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For some, the mix of social media with B2B marketing is a tough one to swallow.  While several business marketers were quick to jump onto web sites, the communications tended to be one-way (not interactive), with many web sites becoming little more than electronic brochures that were cheaper to produce and easier to distribute than their paper predecessors.

But with the ‘web came the promise of interactivity.  And that promise is now starting to mature in the form of social media (or Web 2.0).  But what’s a business to do if it sells, primarily, to other businesses?

Thanks to Brandon Bryce, President & CEO of Large Mouth Communications and an article that recently appeared on the Large Mouth web site entitled “Who’s afraid of the Web 2.0?”

Here is a summary of the five tips Brandon offers B2B marketers when it comes to taking advantage of social media marketing:

1. Remember that not all social media platforms are created equal.  Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, Facebook all have their strengths and weaknesses.  Those need to be evaluated against your marketing objectives BEFORE jumping into a social media campaign.

2. Listen before you speak.  Web 2.0 is about interaction and the whole concept of interaction requires reaction to stimulus.  If you’re not paying attention to what your customers are saying to you, you can’t react appropriately and with the proper attention to detail.

3. Understand the difference between meaningful dialogue and SPAM.  There is a line that separates engagement from abuse.  Know where that line is.  Understand how close you can come and don’t dare step over.

4. Get personal – but keep it professional.  Web 2.0 requires a different kind of intimacy with the customer and the brand.  That takes some getting used to, but it’s well worth the discomfort.

5. Embrace transparency.  Honesty is the best policy … and no where is that more true than on the Internet.  Resist the temptations (available via technology) to create false cases, phony advocates or trumped up/exaggerated claims.  You WILL get found out and the fallout can be toxic.  Worse yet, nasty facts – especially if they’re true – can linger for years and be easily found thanks to online search tools like Google and Yahoo!  Keep it honest, open and clean.

Of course, this short summary is just the tip of the iceberg.  Brandon goes into much more detail.  The post is definitely worth the read.

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