Still unsure about the power of new media? Let me give you a little nudge. It happened just this morning.

There are multiple social networks available to “meet” with friends, business colleagues, clients, prospects and the like. I’m sure you’ve heard of them: Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, etc. I have so many accounts I can’t even keep track.

So, it was with a little skepticism that I read an email this morning from Twitter with a request for someone to “follow” me on the network.

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As media director part of my responsibility is to research appropriate advertising outlets for our B2B advertising clients. Seems straightforward and it is. But what continues to amaze me is the lack of foresight by B2B publications and outlets. Many still don’t get it. They are clinging desperately to the old model, the old way of doing things, and at times, it is maddening.

Over the last week or so, I have been researching online outlets for a specific client request. My Internet travels took me to many places, some better than others. Many of the sites have a good grasp of how to allow access to rate information to people like me. They require some kind of registration, easy enough.

Others insist on offering a simple email address to write for information. Even more offer just a phone number (whatever that is). Apparently, I must speak with a sales rep. Not really a big deal, except the sales team almost never responds in a timely fashion.

The point? Instead of allowing me access to rates so I can continue to consider their site, I am at the mercy of the ad rep to get back to me. Unfortunately, their window of opportunity is closing. They have lost the advantage. More importantly, they fail to see the advantage. Too bad, too, because some of the sites had promise.

Obviously professional organizations still exist today. But in many cases the glory days of the business association and “well-attended” monthly meetings are a thing of the past. With some exceptions organizations struggle today to attract members (or prospective members) to events. National events and trade shows can draw a crowd, and annual membership dues still are paid (perhaps for resume filler). However, the regular grass roots local chapter meetings for many associations have been declining for years. People are too busy, corporate budgets to sponser events have been cut, and, the world has catapulted into an online social media mindset.

So the question is… How are you networking and staying connected within your industry or profession now? Do you still regularly attend association events? Are you going to business blogs, viewing webinars, meeting online virtually for business purposes in Second Life? No matter what the venue the need remains to have productive places to gather with like-minded business people to talk about the issues.

When we first talked about initiating this blog, we discussed mandating staff participation, even specific procedures. We talked about the number of times each of us should post, whether material should be reviewed before posting, etc. Several of us argued that such requirements were counter intuitive to the blogging process. It would mean, we said, people would participate because they had to, not because they wanted to.

Thankfully, we created no formal procedures and a better blog is the result.

I mention this because I came across a

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My background is in journalism. That’s where I started my career and where I developed my preference — strong preference — for maintaining separation between editorial content and advertising. I developed that position while working for small to mid-size daily and weekly newspapers.

In the newspaper world, it’s rare for advertising to openly pressure editorial for coverage, at least at the level I was at on the food chain. Oh it happens, I’m sure, but in my experience it is rare.

In the B2B world,

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An editorial from a trade publication recently crossed my desk. It was headlined, “Another great show, pity about the PR pests.” Naturally, it caught my eye.

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Sometimes, working in marketing communications is flat out cool. Check out this creative, courtesy of our own creative department. (See the page-peel here.)

In the overall scheme of things, it’s not earth shattering, but in B2B, it’s cool and it’s working.

Watch for more soon.

The numbers are in for 2006 and according to IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), online ad revenue in the U.S. is up 35% from the year before. By now it has top $17 billion and continues to climb. While much of that growth is attributed to consumer advertising, the B2B part of the pie continues to increase as well. We’ll share those specific numbers at a later date. In the meantime, I have one question: If you’re a B2B marketer and you’re not involved in online advertising, what are you waiting for?

Enjoy the long weekend!

So you think interactive media is all the rage, given its tracking capabilities, eh? Well, you’re right, of course, but the development of new technology has not stopped at the doorstep of the Internet. Other media are getting into the act as well. Talk about accountability. Check out this little item from townhall.com (via AdvertisingLab):

Device Enables Tracking Ads by the View

A Canadian professor has developed technology that allows advertisers to count the number of people who look at their billboards and screens.

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For a couple of years now we’ve seen an increase in tradeshow traffic for our clients. It’s been subtle, but it’s there for all to see. That traffic resulted in an increase in quality leads for those who have stuck to the tradeshow circuit. We have the numbers to prove it. One client alone registered more than 250 quality leads at their industry’s premier show last June.

Today, there is still more evidence that tradeshows are growing in influence. BtoB Magazine reports in the May 7 issue that tradeshow media, for the first time ever, surpassed print media in total revenue in 2006.

According to the report, tradeshows accounted for 36 percent ($11.3 billion) of overall b-to-b media in 2006. Print media came in at 35 percent ($10.9 billion). The source is American Business Media.

Why is this important? It shows that face-to-face contact remains an important part of any communications plan. You can talk via email all day long, use instant messaging, etc., but when it comes down to making the sale or building a relationship, face-to-face contact is still king.

I think Margaret Pederson, president of Penton Exhibitions, is correct. “As people spend more time face-to-face with a computer, real face-to-face becomes more important,” she’s quoted as saying. “It’s the opposite of what people thought would happen.”

Yes, 9/11 has had an impact, but now, the pendulum is swinging back the other way. Book early and think creatively when planning your marketing activity. And add important tradeshows to the mix.