few questions about how B2B companies are using online video as part of their content marketing programs. The content may be interesting, but the sound quality is poor or there are distracting images or noises in the background. We have to attract them to come to us because our content is useful, interesting or entertaining. That’s why “content marketing” is now so hot. They should accent the content, not overwhelm it. MORE >>

attended a nearby Social Media Breakfast on the subject of content marketing, featuring several respected speakers. Follow #SMB26 for “New Rules of Content Marketing” right now w @cc_chapman @jchernov @BrianBab21 @RachelJOConnell @RobertCollins. BrianBab21 “Content mktg is soft sell. jchernov “Ppl who get our content first (subscribers) promote us more actively to their friends.” When you attend a conference, play reporter and tell your followers what you’re witnessing,” I advised. This required almost no work on my part. SMB26”. MORE >>

Gregg Weiss ( @greggweiss ) of New York Life says the company’s social media content strategy is driven by constantly asking, “What can we do that isn’t about life insurance?” We created more than 80% of our launch content in one day,&# Kaskey said. I was privileged to be on a panel with some outstanding social media practitioners from the insurance industry at the 2011 Social Media Conference for Financial Services put on by LOMA LIMRA this morning. Farmers Insurance for example, hasn’t accumulated 2.3 million Facebook likes  by boring people. I couldn’t drink it.” With 1.3 MORE >>

Facebook automatically offers members the opportunity to share a Like, but the real creativity comes when you can convince people to share some kind of unique content or offer you provide. Most small businesses are terrible at marketing in general and online marketing in particular. That’s understandable: The founders are usually more passionate about what they do than about promoting themselves. But with Facebook becoming the place you just have to be for businesses of all sizes, a little marketing know-how comes in handy. That’s the herd mentality at work. Tip #3: Keep it simple. MORE >>

When you scan the table of contents, however, you’ll see nary a mention of those social networks. That chapter also features an eight-step process for analyzing social media content that keys in on core issues like understanding how the message was received, how it was interpreted and who did the interpreting. The Internet is the most measurable medium ever invented, but the perception that returns on online social interactions can’t be quantified stubbornly persists. I’ll admit my biases up front. Volume 2. highly recommend it. MORE >>