Most companies can’t connect social media efforts to success

For the last two months I have been eagerly anticipating the results of Dr. Ben Hanna’s Business.com 2009 survey of corporate social media utilization.  Why is this report significant?  With nearly 3,000 valid respondents, this is probably the largest survey ever conducted on this subject and also represents one of a handful of social media research […]

Finally! A B2B social media success story

At long last, I bring to you my valued {grow} folks, a true B2B social media success story that can really be measured by MONEY.  I believe this is the only one in the world.  ; )  And it is GENIUS! Best of all, the success comes from one of our very own {grow}-er’s, Nathan […]

The biggest obstacle to social media business success

This is the third in a series exploring the keys to achieving business benefits in social media:   Connections + Meaningful Content + Authentic Helpfulness = Business Benefits. Let’s continue the discussion with the second element, MEANINGFUL CONTENT. To turn online connections into serious business relationships, you need to surround your cyber-self with useful, interesting […]

Building meaningful business connections through social media

This is the second in a series exploring the keys to achieving business benefits in social media: Connections + Meaningful Content + Authentic Helpfulness = Business Benefits. Now, we’re going to dive into each element to build a strategy for YOUR social media success! Today we start with CONNECTIONS. Think of the social media landscape […]

Yes, it IS about the money

I know social media is about “relationships.” I get it … I really do. But if you are responsible for a social media initiative for your company, somebody is eventually going to ask you, “Where’s my money, honey?” In a business setting, social media relationships must eventually lead to making or saving money. Of course […]

Lessons from a marketing strategy gone wrong (mine!)

The theme for the blog this week is “strategy” and the first thing I needed to do is turn the microscope on myself. It’s ugly. I have not been following my own rules … but let’s see what you might learn from my mistakes. Something I have preached relentlessly: When you start a social media […]

A Primer on Lead Nurturing

I’m pleased to feaure my friend Michele Linn as a guest blogger on {grow}. Michele is a freelance marketing writer (http://www.linncommunications.com/) specializing in creating buyer-focused B2B marketing content, such as white papers, research reports, feature articles and case studies. I got to know who her through her contributions to the excellent blog Savvy B2B Marketing. […]

Let social media pre-populate your business relationships

This is a picture of me building business relationships in Italy during World Cup. Well sort of. Let me relate three quick stories that took place in the last 24 hours: Yesterday morning, I went to a networking meeting and recognized somebody from his Twitter picture — a fellow I had followed for several months. […]

Why B2B’s MUST adopt social media strategies

With most of my career with Fortune 100 blue chip companies, I know what it’s like to market in a hyper-competitive, show-me-the-money environment. I’ve been aggressively skeptical about the role of social media in an environment where there is a finite number of customers, an emphasis on long-term contracts, and no patience for fluff. But […]