Many C-level decision makers have not yet embraced—and may never—the role of self-education via social media. Companies providing complex, high-investment solutions are facing a significant risk management issue in light of Sirius Decisions and others finding that B2B buyers are self-educating and moving through as much as 70% of the sales funnel before connecting with sales. For me, risk management has always been about assessing business exposure and taking proactive steps to improve a situation rather than remaining reactive when there is downside potential. MORE >>

Social Media: What's Hot? Click to start video at this point — Paul notes social media going mainstream is hot. Social media is becoming an integral part of the marketing mix for companies looking to grow their presence with both business and consumer clientele. He notes, “I've been impressed by the amount of research that I've seen lately on both B2B and B2C marketers talking about the commitments they're making to social media—very large increases in spending and planning for this year.” Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing. MORE >>

Social media is at the top of nearly every B2B marketer’s priority list. What drives social media engagement? I recently had the opportunity to interview Ardath Albee about the importance of lead nurturing and I think you’ll be interested to read some of the valuable feedback she provided. PC: Ardath, you’ve written a lot about the importance of using lead nurturing to engage leads across the entirety of the buying process. Yet B2B marketers seem to be more focused on lead generation than the rest of the process. Is that a problem? AA: Yes. Period. MORE >>

Yes, the web and social media provide metrics and, that enables marketing to show results, ROI and possibly gain value with regard to the marketing mix that use these media. 'Andy Gray is a senior marketing professional with proven expertise in directing, centralizing, and strengthening how customers are acquired and retained as well as how companies are positioned through marketing strategies, demand generation, sales support and enablement programs, market research and product development. You can connect with Andy on LinkedIn or via email. Make the process connect. MORE >>

Tony feels that, due to social media collaboration, even the standard labels for the players are becoming a bit outdated. 'My guest today is Tony Zambito. In 2002, Tony established the first buyer persona research methodology designed specifically for B2B marketing and sales. This innovation helps leading companies gain better understanding of their buyers, leading to improved lead generation and revenue performance. His "Buyer Foresight" approach helps organizations gain predictability by understanding the behavior of their buyers in a changing market. Study Lead Behavior. MORE >>