Before you go off and launch social outposts for your business, ask yourself how you will engage and entertain your would-be audience. That is a critical question to ask because there is in fact a cost to being boring.

Most of us are familiar with the concepts of SPAM and email fatigue, but a recent study by ExactTarget found that Internet users who unsubscribe, unfan or unfollow brands on social networks also complain of irrelevant  or boring marketing messages. Among Twitter users that unfollowed a brand, 52 percent said the content became repetitive or boring, and 41 percent said their stream was overflowing with blatant sales messages. Ouch.

While social media has forever changed the way we think about B2B marketing, it has not re-invented the ground rules: Content remains king. Relevancy matters. The challenge for professional service marketers is to consider the best combination of channels be it email, Twitter or even direct mail to engage, entertain and educate stakeholders. If you don’t have anything worthy to say, be it online or off, you risk exasperating those that matter most – your buyers.

Source: BtoBOnline.com

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• Social media strategy
• Content and messaging
• Public relations opportunities
• Legal implications
• Measurement and goals

During the hour-long session we crammed as much content in as we could… blogs to read, tools to test, ideas to ponder. Clearly an hour is not enough time to tackle B2B Social Media strategy in any depth but that was not our intent. Instead our plan was to give the audience permission to experiment. To tinker. To put a toe in the social media water and splash around.

So many B2B businesses and professional service firms that I encounter are gun-shy if not downright afraid of the social media abyss. How will we manage it? Who should contribute? What tools work best? Is anybody listening? Hello, is this mic on?

Dennis Glenn, founder of Discourse LLC and Social Media Faculty with the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management was one of my expert panelists. He shared a link to an interactive tool from McKinsey* that depicts how businesses are using Web 2.0 tools to improve employee, partner and customer communication. Where are you along the curve?

Look I know you don’t have all the answers. Here’s the thing – no one does. But social media is not a spectator sport. You have to get on the field, get a little muddy, take a few knocks and get back up again. Try. Do. Fail fast, learn and do more.

This is your permission slip: Take it and run with it.

If you are in the Chicago area and interested in attending any of the remaining B2B Social Media breakfast events, please visit the BMA Chicago website to register.

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1. At first glance, writing a blog looks easy
Many dogs wind up in a shelter not because they are unwanted but rather their owners completely underestimated the amount of energy required to properly care for it. Both my husband and I had grown up with dogs so we knew what we were getting into. Or so we thought. When we first met Schatzi at PAWS Chicago she rolled onto her back, bared her belly and thumbed her tail; we thought this was the happiest dog on earth. It wasn’t until we got her home that we learned her behavior was extremely submissive. She was terrified. Of everything. She shook inside her own skin, cowered when my husband came anywhere near her and would sometimes urinate on herself in fear. It’s been four years since we brought her home and while we continue to make progress, she will forever be a fearful dog.

Blogs can be similarly deceiving. Anyone can visit WordPress.com and start a blog in under a minute flat. Then the real work begins. Strategy. Content. Execution. Promotion. A blog is a living breathing thing – for some it may be easy, but for most it’s real work.

2. Left unattended, your blog may bite
Seeking a miracle cure for our dog’s anxiety my husband and I started watching The Dog Whisperer. We felt completely validated when Cesar said he would rather work with an aggressive dog than an anxious dog on any day. If Cesar said it, it was gospel right? We learned the hard way that even if she’s wagging her tail, our dog is not cool with you being in our house.  Thankfully no one was seriously injured, the cleaning lady did not sue us, and our friends are patient souls. But now when we have guests in our home, Schatzi goes into lock-down.

Your blog needs a similarly vigilant eye. Occasional blogging is fine if it’s for your personal use. If you’re blogging for business, take extra care to quickly remove inappropriate comments, thoroughly respond to questions, and maintain a schedule of regular posts.

3. Blogs require regular check-ups and grooming
Our dog is on a regular regimen of anti-heartworm meds, anti-flea and tick stuff, and gets a check-up annually. She also gets special dental-care bones weekly and groomed every month. Let’s face it – it’s not easy to keep this pooch in perfect health. Your blog needs regular check-ups too.

In addition to making sure you have the latest software update or WordPress patch, take a look at your SEO strategy–have your keywords changed? How about widgets – are there any new ones you want to give a try? What about your Go To Market strategy, industry buzzwords or target readers? Schedule blog check-ups at least quarterly to make sure you’re on top of all the moving parts.

