B2B Marketing Features

With a quarter of top executives preferring video over text, and big improvements in online reporting, video looks set to become the B2B marketing channel of choice. By Anna Goldie

The creation of genuinely valuable content, whether whitepapers, podcasts, webinars or videos, will be key to convincing your customers to buy your products or services. Alex Blyth reports

Being sensitive to customer behaviour and needs is just as important online as it is in the physical world, says Darren Guarnaccia, VP of product marketing, Sitecore

Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One, warns of the pitfalls inherent in developing your website internally

Are directories still relevant in today's digital world? Brett Mathews examines how one of the oldest B2B channels is evolving

Is social media a valid customer service tool? Robin Daniels, senior director of product marketing at Salesforce.com, believes it is and offers five steps to address this

Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One, asks whether B2B marketers could implement the techniques of behavioural neuroscience

Marketers must carefully consider how their brands are perceived online, or they risk being left in the dark ages, warns Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One

Heather Richards, VP professional services at Transversal, looks at how B2B brands are using avatars and offers tips for successful deployment

Will Schnabel, vice president and general manager of international markets at Silverpop, offers actionable advice on the marketing buzzword 'behavioural targeting'

Janet Parkinson, head of operations at BrandsEye, examines the importance of controlling your online reputation and explains the steps required to manage it

First impressions last a lifetime. Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One, explains how important it is to engage the visitor as soon as they log on – or you could lose them in the blink of an eye

The digital revolution is transforming the role of PR in B2B marketing – long labelled by cynics as the 'fluffy' and unmeasurable part of the marketing mix. Lucy Fisher examines the role and potential of online PR techniques and looks at how it is fast becoming a critical technique

B2B brands of all sizes and sectors are now using web TV and online video to bring their messages alive and better engage with audiences. But how are they getting these sophisticated and powerful messages in front of the right people? Meg de Jong examines the growing sophistication of channels such as YouTube and techniques such as syndication

Instant messaging is growing up. Alex Blyth examines the technology as a tool to market not just internally, but for external marketing and business communications

Nic Ray, founder of IdeaBounty, explains how marketers can uncover a wealth of bright ideas at a low cost

What can B2B marketers learn from the website of confectionery brand Skittles? Paul Hatcher, web development director of Base One, explains

More often than not a buyer's first impression of your company will come through your website – so it's important that yours grabs them. Brett Mathews explains how to make web content engaging

Danny Turnbull, MD of GyroHSR in Manchester, lists this year's hot trends for web design

Is .com still the holy grail of domain names? Brett Mathews investigates new options for URLs

The growing dominance of the web in B2B marketing is putting the humble microsite at the centre of many campaigns. Alex Blyth examines what makes a great microsite

As technology advances, mobile marketing is something B2B marketers should consider, says Doug Kessler, creative director at Velocity Partners. He offers handy hints on how to make the medium work for you

Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One, takes a look at strategies that B2B marketers can use for communicating and engaging online

Steve Hemsley looks at why technology is becoming increasingly important to B2B marketers and how it is changing the way they operate

Webinars or webcasts are increasingly being used for lead generation, to raise the profile of a business and to help brands engage directly with their target audience. Brett Mathews reports

Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One Digital, says user-centred design will be a must-have for all effective B2B websites in the future

What is semantic technology and what does it mean to B2B marketers? Leighton Morgans, business development director of Eclipse Marketing, reveals all

The recession means marketers are seeking cost-effective channels to disseminate their messages. Many B2B brands are turning to viral campaigns for the answer – with varying levels of success. Meg de Jong investigates the rise of viral marketing and how to make the best out of this channel

Viral – that bastion of disruptive marketing – is proving a worthwhile investment not just for mass-market B2C brands, but in the B2B market space too. Natalie Horne, planner at specialist viral division of Mason Zimbler, Rebel Virals, shares ten tips on how to do it right.

Blogging can be a great marketing tool for your business – as long as you get it right. Brett Mathews reports on what makes a good blog and how marketers can make the most of this creative and unique channel

As spend in online display advertising slows, Alex Blyth asks whether this form of marketing is dying or if it is being reinvented for a new era

Tim Butcher, technical director of agency Itineris, demystifies one of those terms we all know but don't really understand - mashups

Pay-per-click advertising has evolved and businesses are finding they need to do more to optimise campaigns. Lisa Ditlefsen, head of search at Base One, discusses what has changed, what makes PPC advertising effective and how to get the most out of Google AdWords

Alison Guise, general manager Europe at Commission Junction, explains how to work out whether affiliate marketing is right for your business and how to get started

Lucy Allen, MD of LBI Netrank, provides the lowdown on utilising PR effectively online

Web 2.0 has stimulated an Internet boom which is reaching right across the economic spectrum to include B2B. So how can business marketers exploit this ever-evolving, dynamic medium to their advantage? Claire Weekes reports

