According to Mitch Joel, the author of Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone, we no longer live in a world of six degrees of separation, but rather six pixels of separation – effectively changing everything we know about doing business, as the online realm becomes increasingly relevant in communication and decision-making.

Joel notes that it is crucial that all companies leverage digital channels to get their voice “out there” by connecting with others, becoming better community citizens, and, ultimately, making strategic business moves that will increase revenue, awareness and overall success in the marketplace.

Here are some of Joel’s key tips for engaging consumers through digital channels:

• Drive consumers to take action and keep them engaged
• Be active in blogs, micro-blogs (Twitter), podcasts, online social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn), sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr), user-generated content (audio, videos), and wikis
• Be compelling and consistent in everything you do
• Add value to the conversation – add personal insights and establish yourself or your business
• Be present, active and involved – respond to questions asked and ask your consumers questions

Digital channels will work for you based on what your users, community members and readers do with your content. It is important to understand that your reputation is online – so be helpful, sincere, credible, responsive and FAST!

It takes time to build content – find your voice, develop a community and earn trust and respect. Digital channels are about building real relationships, with both current and potential customers – they are built on trust and trust alone – and trust is built slowly over time.

Connect with us on Twitter: @Zer0to5ive

Social media started as a peer-to-peer connection tool – it was something people used to stay in touch, post photos, and share news and events. In the beginning, it was a channel used among friends and colleagues, like any other social venue.

Within a year or two of the social media explosion, corporations began to see the value in social media outside of conversations between peers, and they leveraged these concentrated cyber venues to connect with their customers, validate their brand, and sell their products.

The business tactics worked – and millions of people began to interact with these companies, posting on their Facebook pages, re-tweeting their tweets on Twitter and commenting on YouTube videos. But, even though this movement has exploded over the last several years, most of the companies involved are still B2C companies.

So – how can a B2B company benefit from Social Marketing?

According to Paul Gillin, author of “Social Marketing to the Business Customer,” the answer is simple.

In his book, which focuses on how B2B companies can successfully engage in social marketing, Paul Gillin lays out some best practices that all B2B marketers can benefit from. He argues that business buyers are looking to make decisions as quickly and intelligently as possible, and that the Internet is the best place to engage these buyers. He writes that social marketing tactics are not right for all B2B companies, but used in the right ways for the right corporations social media can be a very effective business-to-business tool.

Below are what he considers to be the top 3 benefits of social marketing for B2B clients:

1. Social media offers a way to humanize a business

Your online presence is the “face” of your company, resonating with people and engaging them in what your company has to say. Being able to connect with customers online is effective because it is essentially an extension of your brand, through a channel that your customer understands and can relate to.

Using your name, or even a picture of your face, is a literal translation of this (and it has been done!) – but another way to achieve this is by starting a company blog, and giving your company a voice.

2. Social media can provide opportunities to achieve market intelligence through surveillance

With social media you have the opportunity to monitor what is being said about your industry, from potential buyers and the general public. This information can make you more intelligent about your industry, and can be used to strategize future plans. You also can use your role in discussions to show your thought leadership and expertise.

3. Social media allows a company to discover new product opportunities or holes in the current market

As a member of the social media community, you are also a part of online conversations and discussions on new products, trends or news in your industry. More importantly, you can also monitor what your competitors are doing – or what they are not doing.

For example, you can monitor what people are tweeting or blogging about a competitor and get clues on how you can also be optimizing your business or using opportunities to get ahead.

With the right strategy and tools, B2B companies can (and should) effectively take action through social marketing channels.

For more information and additional resources, check out Paul’s website here.

Kelsey Rodenbiker
Zer0 to 5ive Strategist
Twitter: @KRodenbiker

As the economy picks up, more businesses are reinstating their PR programs to share news and connect with prospects. In addition, businesses are looking for PR pros to engage with their customers via social media.

With more jobs available, just how is a recent graduate going to get the gig?

Social media, of course! Social media tools, from Facebook to LinkedIn, have not only transformed the landscape of PR and marketing in recent years, but have also become a great way to network and find employment.

Twitter specifically is a great resource for reaching PR headhunters who are dedicated to helping recent graduates start their career. These seasoned professionals update their profiles numerous times a day with available PR positions, interview and resume advice and industry trends that will help any grad better understand the field.

Here are a few of the best:

• Heather Huhman (@heatherhuman) – Helps Gen Y find internships and entry-level jobs. Career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended.
• Sarah Evans (@prsarahevans)- PR and social media correspondent

Great social media skills will not only help graduates to find jobs, but also get hired. Companies are looking for young people who are knowledgeable about social media and can interact via social media channels on their behalf. It’s important for recent grads to understand how social media can be useful on a broad scale – which can lead to a great position with a company.

It’s not easy and can take some time to get the perfect interview – but with the right skills and the right approach, you’ll be welcomed with open arms. Seek out opportunities to network and reach new people and opportunities. Now is the time to take advantage of the upward growth happening in PR!

Mallory Jaroski
Zer0 to 5ive Strategist
Twitter: @MJaroski

With all the recent zombie movies, television shows and related content, we’re all probably wondering what we would do in the case of a zombie attack – aren’t we?

No worries are necessary though, as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), aware of the growing concern of citizens, issued a blog post yesterday on how to handle a zombie apocalypse – “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.”

While in reality, this is probably not a major concern for most people, and it’s definitely not the type of content expected from the CDC, it’s proved to be a win for the organization. Social media channels are flooded with talk of the post, and the CDC’s blog has crashed from the amount of traffic flooded its way.

