I'd like to coin a term, "nuse". It means to use the news, in a bad way, to your benefit.

This term came to mind as I observed various factions behaving badly during our current tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. Each group attempted to use the event as a platform to further their point of view or cause. They attempted to use the news to their benefit.

I agree that, in some occasions, using the news can be neutral or even good. News of an impending heat wave can be used to remind frail individuals to drink plenty of water and to confirm that their air conditioner is working, etc. And, while it is less altruistic, this news can even be used to remind individuals to hurry down to the store and purchase a new air conditioner, if needed. One use is kind, the other is fair.

To me it seems unacceptable to use this tragedy (or any tragedy) to create "A Scramble To Control Narrative Of Tucson Massacre":

• Gun Control
• Politics
• Religion

It is especially unacceptable when the gunman in this case is described as having no particular message or purpose. According to an article in The Washington Post,


Forbes sums the current state of affairs up in an article titled, "Who Is Winning The Tucson Murdered Blame Game?"

As a B2B Marcom practitioner, I ask, "Who is LOSING The Nuse Game?"  The answer is three-fold. When people in our communications arena behave as badly as those cited above (I hope it is obvious that I am writing on topics of much smaller scale and scope than the tragedy used in this example) these factions lose:

• the organization behind the nuse: it cheapens your value proposition when you use news to indirectly imply that your products or services are superior - or that those of your competition are inferior.
• the media: when news is used to inflate readership and attention, it weakens the moral high ground that media could command.
• the target audience: when the readership, the target audience, begins to distrust parts of the media, and the organizations behind the stories, they begin to distrust ALL that they receive.

Be very careful with your brand, image, and reputation. As a B2B Marcom practitioner, you affect the way your market perceives you, your company, your products & services, your shareholders, and your employees. I certainly don't believe anyone would use the news of the caliber that we are experiencing this week to further B2B endeavors - that seems outrageous to imagine. But there are numerous smaller events that could be misused. Don't misuse the news. No one wins with "nuse".

I have heard it said that there are only three types of people: 

1. those who make things happen
2. those who watch things happen
3. those who wonder what happened

This concept is becoming very clear as our global economy improves and as B2B Marcom moves toward a "new normal". Let me share what I mean.

Being from Upstate New York, where we enjoy weather extremes, I am all too familiar with frozen rivers. Most activities, including B2B Marcom, are like a frozen river. Things get stuck in a certain way and they don't change - at least not too much or too easily. When things are frozen, there is really very little that can be done to effect change.

Our window to change occurs when the river thaws. During that period things are fluid. Rocks clunk along the bottom, trees float away, and water charges downstream, sometimes flooding over river banks and occasionally carving new paths. We have opportunities to try new and fun things - to boat, to fish, and to swim. Then, the river freezes and everything is locked in place until the next thaw.

In B2B Marcom, like most things in life, our rivers are predominantly frozen. Under these predominant conditions, change is typically quite challenging. When we do experience our "thaws", when change is very possible, we are usually also confronted with numerous other challenges. In other words, the opportunity to change is often wrapped in a complex and confusing situation - like a global recession.

Our recent economic crisis was one of these "complex and confusing situations". It was also a tremendous opportunity for change. Our river thawed for approximately three confusing years. Yes, times were challenging, terrifying for some. People were sometimes dealing with corporate survival; seeking opportunities to change may have been the last thing on their minds.

To those who did not avail themselves of the opportunity I ask, which camp were you in?:

1. those who made things happen
2. those who watched things happen
3. those who wondered what happened

Kudos to those who anticipated the thaw. These people predicted the future, made bold plans, took action, took risks, endured great stress and (often) criticisms. These people made great things happen during the brief time of change - the thaw.

TAKE AWAY:
Know that business is all about cycles. There will always be a next period of thaw. There is an opportunity for YOU to make things happen - and the next one is approaching. I can't tell you when it will happen, how long it will last, or how much change it will accept - but it is coming.

