During the past 6 years Mike has developed a new brand of demand gen that leverages both technology, the human asset, and social media. In the Lead Nurturing Cookbook , we offer a recipe for managing and qualifying inbound leads using your marketing automation platform. To expand on some of the important concepts Mike discussed in the Cookbook, I asked him to answer 5 questions to help you understand the importance of leveraging personalized outreach along with marketing automation to improve your success. typical example that results from an inbound lead is missing titles. MORE >>

EM: How does social media play a role in nurturing customers? In your experience, what are some of the more effective social media outlets for communicating with current customers? AA: The best example is social media in use for real-time customer support, although this has best been demonstrated by B2C companies. They can subscribe to your RSS feed, follow or friend you on social platforms and join in on group discussions. Of course you need to monitor for brand mentions, but ultimately social media is not a marketing megaphone, but a conversation. Boring! MORE >>

At this point, the B2B buyer will likely connect with people like himself on social media, most frequently LinkedIn and Twitter, to get opinions about his potential vendors.  Of course, if he could check social media, he would immediately eliminate the “problem” women and much of the show’s drama would be ruined. One of my guilty pleasures is to watch ‘The Bachelor’ on Monday nights with my wife.  Plus, we also watch “Downton Abbey”, which makes you smarter just because it's English.). Unfortunately, The Bachelor has to skip this step, as he is isolated during the show taping.  MORE >>

Unhappy customers on social media can’t be ignored, they need to be engaged.  Social media is not the forum to work through specific customer issues.  Can Perhaps, but what is the cost of an unhappy customer raising hell on social media?  Tags: B2B Marketing Marketing Social Media B2B Marketing Tips Following the conversation on Twitter has become yet another critical “to-do” for us in b2b marketing.  What they are saying provides deep insight into your overall market, your position in the market, and your competition’s position within the market.  Extreme?  MORE >>

In Tuesday's webinar Social Media Integration into Marketing Campaigns – Does it Drive Leads? Manticore Technology Demand Generation Manager Emily Mayfield examined her own successes and failures with social media in a recent, multi-touch marketing campaign featuring The Quintessential Marketing Automation Guidebook. In this Q&A excerpt, Emily Mayfield and VP of Marketing Christopher Doran will answer audience questions regarding integrating social media into a marketing campaign to successfully drive leads. Social media is an important part of that shift. MORE >>