According to the IBM Institute for Business Value, 60-65% of business leaders think users follow them on social media because they want to be part of a community. But that isn't true: the primary reason users follow companies on sites like Facebook or Twitter is because they want discounts—which isn't ... more

Many businesses are members of their local chamber of commerce but don't take advantage of opportunity to increase sales and brand awareness. Here are five ways business owners can derive value from their chamber membership. more

How vital is mobile commerce becoming? Worldwide, mobile commerce is set to hit $119 billion by 2015. The projected amount of retail purchases made online by 2014 is 54%. more

So you've set your company's sights on selling to smaller businesses. Sure, they aren't the heavy-hitters, the star accounts, but their loyalty could provide a nice budgetary cushion for your bigger sales efforts. And they'll surely be thrilled to tap into your products or services, right? Well, hold on a minute. According ... more

Webinars can be great lead-generation tools. But virtual communications can also help you build communities, communicate with customers, train sales teams and partners, measure the success of campaigns, and launch products. more

Most CMOs (89.4%) say social data has affected at least some of their business decisions, and 21.3% say social data affects at least 1 in 5 decisions they make, according to a new report by Bazaarvoice and The CMO Club. more

"B2B sales is by no means easy. It requires not only skill, but panache," says Jesse Noyes in a post at It's All About Revenue. But over time, a buzz can develop in the field about what tactics are working best to turn prospects into valued clients. Noyes highlights eight tips ... more

Even the most seasoned marketing professionals sometimes fall prey to mistakes in tactics or implementation. But with a watchful eye, practitioners can avoid costly pitfalls. Here is a quick review of the 10 most common B2B traps and how you can dodge them: more

Here are nine ways to draw tradeshow attendees to your booth and engage with them. Some of these tips may seem like common sense, but you'd be amazed at how many exhibitors completely disregard them. more

If you're still wondering about the value of segmentation, consider these numbers from eMarketer, as reported by HubSpot: "39% of email marketers that practice list segmentation see better open rates; 28% see lower opt-out and unsubscribe rates; and 24% see better email deliverability, increased sales leads, and greater revenue." HubSpot's Corey ... more

Without content—reports, webinars, and follow-up emails—your expensive marketing automation software will be a big flop. Learn why content is the fuel that makes any marketing automation system run smoothly. more

"Hundreds, if not thousands, of solutions have been developed to automate lead-scoring," writes Peter Gracey at MarketingProfs. "However, those scores don't provide salespeople much valuable information." That's why he developed a scoring system that asks six questions—three before a discover call, three afterwards—and assigns up to six points. Here they ... more

It's easy to send "just one email with the same content to everyone in your database," writes Matthew Johnson at the Vision6 blog. "But how do you send that same email and make it relevant to everyone in your database?" The short answer is: You can't. And that's why you need conditional ... more

Websites are great ways to relay lots of information—and that's a blessing and a curse, as business sites pack in as much about themselves, their products, their customers, their services, as they possibly can. Against that daily data barrage, the use of imagery can pay off big, KISSmetrics tells us in ... more

Only one in five B2B marketing and sales professionals (20%) say their demand generation campaigns are fully effective, whereas 80% say they are ineffective to semi-ineffective, according to a survey from Corporate Visions. more

Today's revenue-focused marketers need to be experts in inbound marketing. Learn why effective inbound marketing requires relevant, compelling content that is tailored to prospects at each stage of the buying cycle. more

Enterprise-grade mobile apps can equip sales teams with a set of high-impact selling tools. But not all apps are created equal. Learn the five essential elements of an effective sales app. more

If your company operates in the B2B sphere, there's a good chance your lead-nurturing program includes email campaigns with triggered messages. But if those messages are too robotic, warns Ardath Albee, they might do more harm than good. "Lead nurturing is not about sending out emails on a regular schedule just because you can," ... more

Countless solutions have been developed to automate lead-scoring, but those scores don't provide salespeople much valuable information. Learn a practical six-question scoring system that effectively evaluates and qualifies leads. more

When you troubleshoot your lead gen program's lack of closed deals, be sure to examine your sales reps' role in the process. "[A]ll too often, despite their critical contribution to a business, sales reps can get in their own way," writes Al Davidson at MarketingProfs. "They are often their own ... more

How do you read a casual email from a friend? In all likelihood, you scan it to get the general idea, write a quick reply and click back to your inbox. But what if—below her sign-off—she adds a P.S.? "Suddenly, she's got your attention," writes Sid Smith in an article at ... more

Between next-generation smartphones, tricked-out apps, and celebrity-filled Siri commercials, it's easy to look at mobile as a set of breakthrough devices, tools, and channels. But that's not the lens through which marketers should be viewing mobile. more

If your email marketing campaign doesn't generate the kind of ROI you expect, take a look at your typical call to action (CTA). Does it tell a customer how to take the next step? Does it create a sense of urgency? "When your audience is left with no direction and no ... more

Photography and video have an immense impact on customers' purchasing behavior because they enable customers to visually connect with products before they buy. Learn how compelling visual content can help drive sales. more

In April, the McKinsey Quarterly published "Demystifying Social Media" for businesses. The article illustrates how using social media right can enable "targeted marketing responses at individual touch points along the consumer decision journey." Here are four steps to take to meet consumers along the way and achieve social touch-point engagement: Monitor. Make learning what's said about ... more