The take away is to prepare now to use the next thaw to make great changes in your B2B Marcom program. Expect it to come, imagine what it might be like, and embrace it. Begin with your goal(s), list your resources (available and needed), assemble your team (it is rarely done alone), and get people in the proper mindset to attempt to change your Marketing Communications program amidst a "thaw".

BONUS:
If you have a great goal, vision, guts, strength, and team it is ALWAYS the time for change. More on that soon.



Image source.

Don't be afraid to inject your personality into your B2B Marcom.

We've all heard the saying, "People don't buy from companies, they buy from people." It's good to be seen as a personality. It builds trust, it speeds up relationship building.

I disagree slightly with the quote (above) because I feel companies have their own cultures and personalities. That said, they are driven by the personalities of the people within.

Going public with your personality has to be GOAL-driven. Don't just let us know that you like skiing and leave it at that.  Sharing your personality is best done when it reflects both WHO you are and WHAT you mean to your audience.

Here is an example that I created. GOAL: Humorously (because Indium people are fun) depict Indium staff as being REALLY into our technology (because we are and because our customers want a vendor that is).

• Let me know how this works for you.
• Share examples of how YOU are injecting personality into YOUR B2B Marcom.

I generally disdain the annual trotting out of talking heads' pontifications on industry trends. #Boring! But there is one trend that all B2B Marcom practitioners ought to get hip to. Here I go becoming one of those boring guys I don't usually appreciate!

One critical trend in 2011 B2B lead gen will be the accelerated use of mobile devices. This is no "bleeding edge" , out on a limb prediction. This trend is about to explode in our faces!

HARDWARE:
Customers are increasingly equipped with smart phones, netbooks, and pads.

For "experienced" users, contracts expire, old phones get recycled, and the only available phones are getting "smarter" (read: equipped for mobile lifestyle). They're being forced into the mobile world.

For younger users, well, they are starting out in a mobile world. A recent survey by Opera Software reveals that 18-27-year olds browse the web more on their mobile devices than they do on traditional computers. This trend is global.

LIFESTYLE:
According to Comscore, "Access to Facebook via mobile browser grew 112 percent in the past year, while Twitter experienced a 347-percent jump." (January 2010). This portends the access of increasingly-"business" apps on mobile devices as a customary behavior. Additionally, it further enables and encourages the 24/7 nature of access and engagement.

READ THE HANDWRITING:
As our familiarity and skill with mobile devices ramps up, and as both the personal and the B2C worlds introduce us to the practices and benefits of a mobile lifestyle, we all will naturally expect and appreciate more B2B mobile experiences. Expect to soon hear customers COMPLAINING that an exhibit or a print ad DOESN'T contain a QR tag

B2B Marcom practitioners are well-advised to get on this trend and be one of the "first to market" in your space. That's one way to capture increased share.

On what may have possibly been the WORST week to break into his busy schedule, I managed to sit down with Santa Claus to discuss his take on social media. Here's how it went.

Rick Short: Santa, you’re a Marketing legend. You clearly dominate your space. In many ways you are considered THE thought leader when it comes to kindness, goodness, love, charity, and thoughtfulness. What’s your goal?

Santa Claus: Thank you. Yes, I am always amused by my reputation, and with the way people hold me in high regard. It wasn’t always this way, and, honestly, I didn’t set out to achieve this notoriety.

My goal, originally as well as today, remains: Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men.

I hope to instill a feeling of calm, of serenity, and a deep sense of satisfaction in people. I’d like everyone to focus on what is truly important; love, respect, family, dignity, charity, camaraderie, and appreciation. Then I’d like everyone to put that to good use by first enriching their own lives, then the lives of others. Living a full and rich life is NOT about racing around collecting as many material possessions as possible – and outperforming your friends. A truly meaningful existence includes slowing down, understanding and serving yourself, then considering what you can do for others, and working, daily, to strengthen the fabric of your community and your world. Finally, it involves reflecting on all the good you have accomplished, and on how you can do even more. 

Rick: I see.