4. Your blog will not fetch slippers
And neither will my dog. With time, focus and consistent effort, maintaining a blog can do many things but if your sales force is weak or your marketing strategy off-base, writing a blog will not save your business.

5. Blogs can foster communication
Because our dog is “special” we’re not able to utilize a dog-walking service. So every Sunday my husband and I have to sort out who is taking which of the thrice daily walks for the week ahead. Thankfully we found a wonderful kennel that has adopted Schatzi as their own so on Cleaning Lady Day (see point #2) we have to figure out who is dropping her off at doggie day care and who is picking her up. That’s a level of calendar coordination that did not previously exist in our house! But the upside is that my husband and I are more keenly aware of our calendars and when we see our schedules getting nuts, we can pause and carve out time just for us.

Similarly, I wouldn’t know my friend Deirdre if it weren’t for Schatzi. Or Vic, the local liaison to the Alderman’s office and organizer of the neighborhood phone tree. These are  contacts I made because we share a common bond: We are dog owners. Telling a fellow dog owner that you too have a mutt creates an instant connection. A blog can be a great way to connect with your targeted community… a way to say Hey and see if anyone says Hey back.

If you’re thinking about starting a blog, don’t let me stop you. It can be a rewarding exercise on many levels. Just remember that when it’s 20 below windchill and you’re watching Seinfeld reruns by the fire, some has to take the dog for “last outs.”

PS. We have a cat too. Her name is Lolly and she’s the most beautiful cat in the world, way cuter than any one of my friend Glynis’ cats.

Secret shoppers can be a powerful tool for small business owners. They are inexpensive labor, have little incentive to be anything but completely truthful, and the dialog between you and the Shopper can be conducted entirely by phone or online. The big payoff however is the insights they provide on customer service. Whether you run a retail store or a digital consulting practice, the level of service you provide is arguably more important than the end-product.

Chicago consultant, blogger and author Barry Moltz recently surveyed dozens of small businesses for his latest book  ‘BAM: Delivering Customer Service in a Self Service World.’ Barry says the key thing for small business owners to remember is that all customers are not the same. “Secret Shopper insights are invaluable because they drive home this message:  What constitutes excellent customer service for one person may not be the same for another. Excellent services changes from person to person, and often from experience to experience.”

As you make your marketing plans for the new year ahead consider adding a small line item for secret shoppers. As Barry says, “They help you to see your customers as individuals rather than one big mass of people that see ‘service’ the same way.”

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B2B companies on the ledge fear that the social media train has left the station and there is no way to catch it. You can spot a company on the ledge rather easily. There is typically a social champion suffering from what I call FOMS disease (Fear Of Missing Something.) The social champion will not rest  until the company launches six blogs, a new Facebook landing page, a mobile app, the CEO is tweeting hourly and all new hires have Flip video cameras.

On the other hand are B2B companies where the thought of being social is equivalent to being on a train bound for hell. These companies make themselves known by asking a litany of “whats” of anyone who dare suggest a social maneuver. For example, if I encourage a conservative B2B company give a talented young woman on its marketing team the keys to the corporate twitter account, the rapid-fire “what” responses sound something like this:

• What if she screws up?
• What will she say?
• What if it backfires?
• What resources are required?
• What if she neglects her current job responsibilities?
• What will our competition think?
• What if no one cares, comments or comes back?
• What if she accidentally destroys the company, or even the world?

For those on the ledge I say this: Take a deep breath, there’s another train arriving in 15 minutes and plenty of room on it. For those unwilling to take the trip, buck up and buy a one-way ticket.

There are plenty of trains going social, but none is ever coming back.

So said Jennifer Howard, Head of B2B Markets for Google at the Chicago Business Marketing Association luncheon earlier this afternoon. For B2B businesses, an online conversion is not defined as a sale but rather as an action a visitor takes such as:

• Download a white paper
• Submit a contact form
• Register for a webinar
• Watch a product demo
• Sign-up for a newsletter
• Contact sales, and so on

Many B2B companies still suffer from a weak web presence, engage in little to no search engine marketing, and remain reticent to engage in social media activity. Yet 62 percent of business buyers report spending more time conducting online research during the procurement process now than they did before the recession, and 25 percent say they are more likely to change vendors now than in more stable economic times.

The message is crystal clear: B2B businesses can  no longer dismiss online marketing and digital communications. Today’s buyers want to move through the purchase funnel online. They demand information about your products and services when they’re looking for it. And they want proof of your reputation before they’re willing to meet.