Aleks Szymanski, MD of digital agency Itineris, looks at how businesses can get maximum return on investment using the next generation of web technology

Bluetooth marketing is in its infancy, and although it does have its pitfalls, the potential for B2B brands is substantial. Lucy Reiter explains how and why Bluetooth technology could be beaming its way into an array of business brands' marketing strategies

Tom Smith, research manager for EMEA at Universal McCann, discusses widgets and how they can be a useful tool for the B2B marketer

B2B marketers are always on the lookout for something new to invigorate and bring back the buzz. If Web 2.0 made us giddy in 2007, can Web TV do the same in 2008? By Mark Tobin

Bluetooth is now on the marketing menu after the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) removed it from its list of regulated opt-in communication media. But what opportunities can the medium present for B2B brands? Jeff Wright, email marketing executive of DNX, reports

Richard Bush, MD of Base One, uses the Evaluator and SEO Evaluator tools to test Acxiom's UK site – and finds it hiding in the shadow of its US sister site

What could be better than getting your message out there and knowing that it has reached your specific target, even when they are out of the office? Mobile marketing in B2B is on the rise; but use it with caution, advises Sue Tabbitt

Professional networking site Viadeo faces comparison to LinkedIn as Richard Bush, MD of Base One, uses the Evaluator and SEO Evaluator tools to assess its usability

Alison Guise, UK managing director for Commission Junction and Mediaplex, shows how affiliate marketing can work in the business to business sphere

Affiliate marketing is known as a popular form of digital marketing for B2C companies, but traditionally B2B companies have been slow to catch on. However, a recent shift in attitudes suggests this may be about to change. Alex Blyth investigates

Marc Osofsky, vice president of Optaros, presents eight principles to help companies understand what marketing in the age of Web 2.0 means to businesses

If the mention of RSS and audio broadcasting leaves you blank, fear not – help is at hand. Mark Tobin answers some of the most commonly asked questions about podcasting, insisting it is a widely accessible, user-friendly medium, capable of bringing great benefits

Richard Bush, MD of Base One Interactive, uses the Evaluator tool and the new SEO Evaluator to assess the website of iconic B2B brand JCB

The use of online advertising such as banner ads and pop-ups is falling behind other digital channels in terms of its uptake by B2B marketers. Sue Norris examines the prospects for this high profile, but under-utilised marketing medium

Every day another organisation is promoting its new presence in Second Life (SL). But what are they hoping to gain - and should you follow suit? Earl Atkinson, virtual world consultant at PA Consulting Group, says it's worth having a go

Online video and web TV is having a strong impact on purchasing decisions for ICT buyers, says Stuart Maister, who encourages marketers to get ahead and exploit this emerging channel

Television on the Internet is fast-becoming a familiar sight. So what kind of programmes can we expect to see streamed over the web, who is watching them and how are B2B marketers able to take advantage of this developing medium? Lucy Reiter reports

Marketers may view corporate video as somewhat dated, but it has the potential to generate enormous impacts and strong ROI. Sara Goodwins explains how to utilise this marketing channel and reap the rewards

Intranets and extranets are potentially highly potent assets for businesses, helping to develop more efficient marketing activity and closer relationships with strategic partners. Dave Howell reports

The proliferation of mobile devices – i.e. phones and PDAs – amongst business decision makers has created huge opportunities for marketing. Yet at the moment it is largely being ignored. Alice Johnson investigates

Developing strategic partnerships with other companies via an active affiliate campaign can be a lucrative means of expanding your market. But as Dave Howell discovers, this promotional channel is still evolving

Email marketing faces many problems: spam, firewalls and graphic image blocking can all result in emails never reaching their recipients. Martin Croft examines how electronic DM is winning the fight against suppression

Podcasting is the new buzz word on everyone's lips. But how does this technology work and what potential does it really have as an innovative tool for B2B marketing? Mark Tobin investigates

Podcasting is the new buzz word on everyone's lips. But how does this technology work and what potential does it really have as an innovative tool for B2B marketing? Mark Tobin investigates

According to the buzz, online advertising is a thriving medium. Will it eventually overtake traditional methods to be marketers number one choice for spend? Ian Sclater looks at what the future holds

Web analytics software is – in theory – the holy grail of marketing, offering the ability to generate unprecedented levels of insight into website visitors. But does it live up to the hype? Ian Sclater investigates

Building and maintaining a B2B website which really adds value to your brand need not be difficult, says Alex Blyth

A well-designed website provides the tiniest company with the same opportunities as a multinational corporation. This is an SME's carte blanche. Sara Goodwins outlines some basic rules to ensure your site presents the best possible face to the world

Old-fashioned values still matter in a digital world so don't bin the brochures or ditch the business cards; in fact, make them work harder for you and the business. Catherine Chetwynd advises on how to get clever with collateral