According to Marketingsherpa 72% of B2B marketers believe events still pack a punch! In fact good old traditional outbound methods are definitely not dead - but that's another blog for another time.

Hard to believe another week is behind us and we're fast approaching month two of 2013! Well here's our Friday round up of some of the most useful B2B marketing and event marketing stories we've come across this week.

Everybody's talking about it but unfortunately not everyone is doing it. B2B content marketing needn’t be scary! Besides, how does the saying go? "Feel the fear and do it anyway!"

Marketo recently launched their "definitive guide to event marketing" - a 122 page document covering pretty much everything you need to know about event marketing.

Here's a round up of what's been an interesting read for us from the B2B marketing and event marketing world this week. 

Going through the vast amount of content available in our industry, here is what's sparked our interest in our inbox and tweeter feeds relevant to our B2B marketing and event marketing industry this week.

At this time of year most B2B marketing directors are creating their strategies for the year ahead, working on the aggressive growth plans set by senior management and figuring out how far their budgets will stretch this time around.

It's hard to believe that another year has gone and we're kicking off 2013. With mince pies and mulled wine season out of the way, there's a real sense of excitement, optimism and change in the crisp winter air.

With a little effort, LinkedIn Events can become a powerful tool in your events marketing strategy. If you have an event to market, make sure you cover the following basics to create a listing that works and generates new leads.

If anyone’s seen the new “Don’t Fly” campaign by British Airways, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a pretty brave and bold campaign. BA says the “tongue-in-cheek” advertising campaign is to encourage Britons to stay in the UK and “rally the country to get behind Team GB and ParalympicsGB.”

I received the Marketing Week Live! mailer through my letterbox this morning – 2 weeks before the big event. I can’t recall if I’ve received any prior to this, but this one grabbed my attention. I’m sure many of you have received the same mailing – final campaign efforts are kicking in to ensure pre-registrations are hitting target.

If you are selling a product or service, you have a huge commitment to your existing and potential customers. You have to deliver.

If you are selling Marketing Automation services, you have a big commitment to your existing and potential customers. You have to lead by example.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been conducting a review of marketing automation software for ourselves and also a couple of our clients.

I’m left especially disappointed with three of those marketing automation providers (which will remain anonymous) and the way in which they have managed my journey through their “lead nurturing programme”.

I scheduled some time in my diary this morning to start the week a little differently – simply read. There’s so much great stuff out there to inspire and educate that sometimes one just needs to break the pattern! The workload and the deadlines will always be there, so why not create your day in a way which will bring out your best.

The British nation have gone a little crazy with the Jubilee – there’s a real buzz and excitement in the air and I have to say it’s been great to see all the creative products and campaigns flying around. So in the spirit of all the celebrations, I wanted to share some of my favourite campaigns (not so relevant for B2B but seeing it’s a Friday let’s have a bit of fun!)

Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company WPP, gives his take on the key global trends facing marketers and agencies in: The 10 Most Important Marketing Trends According to Sir Martin Sorrell - Forbes Magazine.

We’re been in the midst of a recruitment frenzy and it has to be said that I’ve never heard so many fibs and bad excuses before. I thought it was supposed to be tough out there in the job market? Clearly not with some of the folk we’ve seen apply or go through the interview process. Sorry, this blog is a bit of a moan but it should also give you some pointers on what to look out for when recruiting marketing talent.

Marketing have released their annual ‘Power 100: The UK’s Top Marketers‘. It celebrates the marketers who have had the biggest impact over the past 12 months.

I’m always keeping an eye out for interesting and quirky marketing campaigns and tactics. Not to sound geeky but it really gives me a sense of purpose and a buzz – just always being aware of whats around me and what you can learn.

Need some inspiration and new ideas for your content marketing strategy. This is a great, great resource for all marketers to check out: Content Marketing Institute’s ‘100 Content Marketing Examples‘ – whether you’re at the start of your content journey or trying to find new and exciting ways to engage – here’s a good mix of B2B and B2C examples to mull over and learn from. Some of my favourites:

We all know how hot infographics have become in social marketing and how powerful they can be – it’s a great way to take complex, detailed or sometimes dry concepts and transforming them into something engaging and more intuitive. These visual messages have certainly become an important weapon in B2B social and content marketing strategies.