Forty-five percent are “Critics,” posting reviews of products or services, commenting on others’ blogs, or contributing to forums or wikis. On the other hand, the report suggests that the sexy public social media services like Twitter or blogs may not be helping B2B tech companies much, compared to information sources like forums and wikis. It generally starts with awareness of need, advances to understanding of product category that meets that need, then to a consideration set (i.e. Good quantitative research into B2B social media usage is fairly thin. MORE >>

At its core, social media is not about doing new things, but about doing things you’ve always done as a business person differently. Think about “listening&# in the broadest sense of the term, encompassing all of the things you do to keep abreast of what’s happening in your industry and your market. What new products and services might help you operate your business more effectively and efficiently? Writing and mailing a letter to a company to complain about or praise their products or services is a lot of work. Social Media Demystified. Networking. MORE >>

In my on-going humble efforts to serve the industry, I’ve posted nearly 200 detailed questions that could serve as the backbone for many RFPs. So I’ve come up with a list of mostly yes/no questions that highlight key differences among vendors. Buyers have different needs. In fact, prioritizing requirements is the most important discussion buyers can have when selecting a product. If this really takes off, perhaps the list can be maintained in a communal form such as a Wiki. If it's used widely, buyers and vendors both benefit. Death, taxes and RFPs. MORE >>

The only difference online is that it's happening through websites using one of the various bookmarking services available, such as Delicious. Compete - Compete is a web-based application that offers users and businesses web analytics and enables people to compare and contrast the statistics for different websites over time. The service uses a system of digital badges to reward players who “check in” to different types of locations. Every industry on LinkedIn (marketing, journalism, technology, etc.) On the web today, things change fast. Blip.TV - Blip.TV MORE >>

In the past few years, the ability to organize communities of Web participants to develop, market, and support products and services has moved from the margins of business practice to the mainstream. Intuit hosts customer support communities for its financial and tax return products to lower customer service costs by 90 percent. In markets where Vocalpoint influencers are active, product revenues have doubled. Facebook has marshaled its community for product development, recruiting 300,000 users to translate its site into 70 language. Knowledge worker productivity. MORE >>