Santa: Yes. It was never about me – it was always about my target audience. I started out with a singularity of purpose, focusing exclusively on my “customers’” needs, and their experiences. I figured that, if I could earn their trust, they would bring my message a little closer. I hoped that, eventually, they would first appreciate, then seek, me - versus me pushing my agenda into their world when it wasn’t necessarily appreciated. I think you call that "inbound marketing" these days.

In the beginning my singular premise was to drive true growth of my message using Fred Reichheld’s concept of The Ultimate Question. I merely strived to be worthy of being recommended to a friend.

 

Rick: Interesting.

Santa: We all know that the word, the message, of an outsider is nowhere near as persuasive, as powerful, as that of a trusted friend, advisor, or partner. In the beginning I knew that my message had to be adopted by mavens, leaders, and influentials – thought leaders. Their trust had to be earned, then they had to become my “salespeople”, if you will, if my message was to ever grow legs. Ultimately, I aimed to become a trusted insider via being recommended, endorsed, by each person’s inner circle. Third party endorsements, especially by respected colleagues, were critical to building my brand.

 

Rick: Once you were established as a bona fide “go to person”, how did you assure your position as a meaningful resource?

Santa: One word: CONTENT!  I could sizzle all day long, but, if I didn’t have the steak to back it up, people would drop me like a hot potato. In my business, CONTENT equals deeds. I set out to build a credible body of irrefutable evidence to unequivocally prove my bona fides. After a few centuries of non-stop toy building, kid monitoring, reindeer training, midnight deliveries, and a smattering of guest appearances, people began to truly trust that I was the real deal.

 

Rick: But no one could possibly accomplish all that alone.

Santa: You are so right! This brings me to another key to my success. I have always surrounded myself with excellent people. From my network, to my trusted advisors, to my teammates, right down to Mrs. Claus, I am surrounded by passionate, successful, driven individuals.

 

Rick: It’s a very convincing package, but exactly HOW did the word spread? Did you simply leave it to your target audience and all the mavens to independently and autonomously spread the word for you?

Santa: Well, at first it was hard to get people to notice. Initially, I rambled on and on about all the cool things I had going on. But, people had their hands full and didn’t spend the time it would have taken to digest my message. That’s when I stumbled upon my elevator speech. Once I put my story into a succinct, compelling nugget, I got people’s attention.

 

Rick: Where did you take things from there?

Santa: Once I had people’s sincere interest I counted on the fact that people like to help other people - and that people love to listen to and tell a story. I took it upon myself to seed the clouds, so to speak.  You see, rather than let the facts, and my rich content, simply sit out in the open and hoping people would put it all together, I put things together and started the ball rolling. I told a few good stories to the people who cared. You know … the one about “‘Twas the night before Christmas”, and that crazy “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” story.  Other times I simply suggested various interpretations of the facts – I especially like the story about that old Grinch.  These stories took root, then spread like wildfire. Why? Because they combined people’s inherent social desires with a topic that they had come to care about.

 

Rick: Fascinating. Any final words before you head back to the shop?

Santa: While all of my tactics occurred long, long ago, they are as applicable today as they ever were. When I first used these principles people were purely a face-to-face group. That was true word of mouth. Today, social media speeds things up and extends our reach – but these principles still work.  Don’t be afraid to depend on them to get your word out, to enhance your reputation, and to reach your goals. I may be old school, but my tactics still work today!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 

Inspired by @Barzhini Tonya Hall Barzhini
http://www.Barzhini.com
Founder Barzhini/Social Media PR and Digital Strategist.
Host of The Tonya Hall Show www.TonyaHall.net

On December 2, 2010, @Barzhini tweeted:
If you could talk #socialmedia with #Santa what would you ask him? #santa #christmas #holiday

... and my imagination ran wild!

"Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future. " ~Niels Bohr

Just because it's difficult, that doesn't let B2B Marketing Communications professionals off the hook.

December 1st! How did it get here so fast? And, if it is December right now, then it will be 2011 before we know it. This is the time of year when we, as business to business Marketing Communications practitioners, must predict the future. Our colleagues are counting on us. Here's why it's difficult:

TECHNOLOGY CHANGES:
PEOPLE CHANGE:PRODUCTS CHANGE:PRICES CHANGE:
Etc.

