Based on the modes you use this can include website, email, blogs, social, etc. Sometimes I think content marketing can be made so convoluted and complex that it's nearly impossible to execute. I've seen spreadsheets and diagrams and lists of things you must do that make my head hurt. And, yes, I know I do this for a living. I'm a B2B content strategist - and dang proud of the work I do. But reality is what we have to work with and a phased approach can be a beautiful thing. Theory is great, but often difficult to put into practice in a reasonable way. Not before. MORE >>

Social media like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook can be a delivery system for nurturing content. I just saw a Tweet come through the stream from the Marketing Sherpa B2B Summit that reads: So if sending an email isn't nurturing what is? b2bsummit. Lead nurturing is about providing the right content at the right time that addresses a problem that a prospect is focused on (or at least considering)  solving. Lead nurturing is done best when it addresses each stage of the buying process in parallel with your prospect's position in the buying process. As can virtual events. MORE >>

lack of click through—whether from social media or email—indicates that your message isn't resonating with your audience. If an individual reacts to your content by leaving a comment or saying something on social media or replying to an email, a relevant response is warranted. One of the mandates bandied about lately is that B2B marketers need to become listeners. They should set up listening posts and they must listen first, before launching marketing programs. Anyone who's married or in a relationship can relate to "listening." Few Ways Listening Goes Wrong. MORE >>

One of the things about LinkedIn that’s not necessarily true about other social platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, is that marketers cannot hide behind their company logos. Jill Konrath and I recently released a report, Cracking the LinkedIn Sales Code , that details what we learned from a survey of 3,094 salespeople about their use of LinkedIn as a sales tool. As a marketing professional, I found the responses fascinating and began thinking about how the data crosses boundaries to inform the marketing side. LinkedIn provides a wealth of tools and insights about our markets. MORE >>

Time we have precious little of with all the social media interaction, email, meetings and job responsibilities. From web analytics to social monitoring to SEO, marketers need to be accountable for the outcomes of what they publish. Judging by the amount of online noise being generated, the idea of publishing content is no longer considered to be an "edgy" proposition for many vendors. But noise isn't going to help you meet your goals. The thing about noise is that we've all become adept at tuning it out. Our lists are long and our patience is waning. MORE >>