Why was this post such a hit for the CDC?

• Capitalizing on a trend. Zombies are at the forefront of pop culture these days, with the Resident Evil franchise, Zombieland movie and the popular AMC show, The Walking Dead.
• Monitoring the media. The plot of The Walking Dead, a show based on surviving in a zombie apocalypse, regularly includes talk of the CDC, leaving the door open for the CDC to chime in on how they really would handle such a situation. And thankfully, they took the chance and addressed it in an entertaining way.
• Personality. The post is full of personality and gives a major government organization some character, showing that they know how to have a little fun – something we all can appreciate.
• Engaging content. A lot of blog content is nothing new – it’s out there somewhere else in the blogosphere. It’s hard to stand out; but, when you provide a new take on an interesting topic, people will want to read it – and share it.

On an average day, would most people stop by the CDC’s blog? Probably not. However, this post illustrates the importance of timely, engaging information that capitalizes on a trend in an organic way. Even better? We are now all prepared to handle a zombie attack should the need arise. I know I feel safer.

Sarah Weddle
Zer0 to 5ive Strategist
Twitter: @SarahWeddle
Image courtesy of iStockPhoto/spxChrome

Zer0 to 5ive’s Marcello Figallo, principal-creative director, and MaryBeth Sheppard, principal, were quoted in the BtoB magazine article, “Making Sites More Social.”

The article discusses the newfound importance of social media integration to a website’s success, but warns that the use of social media should be carefully strategized and maintained.

“Companies should use social media [in a way] that makes sense for the goals of their websites,” said Marcello Figallo, principal-creative director at Zer0 to 5ive Media. “When you’re setting out to build a site, you must have a perspective of what visitors are going to get out of visiting it.” For example, Figallo said, if the company’s goal is to get people to spend more time on its website, then its social strategy should focus on keeping them there as opposed to a plan that might send them to other sites via social media links.

“The potential for integrating social media into a website is enormous, particularly when a company sets up a really great social media program and follows through with it,” said Marybeth Sheppard, principal at Zer0 to 5ive Media. “A website is definitely not a “set-it-and-forget-it’ kind of medium. That’s really critical with social media; it’s not short-term. Don’t [start a social media program] just because some execs thought it was a good idea. It needs to be maintained.”

Check out the full article, featuring advice from industry experts, here. What do you think companies should consider when implementing social media tools on their websites?

Follow MaryBeth (@MB_Sheppard) and Marcello (@Zer0to5ive) on Twitter and share your thoughts!

Marketing has its March Madness that is almost as crazy and exciting as basketball’s. March is the month that the numbers start to matter: Are we meeting sales projections for the first quarter? Is our PR working? Are our leads real? Are our communities engaged? Has our product launch worked?

At Zer0 to 5ive we work hard to establish metrics for the work we do – it’s in our best interest and our clients. We often use the end of March as the time to evaluate the strategies and tactics that we have implemented. It’s easy to adjust strategy, take advantage of the things that are working and try new ideas. Measurement and flexibility go hand in hand. Ultimately, marketing and communications is about conditioning the environment for sales and customer loyalty. Those are metrics that you can take to the bank!

Here are a few of the things you can measure and some ideas of how you can measure them:

• PR – perception, message pick up, volume/awareness, quality of coverage, leads (occasionally)
• Direct mail – leads
• Email – opens, click-throughs, quality of list, leads
• Advertising – leads, visits to web site or calls
• Social media – re-tweets, volume, engagement, interest, buzz
• SEO – rankings

Michelle Pujadas is the Founder and C0-CEO of Zer0 to 5ive

The start of every year brims with opportunities for great marketing and results. Here are some key take-aways from 2009 as we move into 2010.

Key Marketing Take-Aways From 2009

1. Your message and brand fundamentals are as critical as ever

2. The addition of a multitude of new channels via social media only means that it is more important than ever to understand who your audience is and where they get their information

3. The press release is not dead – in fact it is more versatile and useful than ever before

4. SEO is critical, but it must be aligned with traditional marketing strategies

5. Customers and prospects still love – and react to – great creative in all its forms

6. Customers will tell you what you want to know if you ask the right questions

7. In an age of electronic communications, a phone call or hand-written note goes a long way. Along those lines, bulky direct mail gets opened

8. Despite the decline of print media, nothing makes a client more excited than seeing their name in print

9. A great customer reference is invaluable

10. Measurement in all its forms continues to be a challenge – but it can be done and with the growth of web analytic, instant metrics are becoming an industry standard.

And, as always, an integrated strategic communications plan that takes into account all facets of marketing and public relations always delivers the best results! Begin 2010 with a resolution to make your marketing count.

Post by Zer0 to 5ive CEO Michelle Pujadas

I gave a presentation on brand building recently and someone asked me about Twitter:  should he be using it or not? I answered his question with one of my own: who are your customers and prospects and how do they communicate?

One of the keys to successful communications is knowing your target customer. How do they get their information? Who influences them? Are they on Twitter, or are they more likely to meet at seminars or read the industry and financial pubs, either online or in hard copy?

What we are seeing is that more and more companies and media are getting on Twitter and making valuable connections. For business people and marketers, Twitter provides a fast action communications channel that can be leveraged for brand — and business — building. However, at the end of the day, I believe that it will take more than 140 characters to “seal the deal;” in the meantime, the rise and excitement around Twitter makes it even more important for companies to re-examine who their customers are and how (and where) they communicate.

(Posted by Michelle Pujadas)