It took a while, but Facebook marketing is now ready for mainstream B2B, in support of branding, lead generation, and customer relationship marketing goals for enterprises of all sizes.  In fact, I would argue that B2B has been a leading force in this area, in recognition of the importance of prospect education and thought leadership in the complex selling process.  Photo credit: Wikipedia. It’s that time of the year when observers can’t resist making predictions about developments on the horizon.  encourage readers to add their own.  . I stand corrected. MORE >>

Lead generation. The perennial number one goal of just about every business marketer is generating sales leads. If you make the effort, your website can be a productive source of high quality, low cost leads for our sales force.  So don’t squander the opportunity to turn your website into a lead generation tool.  'Photo credit: Wikipedia. If you don’t have a website, you don’t have a business.”   By now, this maxim is well understood–and it is just as true for B2B businesses as for B2C ones, if not more so.  commerce. Community. MORE >>

This includes your website and blog(s), your email newsletters, social media, and any other channels you use for lead generation and customer acquisition. Tweet Photo credit: Frank Gruber. You probably hear a lot these days about targeting mobile consumers and how important tablets and mobile devices are becoming. The contention is that knowing where your prospect is when he or she is interacting with your content becomes more and more crucial as mobile devices – and mobile networks – grow. Where Is Your Prospect? Or, it’s not physical location. MORE >>

1:  Lead generation is the top job of B2B marketers. There is overwhelming evidence that B2B marketers consider lead generation their most important contribution. Of course, we need to feed the funnel, and lead generation is of course a close second priority.  My point is that retention should be viewed as a top priority, dispelling the myth that if marketers generate tons of leads, they’ve done their job. These channels are ready for revenue generation.  Photo credit: Wikipedia. Myth No. Myth No. Wrong.  The result?  Myth No. MORE >>

In this year’s Social Media Marketing Industry Report , 58% of marketers said they were using it to generate leads.  Small businesses were even more likely, at 65%, to focus on lead generation in social media. So I am concluding that these social media are moving in a direct marketing direction, recognizing that this way they can attract advertisers who are looking for measurable results, like a specific number of leads and a certain allowable cost per lead. Photo credit: s_falkow. Business marketers have embraced social media with enthusiasm.  MORE >>