So, what do we do? Here is what I recommend:

Marcom Programs:Yes, this is really challenging and difficult. Be thankful that it is - otherwise we'd all be fired and replaced with low-paid uneducated labor. This is a hard job - suitable only for those who truly love it.

Image.

Wikipedia's tells us, "A Virtual Event is a gathering of people sharing a common virtual environment on the web, rather than meeting in a physical location. Virtual events are highly interactive, looking and feeling a lot like their physical counterparts."

How quaint! The web, the internet, isn't actually "real". Our experiences aren't authentic. Our education, and the knowledge we gain there, isn't quite bona fide. Baloney!


For a while now I've been advising media sales people to stop selling me their event using the term, "virtual". Everything about the event is a typical, ordinary, authentic experience. Stop telling me it is "virtual". In my opinion, given the total acceptance of the practice, the term "virtual" unnecessarily cheapens the event and potentially reduces its value.

Some say that the term "virtual" merely indicates that the event occurs online and not at a brick & mortar location (as in a "virtual trade show"). Online experiences have, for so long now, been a normal part of our lives that there is no need to differentiate the status of the event. Just give us the URL, date, and time and we're there.

I'd love to hear your comments.

So you want to be a social media intern?





Here is an article on exactly that, with specific emphasis on:

• Qualities that Marketing Communications bosses seek in a social media intern
• Experiences that Marcom leaders seek in a social media intern
• Characteristics of a GOOD social media intern

You know that "solid writing skills" is on the list. To that point I want to emphasize the need for an excellent command of punctuation and grammar. After all, you'll be representing a company - and they want to look great.

IMAGE: from referenced article.

"You are a disappointment to me."

I can still hear her. Mrs. Hawkins. She had a well-earned reputation as THE toughest, old-schoolest, no-nonsense takingest teacher to EVER stalk the halls of my junior-senior high school. While she never told anyone that they were a disappointment, she did tell us many other things - positive things. I hear her singing out the dreaded, "-ly  -ly -ly.  It ends in -ly. It's an adverb. It modifies a verb." Only she didn't sing it like Julie Andrews, she sang it like she was just a bit tired of us students not putting in the time, not appreciating what she was handing us, and not understanding that it was OUR future that we were threatening.

Back in the day, in our small school, I "suffered" with Mrs. Hawkins in the worst possible way. Get this! One year I had her for homeroom, for "Basic Studies" (which was two periods in a row focused on English, Social Studies, and something else that I can't recall), and for Study Hall. Yes, she owned me in 9th grade. I had her for English in other years, Study Hall on occasion, we all passed by her several times per day, EVERY day, from 7th grade through 12th grade, and she even chaperoned our dances! She had us diagramming sentences, writing essays, reading aloud, walking "like good citizens" in the halls, and even behaving like gentlemen when we were with the ladies! It just about couldn't have been worse.

It couldn't have been worse until we graduated and got into college. I can't tell you how many classmates shared with me how easy college English was after the old-school drilling that Mrs. Hawkins gave us. We all seemed to be better writers, readers, and thinkers than many of our college mates. In fact, many of us were able to avoid freshman English totally because Mrs. Hawkins actually ran us through what was then called "Advanced Placement" English. Yes, just like all the other people we didn't like back then because they actually made us work, learn, and grow, we finally figured out that Mrs. Hawkins was one of the very best things that ever happened to us. I honestly think about her nearly every day - and I thank her.

I certainly am thinking about her today as I read the tantalizing teasers from a new B2B Marcom survey. Brought to my attention by @copywriter4u, the survey says, "poorly written content is the #1 disappointment for B2B tech buyers". WOW! THE #1 disappointment for my #1 target audience is the very thing that Mrs. Hawkins worked so hard to teach me to avoid. And, though Mrs. Hawkins never told a student that they were a disappointment, many B2B buyers tell us that every day. Maybe not in those words, but by NOT reading our literature, by NOT spending more time on our web pages, by NOT replying to our emails, and by NOT giving us the order.

