If you are new to the area of corporate blogging, or are just considering where this tool fits in the marketing mix, then this post could be for you. Pros and cons of corporate blogging are discussed in equal measure, and there’s a bunch of useful links to launch into.

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If you are a marketer working in the B2B tech field, you’ve probably noticed there’s a dearth of marketing studies in this area. eCommerce reports are ten to penny but precious few researchers seem interested in this area.

For that reason I was particularly happy when I came across this report by Enquiro entitled ‘Marketing to a B2B Technical Buyer’. There are some great stats including research such as this into top online influences:

So if you are interested in more figures in this area, go ahead and download the report now!

(Just to be clear, I’m in no way associated with Enquiro)

Forrester have really stirred the pot this time. In a recent B2B study, they note that the number of companies seeing corporate blogs as a key marketing channel is decreasing (year on year). A number of blogs have picked up on this, and it’s interesting for Forrester to take such a sombre tone, given their penchant to evangelise social media.



The one thing they point out is that blogs are often ill thought out and the reason behind starting a blog is not fully fleshed out. If the blogs start out with a clear objective, they are far more likely to succeed.

 

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Ward on the Web compiles a list of top tips for blogging. The real gem here are the links at the bottom of the post. Resources from A-list bloggers including Matt Cutts, Robert Scoble, Bruce Clay and more.

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Adam Tinworth goes to town on websites that think more of putting the community elements over to one side, rather than embedding it within the content. The error is often made by experienced content professionals and media space designers alike - pride of place goes to the content,

“But the traffic figures tend to show that the community stuff is just as much the real stuff to the readers as the journalist-created content.  In a sense, holding community apart from professional content only harms the professional content creators. It bars them from seeing and exploring the reaction from their customers to their work”

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John Cass has been part of the team tracking the uptake of corporate blogging in Fortune 500 companies. According to their research, only about 12% of the cream of companies are actively blogging.

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So, once you have got through the strategy and start the tactical phase of launching a blog, there will be some programming required. With the number of corporate blogs on the rise, this area of programming is becoming more and more sought after.

This is a great post if you are interested in the changes new technologies are having on web teams and the IT infrastructure in general.

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Is there a chink in the Webex empire? With the proliferation of Web 2.0 tools out there, it looks like there is a way to run seminars that leave a bigger trail in the ether.

Attend any Web 2.0 seminar and you’ll probably see a bunch of these in action. The latest I’ve seen is this approach from Radian (with the help of CrossTech Media):

• Use acrobat.com sharing tools to host the webinar portion (including audio and recording)
• Use Twitter (or preferably another service that’s more stable) to engage the audience

What are the benefits of this approach? If your audience asks questions, those serve as marketing tools to their wider audience. You tap into their social graph. Your recording of the session is up in minutes after the event without having to go through any of the rigmarole Webex puts you through.

I’d be interested to see any other approaches that may go further in using online events as marketing tools.