The Internet is a wealth of good information (and a veritable land mine of misguiding and poor advice).  Navigating the tumultuous information waters can be daunting and may even inspire lack of exploration.  We geared up and ventured out into the wavy Internet waters to return the best nuggets and tidbits for your information consumption.  Here are some of the treasures we found to further your business prowess.  While we may not agree with all of the linked posts, knowing both sides of the story makes for a more robust marketing skillset.    

B2B Leads   Generating leads in the B2B sector can be stressful.  One sale can easily make or break a quarter.  The lead generation process is more intense and time-consuming, but the reward matches the efforts.  Here are some great reads to help you advance in the B2B lead generation process.   

  1. Want to Build a Startup?  Entrepreneurs & App Developers Are Going B2B:  http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/16/want-to-build-a-startup-entrepreneurs-app-developers-are-going-b2b/  
  2. Search Engine Marketing Resolutions for 2012: http://searchengineland.com/5-b2b-search-engine-marketing-resolutions-for-2012-105361  
  3. Email Marketing: The importance of lead nurturing in the complex B2B sale: http://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/email-marketing/b2b-lead-nurturing-importance/  
  4. How to Use LinkedIn to Generate and Qualify B2B Leads: http://www.business2community.com/b2b-perspective/how-to-use-linkedin-to-generate-and-qualify-b2b-leads-0119740  
  5. How to Plan for Lead Generation Success: http://www.g2msolutions.com.au/blog/bid/88380/How-to-Plan-for-Lead-Generation-Success  
  6. How Blogging for Lead Generation Works: http://eb2bleads.co.uk/b2b-marketing-blog/bid/51479/How-Blogging-For-Lead-Generation-Works  
  7. Fantastic Four to Generate New B2B Leads: http://www.zoominfo.com/business/blog/2011/12/fantastic-four-to-generate-new-b2b-leads/  
  8. 9 Common and Costly B2B Social Media Marketing Mistakes: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30858/9-Common-and-Costly-B2B-Social-Media-Marketing-Mistakes.aspx  
  9. 10 Biggest B2B Social Media Challenges: http://www.radian6.com/blog/2012/01/b2b-social-media-biggest-challenges/  
  10. Apply these B2B Lead Nurturing Tactics to Convert Skeptical Prospects into Convinced Customers: http://www.peternguyenmarketing.com/b2b-lead-nurturing-best-practices  

Public Relations  Hopefully, the insights we dug up in the Public Relations concentration will help demystify PR and media relations slightly.  Even if you are engaging one of the amazing IFA public relations suppliers, to will empower your campaigns for you to have knowledge of the public relations process.     

  1. Why I’m Betting on PR: http://www.inc.com/caroline-limpert/public-relations-strategy-why-I-bet-on-PR.html  
  2. Disgruntled Customer Vs. Obnoxious PR Firm in this Morning’s Nugget from the Net: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/719455/disgruntled-consumer-vs-obnoxious-pr-in-this-mornings-nugget-from-the-net/  
  3. Public relations and social media: Is this a relationship made to last?: http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/Tactics/Articles/view/9521/1040/Public_relations_and_social_media_Is_this_a_relati  
  4. Six Reasons for PR Strategy: http://craigpearce.info/public-relations/reasons-pr-strategy/  
  5. The 10 Worst PR E-Mail Tactics You Can Employ: http://geekbeat.tv/the-10-worst-pr-e-mail-tactics-you-can-employ/  
  6. DANGER: Using digital PR tactics to hype digital expertise: http://www.webinknow.com/2011/07/danger-using-pr-tactics-to-hype-digital-expertise.html  
  7. Chiquita Slips on its Own PR Banana Peel: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/kathryn-marshall/chiquita-boycotts-canadian-oil-sands_b_1162099.html    
  8. Come on Zuck, Do you Really Mean It?: http://gigaom.com/2012/01/18/come-on-zuck-do-you-really-mean-it/  
  9. Public Relations: 5 interview mistakes that drive journalists crazy (and how to avoid them): http://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/pr-fame-communications/avoid-pr-interview-mistakes/  
  10. Top 10 Myths About Publicity and Public Relations: http://redpenofdoom.com/2012/01/21/top-10-myths-about-publicity-and-public-relations/  

Information Overload  Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, instant messengers, smartphones, and email… how do you manage the massive influx of information?  Keeping track of your calendar can be a daily challenge, let alone managing your to-do’s and follow-ups.  We did find some gems on getting through the age of information overload.    

