"While most people think of social media as a non-business arena, many savvy marketers are ... leveraging [it] to gather intelligence about prospects," says Dan McDade in a recent post at the DemandGen Report blog. In short: B2B marketers are turning into virtual 007s—in a good way.

"Social media can provide another layer of useful information that adds depth and dimension" to your online intelligence missions, McDade explains. Here are a few ways he suggests B2B marketers can leverage online information to generate solid leads:

Watch for trigger events, such as the hiring of a new CEO. "Such movement at the top can mean that a company is ready to accelerate in a way that creates opportunity for you," he notes. One intriguing way to do so: Search Twitter with the phrase "new CEO," he advises. "Some of the returns you'll get may include tweets from insiders with clues as to where the new CEO is taking things."

Search for that new CEO at LinkedIn. If he or she is a member, "you can uncover information to better inform your initial contact—such as where the CEO was educated, previous positions, hobbies and interests," he says.

Search for the CEO's company at LinkedIn. This will produce a list of that company's employees that have LinkedIn accounts. "Any of those employees who are in your network will be flagged, giving you the opportunity to contact them for additional information about the new CEO, and even to request an introduction," McDade writes.

→ end article preview
Read the Full Article