Social media is on the tip of most every B2B marketer’s tongue these days. Laura Ramos of Forrester recently published the 2010 B2B Marketing Budgets and Mix Trends Research. Of course, it’s no surprise that Forrester finds social media to be the hot new marketing tool. Looking at B2B social media efforts in 2009, the study shows: 68% have set up group pages on social networking sites. In fact, she says that, on average, fewer than one in five say social media has been highly effective for branding and lead generation. MORE >>

Data junkies, stats addicts, web trivia buffs rejoice — here are a deluge of social media, search and other marketing research facts and figures from 50 articles and blog posts published so far in 2010. Which social networking site is used by 92% of senior marketing executives? What social media tool helps small business double their reach on Twitter? How do B2B social media marketing practices differ from B2C companies? Social Media Statistics. What Type Of Social Media Ads Are The Most Effective? MORE >>

The notion of using social media for business has gone from cutting edge to commonplace in an amazingly short time. And for those laggard firms still resisting social media, recent changes by Google now make it all but imperative. Of course, there’s no single cookie-cutter approach to social media marketing that works for every enterprise. And many companies that jumped in early experienced failures and disappointments, pulled back, and then re-approached social media from a more strategic angle. B2B Social Media Guides. MORE >>

Read time = 2-3 minutes) One of the surest signs of mainstream acceptance is when cutting edge trends bleed into traditional media coverage, become fodder for SNL and other parody spoofs, and (gasp!) When I stumbled across Nick Douglas’ just published, way to funny collection of “ Twitter Wit: Brilliance in 140 Characters of Less ”, it got me thinking just what other signposts are out there indicating wider acceptance of social networking/social network marketing?  Smattering of Social Media Maturity Proof Points. TopNews. iStrategyLabs. 2009). MORE >>

In just a few short years, Twitter has transformed from an odd little sort of public IM service where people posted what they just ate for lunch or what their cat was doing at the moment into one of the big four social networks and a significant channel for news, PR & marketing, politics and more. Noting that the top barrier to increased business use of social media is a lack of time and resources, Leyl Master Black shares “seven Twitter tricks from the pros that allow you to spend less time on the mechanics and more time engaging.” Twitter and SEO. MORE >>