Savvy B2B Marketing

If you're in the states like we are, you probably had the same reaction to this week: "Where did it go?" Even though it was a short week, the blogosphere is full of inspiration. Enjoy our favorites while trying to stay cool!

Influencers Suck - by @aprildunford
April Dunford of Rocket Watcher gives her inside look at the recent influencer event staged by Klout and Virgin America - what it was, where it went wrong, and what it means for companies trying to woo online influencers. Great insights for any brand trying to work in this space.

How I Profile a Community's Participation to Inform Next Actions - by @scottgould
This one's a bit of a deep dive, but worth it if you have the time to really read and not just skim. Scott talks about how to assess a community accurately so that your engagement strategy is spot on.

The 14 Stages of Writing a Book - by @marketingprofs
Our friend Ann Handley is always a source for the best insights, inspirations, and hands-on information. This post, however, made us - as writers - laugh out loud. If you've ever written or plan to write, read this one for a chuckle. It's SO true!!

Popping the Social Media Bubble - by @MattChevy
Matt's sage advice to get out of the echo chamber should be delivered to the social media scene on a regular basis. It's way too easy to get caught up in drinking the Kool-Aid and chatting in circles with the same clique. If you really want social media to work for you, you need to listen up!

How to Get Positive Word-of-Mouth Advertising - by @treypennington
Sometimes, it's not about going the extra mile, it's about walking across the street. Trey shares a real life story that made him generate some positive buzz for a brand. Think about how it might work for your brand.

Creating a Content Marketing Plan Without Any Content - by @markwschaefer
What would a weekly round-up be without something from our friend Mark? In this post, he gives some simple and solid advice to brands who would like to be in the social space, but are daunted by the amount of time/expertise they think is required to do content marketing. There's more than one way to get the party started and with Mark's advice, you should only have to spend about 15 minutes a day. Really!

5 Ways to Mess Up Your Drip Campaign - by @ConnectdMarkter
Drip campaigns are key to keeping prospects engaged until they're ready to reach out. Jep Castelein warns marketers about five pitfalls that can undermine their nurturing efforts.

How to Discover Your Competitors' Most-Shared Content - by @garrettfrench via @junta42
Step-by-step guidance on how to figure out which of your competitors' content is being shared and by whom.

Using Editorial Calendars in B2B Marketing - by @ardath421
Are your struggling to keep your content marketing efforts organized? Here's a great post from Ardath Albee on the essential elements of an editorial calendar.

Smarter Ways to Get Content Ideas for B2B Blogs - by @leeodden via @toprank
If you are looking for ideas for your blog, check out this post from Lee Odden that provides some great suggestions.