  1. How to Prioritize When Everything’s Important: http://lifehacker.com/5877111/how-to-prioritize-when-everything-is-important  
  2. Never Remember, Never Forget: http://avaluecreatorsblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/living-in-cloud-never-remember-never.html  
  3. Turn Off Your Phone to Quickly Eliminate Stress: http://lifehacker.com/5876786/turn-off-your-phone-to-quickly-eliminate-stress  
  4. Multitasking Can Threaten Lives and Productivity: http://www.businessinsider.com/multitasking-kills-you-commit-dangerous-mistakes-under-its-influence-and-it-destroys-your-productivity-2012-1  
  5. The Reason Productivity Improvements Don’t Work: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/12/the-reason-productivity-improvements-dont-work.html  
  6. Guess What?  You are Wasting Your Time if You Organize: http://www.businessinsider.com/you-are-wasting-your-time-if-you-organize-2012-1  
  7. Troubleshooting Information Overload: http://www.gfi.com/blog/troubleshooting-information-overload/  
  8. Information Overload?   There Has Always Been Too Much to Know: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41836  
  9. Drowning in Information! How Can We Create Organization and Balance: http://www.walterjessen.com/drowning-in-information-how-can-we-create-organization-and-balance/  
  10. Help!  We’re Drowning: Dealing with Information Overload: http://blog.mindjet.com/2011/12/drowning-from-information-overload  

Operating in a Down Economy  The Wall Street rollercoaster has caused devastation for a great deal of business owners.  Making it through the rough times is an accomplishment.  We tackled financial management, innovative cost-cutting, and thinking outside the finance box with the follow resources:  

  1. Create Your Dream Job with an Online Business of Your Own: http://www.waterzilla.com/2012/01/23/create-your-dream-job-with-an-online-business-of-your-own/  
  2. 5 Reasons to Take a Second Job: http://www.businessinsider.com/5-reasons-to-take-a-second-job-2012-1  
  3. Creating an Exit or Succession Plan for Your Business: http://estateplanning.wealthcounsel.com/bid/80321/Creating-an-Exit-or-Succession-Plan-for-Your-Business  
  4. You Gotta Know When to Hold ‘Em: http://technorati.com/business/article/you-gotta-know-when-to-hold/  
  5. 5 Reasons to Start your Startup in 2012: https://www.profit-contact.com/blog-main  
  6. The Virtual Transformation: http://avaluecreatorsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/virtual-transformation.html  
  7. Persuasion Vs Manipulation: http://idyeah.com/blog/2011/12/persuasion-vs-manipulation/  
  8. Go Long By Limiting Your Customers: http://idyeah.com/blog/2011/12/go-long-by-limiting-your-customers/  
  9. Regardless of the Market, the Economy, of the Fear, Take Care of the Basics: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/01/regardless-of-market-economy-fear-take-care-of-basics.html  
  10. Sales Survivor: Three Strategies to Help You Meet Revenue Goals Even in the Recession: http://reputationmanagement.info/221/sales-survivor-three-strategies-to-help-you-meet-revenue-goals-even-in-the-recession/  

Employee Management  Whether your team has five employees or a work force 5,000 strong, you’re going to be up against some tough and even awkward issues when ensuring your staff is giving you the best return for your expense.    

  1. Beware of Sales Superstars: http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/beware-of-sales-superstars.html  
  2. Employee Depression Costs Workplaces $51 Billion Annually: http://www.businessinsider.com/treating-employee-depression-invest-psychology-2012-1  
  3. ‘Enlightened’ And The Challenges Of Corporate Responsibility And Non-Profit Work: http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/01/17/405288/enlightened-and-the-challenges-of-corporate-responsibility-and-non-profit-work/?mobile=nc  
  4. Making You More Awesome: The Red-Hot World of Online Learning Services:http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/online_training_and_learning.php  
  5. Extreme or Inappropriate? How to Manage an Edgy Conversation: http://www.inc.com/tom-searcy/manage-edgy-sales-conversation.html  
  6. Tips For Good Service May Hinder Employer Wage Policies: http://technorati.com/business/article/tips-for-good-service-may-hinder/  
  7. Working There: https://www.profit-contact.com/working_there  
  8. A Prophet For a New Workplace: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/handicapping-software-with-a-workplace-prophet/  
  9. Working Women Need More than a Bubble Bath: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-davislaack/working-women-stress_b_1214707.html  

And last, but certainly not least, the following post provides a little bit of entertainment and a lot of inspiration to not hit that snooze button and get up to tackle your day.        23 Successful People Who Wake Up Really Early: http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-early-risers-2012-1#  

 

Search