Features

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook in B2B - Personal and professional?

  Facebook can provide an ideal opportunity for B2B marketers to take advantage of the blurring boundaries between personal and professional social media. Alex Blyth reports

• ANALYSIS: Wake up to word-of-mouth

  The rise of digital media has reawakened the idea of word-of-mouth marketing as a powerful channel for brand advocacy. Alex Blyth reports

• ANALYSIS: Will the real BP please stand up?

  Just when BP thought that things couldn't get any worse for its reputation, along came an imposter in the Twitterverse. Victoria Paley reports

• WEB USABILITY TEST: Technology events

  This month's test saw web users tasked with booking tickets to a technology event after checking venue and prices. Base One's usability expert, Susanne Wraight and web development director, Paul Hatcher, analyse the users' experiences

• ANALYSIS: A matter of semantics

  B2B marketers might be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about regarding Facebook's roll-out of its 'Like' button, but as Andreas Pouros, COO of Greenlight says, it is “web 3.0 in action”. Anna Goldie investigates

• SOCIAL MEDIA: The brand monitoring buzz

  Social media allows a fly-on-the-wall approach to brand monitoring, but more than that it allows for interaction with your audience to help manage brand reputation, explains Brett Mathews

• ANALYSIS: Volcanic ash cloud – Plane inconvenient

  Iceland's volcanic ash cloud has created both huge repercussions and exciting opportunities for brands at different ends of the B2B spectrum, as Claire Weeks finds out

• FEATURE: Twitter sings a new tune

  What does Twitter's recent introduction of Promoted Tweets mean for the online business community?

• BEST PRACTICE: Monitoring your social media efforts

  Discover how to monitor your social media efforts using free tools or via outsourced activity, reveals Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream

• ANALYSIS: Have you gone too far with digital?

  New regulations mean that non-paid for digital marketing will fall within the CAP code. What will this mean for B2B marketers? Anna Goldie investigates

• CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH: Putting the fun back into science

  Invitrogen hopes to engage the end users of its Gibco formula in order to raise brand awareness and collect mobile phone numbers. Maxine-Laurie Marshall reports

• ANALYSIS: Tweet smell of success

  As Twitter's popularity continues its meteoric rise, how can B2B brands make sure they are getting in on the action? Claire Weekes reports

• ANALYSIS: Virtual reality in B2B

  Are virtual worlds an expensive gimmick or a marketer's new best friend? Lucy Reiter reports

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Integrating mobile into your social media strategy

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream PR, on why it's important to integrate mobile marketing with social media and how to make this convergence of techniques work

• DEBATE: Does success with social media boil down to an effective approach to relationship building and the resulting 'feel good' factor for brands?

• DATA Q&A: Do social media and data mix?

  Can social media act as an effective tool for data enhancement and cleansing? If so, how should this process be conducted?

• TECHNOLOGY Q&A: Steve Lamb, technology PR manager, Microsoft

  Microsoft's Steve Lamb talks about why his grandmother still inspires him and the threat, and opportunity, social media presents to B2B marketers.

• TECHNOLOGY: Social mobility

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream PR, on why it's important to integrate mobile marketing with social media and how to make this convergence of techniques work

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Social media begins with your employees

  Katy Howell, MD at Immediate Future, says employees must form a fundamental part of your social media strategy, and explains how to make this happen

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Measuring ROI

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream PR, reveals how to measure the ROI from social media marketing and says the results are worth the effort

• Q&A: Kevin Eyres, European MD, LinkedIn

  LinkedIn's European MD tells us about his favourite B2B brands and campaigns, the mistakes he sees companies make with social media, and his secret karaoke obsession

• BEST PRACTICE: Crowdsourcing in B2B

  Crowdsourcing is billed as having the potential to transform product development and customer service, but few appear to be taking advantage. Claire Weekes investigates

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Buzz, real life lessons in word-of-mouth marketing'

  Reviewed by Meera Chandra, MD, SyzygyPublished by Profile books

• ANALYSIS: Social media and market research

  The growth of social media has provided B2B marketers with a range of new tools and platforms for market research, according to research from Forrester. Lucy Fisher reports

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Social web and the silent majority

  Paul Hatcher, web development director at Base One, wonders if B2B marketers get too caught up in the glamour of social media and forget their audiences

• SOCIAL MEDIA: LinkedIn develops information gathering platform

  LinkedIn’s latest development is a chance for B2B marketers to gather key information on users and produce creative campaigns, explains Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream PR

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Herd: How to change mass behaviour by harnessing our true nature'

  Reviewed by Paul Godwin, planning director, Positive ThinkingPublished by John Wiley & Sons

• SOCIAL MEDIA: The generation game?

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, explains how social media can be a cost effective way to generate leads

• DIGITAL MARKETING: DIY digital - are you mad?

