Yesterday I wrote about "marketing as media"  in B2B and the challenge of becoming a top source of information and ideas for your customers and prospects. Today's new s from American Business Media adds another note of urgency: Business magazine revenue was down another 24% in 2009 from 2008, and total pages declined almost 29%.and Tags: Marketing Media Thought Leadership American Business Media B2B content contentmarketing magazines marketing media thought leadership and 2008 was a pretty bad year! Photo credit: back_garage. MORE >>

 An article in MediaWeek on content mills like Demand Media and Seed.com got me thinking about the dangerous lure of cheap content in B2B marketing. But the underlying idea of maximizing content with minimum investment is all too common in B2B as well, especially as business marketers scramble to keep up with the accelerating demands of content creation for lead nurturing and social media. Short-changing design and rich media when standard-issue text and stock photography scream low-budget to audiences expected to pay top dollar for your products, services, and solutions. MORE >>

The best programs take a comprehensive approach with strong emphasis on three types of program activities: Live references, including customer-to-customer discussions, event presentations, media interviews, analyst briefings, and advisory group meetings. Success story content, including not only case studies, videos, and profiles but, increasingly, social media content, in-depth ROI presentations, internal "how we got the win" selling stories, and integration into thought leadership publications. Great products may sell themselves based on features or price. Benchmarking the Best. MORE >>

The fast-growing provider of "inbound marketing" tools promotes the concept relentlessly with a daily dose of useful content for marketers on how to build awareness and generate leads through search engine marketing and social media. For small business marketers and consultants focused on social media and search, HubSpot's master narrative about the why and how of inbound marketing is beginning to frame the whole conversation. Tags: Marketing Reputation Social Media Thought Leadership Accenture B2B brand HubSpot IBM marketing narrative thought leadership Delivered." MORE >>

Media fragmentation, information overload, and the power of social media make it critical that thought leadership marketers put substantial energy into getting the word out across a broad range of media and activities. Deloitte has similarly tapped a wide variety of media and activities to engage clients, prospects, and market influencers. For thought leadership marketing today, think multi-media, social media, and complementary online and offline engagement to build a strong presence wherever your stakeholders already spend their time. Do the Research. MORE >>