While we are all scurrying around, trying to learn the hottest new social media skill, don't forget to also deliver the basics. Eventually, a customer is going to need to actually ingest your message. And, whether it is written, or delivered via a script that you prepared, it has to be built with proper structure, grammar, punctuation, and design, or you risk disappointing the very person you are paid to impress.

So, stand up straight, don't interrupt others, and please use proper grammar in your B2B Marcom. Yes, ma'am.

Terrifying Image source.

Assumptions can help speed things along - when they don't kill you, that is.

CASE 1: I received an email (a B2B-type message, a stranger trying to sell me something) today. The person was trying to convince me to meet with them at an upcoming trade show. In the email was a list of clients (impressive names) and some vague mentions of achievements associated with each. Trouble is, the author never told me what their company does.

CASE 2: I received another email today. This time from an existing vendor. It was elaborate. In it, the salesperson was offering to enhance my relationship with them. It all centered around an acronym - a term that I just couldn't connect to anything.

In each case, the deal was dead in the water - because the seller assumed I knew what they were talking about. I didn't.

In business to business marketing communications (B2B Marcom) we are charged with the role of getting the message through. Sometimes its outbound, other times its inbound. At times the message comes directly from our department. Often, though, we are helping other people get their message out.

First step: Slow down. I know we're all busy. Skipping a few steps helps us get through our day. Trouble is, we start making assumptions. If we're getting a lot of poorly-done things accomplished, what are we doing to our companies? To our careers?

Second step: Make it a point to drastically reduce, or eliminate, acronyms from your Marcom vocabulary. See things from your target audience's perspective. They're as busy as you. They're skipping steps all day long. Don't assume they're totally ready, and prepped, for your message. Speak to them as if they don't know what you're talking about. Of course, this is critical the earlier you are in a relationship - and can be skipped if you are totally sure your customer DOES know exactly what you are talking about.

Third step: Set the stage for your target audience - in THEIR terms. Help them instantly appreciate what's in it for them. Once they get it - and see how they win, they will become interested. The catch is, they've got to actually understand what you're talking about.

Fourth step:  Sell this entire message to your Product Line Managers, Sales Managers, CEO, etc. When you're creating programs and documents for them, they'll want to sprinkle in jargon and acronyms. They'll be in a hurry. They'll want to skip a few steps and get right to it.  Heck, they'll try to bully you into doing it their way. Help them understand that it is very likely that their product is likely not the most critical thing to their target audience. Help them realize that investing a little time, up front, being sure that the customer is "with them" can make a huge difference. I've noticed that some engineers feel the need to impress people in all their communications. They throw in big words, complex sentences, and very sophisticated concepts to help them look really capable. There's a place for all that - just not in the early stages of getting noticed.


In my Case 1, I wasn't interested enough to invest the time trying to figure out what the person was actually selling. I deleted the message.

In my case 2, an existing vendor, I was forced to reply with the simple question, "What does that acronym (upon which the entire proposal was based) mean?" Frankly, the sales person should be embarrassed. I bet he won't be - he's too busy for that.


Image source.

My oldest son, Allen, walked into the house, heard a noise, and asked, "What is that? Bees?" My youngest son, André, and his buddy laughed - they were watching The World Cup on TV and had become accustomed to the sound of the vuvuzela. When the sound was mentioned, they were reminded of how they had blocked it out.

Vuvuzelas are interesting, briefly, when you get your hands on one, and when you realize that thousands of like-minded people are jamming on them. Then, not so much.

In a related article (brought to my attention by @ALittleHewlett - thank you) titled, How To Be Interesting, Jonathan Morrow offers some valuable tips - especially poignant now that B2B Marcom has heartily embraced the social media arena (where many overblow their own horns).

I'll start with his last point (#21): Put Your Readers First.  Do you think the vuvuzela blowers are thinking of the people sprawled on their couches back in the USA? Or the FoxSports technicians and marketers, seeking to produce a palatable program? No. This is why something that seems good (to the purveyor) has gone bad. Jonathan admonishes us (B2B Marcom practitioners) by saying, "The one and only thing of consequence is your reader. You can rail against this fact for as long as you like, but as long you do, you’ll never be interesting."