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

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Get a social life

  Online communities are becoming more popular than email for personal interaction. But in marketing terms what can they achieve? Claire Weekes reports

• CAMPAIGN OF THE MONTH: Turn on, tune in, sleep out

  The IT sector's annual Byte Night event has ramped up its social media efforts to reach new audiences. Maxine-Laurie Marshall reports

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Search and social media go hand in hand

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream PR, explains why social media should be at the forefront of your mind when optimising your site for search

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Digital engagement' by Leland Harden and Bob Heyman

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Brand guidelines

  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

• HOW TO...kick start your social networking with blog

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, on why your corporate blog should be more than just a forum for company news and comments

• ROI and measurement – the business case for social media

  With subscription levels for online communities soaring, Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, provides insight on how you can measure networks against your needs

• SOCIAL MEDIA: 'Inside-out' versus 'outside-in' marketing

  Howard Lewis, head of B2B sales at Experian, considers the 'inside-out' versus 'outside-in' marketing debate and looks whether a truce between the two is the way forward

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Making an impact with social media

  Approached wrongly, social media marketing can do more harm than good. But it's not going away. Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, offers best practice guidelines

• SOCIAL MEDIA: The power of influencer marketing

  To many, influencer marketing is an enigma. Meg de Jong illuminates the art of reaching decision-makers by targeting those that influence them

• SOCIAL MEDIA: The power of the podcast

  When podcasting crept into the digital space a few years ago, many predicted that by now it would be in mainstream use by B2B marketers – yet the medium's popularity has been slow to grow. Claire Weekes looks at why now might be the time to reconsider the power of the podcast

• DIGITAL MARKETING: When 'fluffy' met 'techie'

  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

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Measuring the succes of social media

  With subscription levels for online communities soaring, Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, provides insight on how you can measure networks against your needs

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Steps to social-ability

  Brett Mathews offers six nuggets of practical advice on how to use social media - from different types of social networks to online PR - to market to your customers

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Is CRM the next big thing in social media?

  How can B2B marketers stay ahead of the game in social media? Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, explains why the next focus should be on 'social' CRM

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Social CRM - The next big thing in social media?

  How can B2B marketers stay ahead of the game in social media? Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, explains why the next focus should be on 'social' CRM.

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Harnessing the wisdom of crowds

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

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Instant messaging

  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

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Discovering social media

  B2B marketers are keen to reap the benefits of social media, but few have unravelled the complexity of what's on offer, explains Lucy Fisher

• DIGITAL MARKETING: What the Skittles brand can teach B2B marketers

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

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Protecting your brand against negative buzz

  Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, provides tips on how companies can mitigate damaging views expressed through social media

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Communities are not a right – they are a privilege

  With interest growing in online communities for innovative and interactive digital marketing, Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, provides steps on how companies can create their own

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Working the room - Twitter for B2B

  How do you get your brand on Twitter? Doug Kessler, creative director at Velocity Parters, offers practical tips on how  to get started on the mini-blog and use it to achieve business goals.

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Meatball Sundae' by Seth Godin

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Marketing in the Twitter stream

  What value does Twitter offer B2B brands? Tom Chapman, social media strategist at digital PR agency Headstream, defines how business marketers can use this micro-blogging service as part of their social media mix

• BOOK REVIEW: 'How to succeed in business using LinkedIn' by Eric Butow and Kathleen Taylor

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Quest for the holy viral

  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

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Groundswell' by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

• DIGITAL MARKETING: How to adopt a digital PR strategy

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

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Exploiting the web 2.0 boom

  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

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Influencer Marketing' by Duncan Brown and Nick Hayes

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Website review: Viadeo – functionality versus personality

  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

• TECHNOLOGY: Digital signage

  The explosion in use of flat panel TVs and the continued development of integrated broadband are delivering a new digital marketing channel that businesses can use to enhance their interaction with customers. Dave Howell reports

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Can affiliate marketing catch-on in B2B?

  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

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Can business get social?

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Getting the most out of your Second Life

  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

• SOCIAL MEDIA: The blogging minefield

  It is becoming increasingly difficult for B2B marketers to discredit the value that a blog can add to their brand. More and more companies are becoming a part of this internet evolution. But is it as straightforward as setting up and starting to post? Claire Weekes reports

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Virtual events

  The recent explosion in the use of social media means it won't be long before this relatively new phenomenon becomes a valuable tool in the B2B marketers' toolbox. Alex Blyth peers into a parallel universe to discover the benefits

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Webinars - Taking face-to-face marketing online

  The ability to offer high value, interactive and targeted content straight to the desktop makes the potential of the webinar as a marketing channel obvious. But how should it best be exploited? Dave Howell reports

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Putting your head on the blog

  Used carefully, blogs can help businesses present a more human face. Mark Tobin outlines the rules of blogging and criteria for the perfect corporate blog, whilst urging those who don't participate to monitor their profile in the blogosphere

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Reach out with webinars

  Roberto Simi, MD of Moonfish, explains how to make the most of the educational opportunities presented by online seminars – otherwise known as webinars