It’s time to quit asking yourself whether or not your buyers are searching for you online. Ask your self instead what you’re doing about it.

The same is true with social media. Start out slowly and build on your success. Many businesses and service professionals try to  launch Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and other social channels all at once only to discover these hard truths:

• Gaining traction takes time. Nothing happens overnight. Nothing.
• Like a house plant, social channels need love, attention and nurturing or they die
• It’s harder than it looks. Zappos makes it look easy but buying shoes couldn’t be more different from buying a $1M software solution, 5 pieces of heavy machinery, or a 100-person employee benefits plan.
• The channel itself is not the solution; content still reigns supreme.

Last week I presented at the Valley Industrial Association on a topic near and dear to my heart: Driving B2B Sales Through LinkedIn. Much like training for a sport, leveraging LinkedIn is an ongoing process. You begin slowly and build upon your success. If you’re in sales or a rainmaker role, start by optimizing your profile on industry key words to ensure you are easily found by target prospects.

As you work on your profile, make an effort to get connected to peers, colleagues, former managers, direct reports, vendors… anyone who  might someday be in a position to open a door for you. And then engage. Contribute to the online conversation in a meaningful way. Having a robust profile is just the ante; to achieve results you have to take action.

After I finished my presentation, a woman approached me and said, “You’ve inspired me to give LinkedIn another try.”  Aside from being a huge compliment, her comment  underscores this important lesson: Once you start, you must never stop. You can dial it up or dial it down but resist the temptation to abandon ship. Like training for a marathon, social networking and social media success comes with persistence and patience. Set goals, budget the necessary time, and don’t lose sight of the finish line.

Social media is not a panacea for a weak sales force, off-target marketing or irrelevant products. Social media will not don tights and a cape and fly in at quarter-end to save the day. So why bother? Because social media can amplify smart marketing, educate and engage interested prospects, and give your customers a reason to talk to one another among other things.

Just because it’s harder for B2B brands to be social doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. A few words of caution for before you start:

1. You’re not Starbucks. Set benchmarks appropriate for your size and reach. Look to B2B brands with similar target markets. Study your competition, suppliers, vendors, partners and customers too.
2. There is no Adult Swim. If you’re waiting for the lifeguard to blow his whistle and kick all the screaming, splashing kids out of the water, you’re out of luck. Brands that want to leverage social media channels have to put a toe in the water… or just dive in. Either way, you have to be willing to get wet.
3. You’re the tortoise, not the hare. Some of you may remember when email was brand new. Truth-be-told, I remember inter-office envelopes. There will always be new and exciting ways to go to market. Mobile, video, social… Which will work best for you? The only way to know is to try.

Smart marketers by nature are tinkerers, always looking for a faster route to market, a clearer message, and more ways to engage… Social media can help you do just that if you’re willing to try. So put on your floaties and come on in. I’ll meet you at the shallow end… the water’s fine.

The man who rung up my sale was very friendly. We chatted about health, fitness and the onset of spring – a glorious time in Chicago. As I left I remember thinking that I when I improve enough to require a set of 12-pound weights I would absolutely shop there again.

 But what really solidified the relationship was the handwritten thank you note I received a few weeks later. Yes, you read that right–it was a note penned by a real person thanking me for my business and encouraging me to visit again or call any time with questions.

All I can say is WOW! And that’s not the only handwritten note I’ve received recently. I’m working with a professional book writer to assist with my forthcoming book on social networking. After we spent a grueling day working side by side on the content, he too sent me a handwritten note of thanks.

I was so impressed, so delighted, that I read it aloud to my husband. When is the last time you’ve done something so small yet extraordinary that your customers told their friends about it?

I firmly believe that social media and digital marketing are powerful tools that you should be incorporating into your mix, but don’t dismiss the value of old fashioned marketing and recognizing people as people, one handwritten note at a time.

1. Why am I exhibiting?
2. Who are my targets?
3. What do I want to accomplish?

Valid reasons for exhibiting may include generating qualified leads, launching a new product, conducting market research, meeting potential partners, spending quality time with current customers and gaining media exposure.

Your challenge is to weigh the cost and considerable effort against the return. If you decide a trade show is the right use of your resources, remember that it’s not enough to just show up.

You need a game plan for pre-show marketing, onsite promotion and post-show follow-up. If you can’t manage an integrated plan of attack, consider registering as an attendee and simply walking the floor.

You don’t need a full exhibit to host a press conference or entertain customers. The bottom line? Consider your options – there may be a smarter way to achieve your goals.