What's the easiest way to learn a tactical lesson about B2B marketing? By hearing it from someone who's already learned it the hard way. You gain the knowledge—but avoid the pain. That's the basic philosophy behind the MarketingProfs B2B Forum: It offers experiential case studies, best practices—you name it—to help take the pain out of gaining B2B marketing expertise.

Case in point: In a recent post at the Daily Fix blog, MarketingProfs' Ann Handley summed up 30 pain-free lessons that attendees learned at the May Forum in Boston. "During the last session of the event," she reports, "our trio of embedded journalists ... came together to share what they'd been picking up as they floated in and out of the various sessions."

Here are a few action-tip highlights from the 30 lessons learned:

• Be helpful online: That's the key to successfully participating in social conversations.
• Listen to your sales force to know what content brings in the best kinds of leads, and optimize your messages accordingly.
• Create an editorial calendar for your content creation; use it to drive your social-media activities.
• Repurpose your content across channels to optimize its utility and value.
• Add a call to action at the end of a blog post; it can become a significant source of leads.
• Focus on the landing page "experience" (don't just present a form) to earn 2 to 20 times more conversions at your sites.
• Don't ignore Bing. It's proving to be a solid lead generator.

The Po!nt: Knowing doesn't have to hurt. Stay vigilant throughout the year to find golden nuggets like these shared by B2B folks who have been there, done that. It's a pain-free way to boost—and maintain—your expertise.

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