#4 is also powerful: Do Something. He advises, "If you want attention, dare not to just give advice to others, but to live that advice yourself. Then blog about it."

The other 19 points are equally valuable - if we put them into practice in our B2B Marcom practices.

So, tune into the exciting soccer - football - futbol - FIFA action, turn the sound down, and enjoy the spectacle. When you return to work, leave the vuvuzela behind.

EARMUFF IMAGE:
Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via US PRESSWIRE ORIG FILE ID: 20100614_jla_ao3_073.jpg

VUVUZELA IMAGE: bild.de

My readers have heard me espouse the value of telling a story in B2B Marcom previously. Some people firmly believe that business is SUPPOSED to be stodgy, and that business customers aren't the same as regular people.  I hope you are smirking by now! I hope you feel that you can outperform people who feel that way - because you can.

Here is an example of a B2C advertisement that relies purely on story telling. I am challenging myself to at least equal the riveting intensity that this ad creates. I am sure it can be done.

I will be participating in a webinar hosted by the good people at www.SocialMediaToday.com which features Shel Holtz, Robin Fray Carey, and me, Rick Short.


Our mission is to, "explore some of the best opportunities that many companies may be missing, and discuss how companies can use social media to improve and accelerate product development, generate new leads, and increase their voices online."

It will be interesting and relatively advanced - not an introductory event.   Learn more here.

It is critical for your B2B Marcom materials to align with the performance and capabilities of your products and services - as well as with the expectations of your customers (which you help create). If they don't you will disillusion your customers (internal and external).

If you are fortunate enough to be a truly meaningful part of people's lives, and if you disappoint your customers, their wrath may be quite serious - as in the case of "Mousetrap Never Works". This is a B2C example of just how motivated a disappointed customer can become - and how easy it is for a customer to do an excellent job of both expressing and sharing their frustrations. In essence, Hell hath no fury like that of an enthused customer disappointed.

Our jobs do NOT require us to underpromise and overdeliver, nor do they demand us to "puff" each of our claims. We really need to focus on accuracy, honesty, and integrity. In the end, the choice is yours ... and your customers'.

Last week I read an excellent post on FREIGHT DAWG: The Logistics Blawg, written by Eric Joiner. The post, titled, "Pure Genius: Southwest Airlines Baggage Strategy" discusses the reasons behind SWA's recent promotional project titled, "At Southwest Airlines, We Love Your Bags!".

The post leads with a 30-second video commercial depicting SWA baggage handlers expressing their love (maybe 'obsession' is a better word) for our checked baggage. In the spot, these people simply can't understand why other airlines: a) don't LOVE our bags, and, b) charge us to ship our bags.

While the ad is VERY amusing - and while it truly makes a compelling statement - it is the ensuing discussion (comments) that is really valuable. The reason WHY the discussion is valuable is because it reveals some of the stuff BEHIND a differentiation campaign. It shows us how it is easy for smart people to get bogged down in all sorts of corporate gunk. It depicts how we, as business, and business to business marcom, people, can lose sight of the customer and their experiences, feelings, needs, fears, hopes, and desires.

As an MBA, I can appreciate the detailed thinking, the educated perspectives, and the keen analyses within each comment to that post. But, as a frequent flyer (consumer), I simply LOVE the fact that an airline expresses the same feelings that I do with regard to my luggage. I LOVE my baggage (why else do I struggle to schlep it with me all over the world?). I care about it. I don't want to pay for it to be mishandled, mangled, and misplaced. I want baggage handlers to care about my luggage and treat it with respect. This gets to human emotion - and THAT is powerful stuff.

I know that this ad doesn't reflect reality (no, SWA baggage handlers don't really wave at my bags and call out, "See you when you get home!")  ... and still .. the ad makes me want to fly with Southwest Airlines. This is simply because they are differentiating based on MY issues.

In essence, the SPIRIT of the campaign permeates both the consumers and the SWA staff. Now the baggage handlers know what is expected of them. The company is leveraging a capability against their customers' issues and telling everyone (employees and customers) what they strive to do.

When developing your BtoB marcom projects, never lose sight of your customers' issues. Address them and you will be hitting the hot buttons.

I am proud to say that this blog was listed in the
2009 BIG LIST OF B2B BLOGS.

But don't click the link just to see my name in print, use it to tap into the myriad other resources for your B to B marcom needs.

In the old days, business to business (BtoB, B2B) Marcom professionals would utilize the (relative to today) few media channels to talk TO their target audience(s). The customers had to comply (succumb) and follow the companies and media.

Today, things are shifting strongly. The customer is clearly in control. Modern Marcom professionals need to communicate with their customers on the CUSTOMER's terms. This means when and where the customer chooses.

This is why the Indium Corporation blogs are available in multiple places. You can follow our blogs in many simple ways:

1) within our Facebook fan page (the postings are interspersed with our other Facebook comments): http://www.facebook.com/indium
2) at our main blog website: http://www.indium.com/blogs
3) through Networked Blogs:http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/indium_corporation
4) via RSS subscription (available at http://www.indium.com/blogs/)
5) via email subscription (sent directly to the customer's email account) (available at http://www.indium.com/blogs/)

I 'll bet there are options that I am missing, and I'll add them as soon as I become aware of them.  The point is, the customer is now in control - and we have many options for supporting our customers' desires and preferences. The old school way doesn't cut it any longer.

Don't know how I missed this excellent ad when it was released two years ago, but I did. If you see YOUR practices being lampooned, then make the move. Enough said.

Thanks to MARKETING 2.0 author, Bernie Borges, for tipping me off to this gem.

I just returned from speaking at, and learning from, an excellent webinar staged by the ISBM.

Titled, "Social Media and B-to-B: What's Working?, What isn't?, and What's Next?", the event lasted two days and involved about 120 people. Pictured is Ralph Oliva, Executive Director at ISBM - Penn State and Marketing Professor at Penn State Smeal College of Business, welcoming the crowd to the meeting room during day 2.

Providing insight at the event, in addition to me, were:

• Paul Auditore - SAP
• Rob Leavitt - Solutions Insights
• Jeff Hayzlett - Kodak
• Tony Summerlin - Kickstand LLC
• Arvind Rangaswamy - Penn State
• Ralph Oliva - ISBM
• Doug Webster - Cisco
• Dave Will - Peach New Media
• Scott Gillum - GyroHSR

These people are all excellent sources of insight and information.

Here is my biggest take-away from the event: Unlike discussions of B2B SOCIAL MEDIA in the past, this discussion had COHERENCY. As Ralph Oliva put it, in the past, we were comparing apples to bicycles. Now, we are beginning to see order and best practices.

Some of the consistent themes that I noted in my twitter stream (follow #isbm3) are:

• Put your tech people up front when using B2B social media. THEY are your ROCK STARS!
• EXPERIMENT w social media.
• CONSTANT education & learning are required for social media to be done well
• REACH OUT to your network to gain their insights and support
  
• social media can become a major SALES CHANNEL
• long-tail & quality matter
• advertising can be reduced and sales can be driven up
  

This is great news! There is starting to be some clarity, best practices, guidelines, and structure for B2B Social Media. A huge thanks to Ralph Oliva and the ISBM for making this clear.

Today marks the 5th anniversary of our company's first blog and post. I was going to get all nostalgic and show you an image of that post. Instead, I put that image on a cake and fed it to our blogging team. You guessed it! I didn't whip out my camera until AFTER the party. Obviously, we had a super time.

During the celebration (where - in addition to cake - pizza, sandwiches, beverages, and awesome stories were consummed heartily) we discussed where we are with social media, and how we got here.  I'll post on that later.

On this special day I want to simply THANK everyone who has supported and guided our team on our journey, and the wonderful bloggers on our team - our ROCK STARS.

Finally, I want to give a special shout-out to my, and Indium Corporation's, blogmother, Toby Bloomberg. Simply put, she got us started. Thanks, Diva!