We thought this was a good question and mined the answers to extract the 25 best tips. If you want to slog through it yourself, refer to the original page.

1. The telephone is the number one way to grab high value B2B sales
2. Our website is a lead generation machine
3. Onsite or online symposiums
4. Webinars can be very effective
5. Having something your “leads” might want
6. Search Engine optimization
7. Trade shows and events
8. Free report, mini audit, etc to qualify and educate the prospect
9. Workshops and seminars
10. Speaking engagements to clubs groups and organizations
11. Article writing
12. A multi-touch approach combining calling, direct mail, email, search engine marketing, web landing pages, events and surveys
13. Web Marketing strategy which includes Social Media
14. Tools you to highlight contact information and add it to Salesforce, Outlook, iPhone and more (Copy2Contact)
15. Tools to capture entire BBB, Yellow Page, etc. listings into excel spreadsheets (eGrabber)
16. Tools to do bulk “whois” lookups (Whois Extractor)
17. Blogging
18. Integrating website, blog and social profiles
19. Email marketing and phone call combination
20. An ongoing, fully-integrated approach
21. Skype toolbar for FireFox that allows you to call with one click
22. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
23. Follow up on networking and referrals with the next 4 working hours
24. Live chat
25. Jigsaw.com

Note: Interestingly, nobody mentioned Pay-per-click advertising.

So… what lead generation tools and strategies work best for your business?

Leadshare is a self-service (DIY) tool to spread your marketing message and collect leads from people who view your presentations and documents. There’s no set-up fee, and you pay only when you collect a lead (starting at $3.00 per lead). You’re required to deposit funds in advance and get “credits.”

There are 3 ways viewers can make contact:

• When the viewer visits your presentation, they see the “Contact Me” option and fill out the form to learn more
• When the viewer downloads your Powerpoint or PDF they’re asked to fill out a short contact form
• The contact form shows up again (either after slide 3, or at the end or via a call to action on the bottom)

This flips the standard process of asking for information before people can view your documents. With LeadShare people view your document first, and then they’re asked for their contact info. When someone submits the contact form, you receive an email notification (and your account is charged for the lead).

Leads you collect are opt-in from people who demonstrated an interest in your content, so it would seem they’re more qualified than leads from AdWords. Your leads can be further qualified through questions you add to the form, from just name and email address, to address, phone, and up to 5 custom questions.

So, does it work? Since I set up Resolve Digital’s campaign a couple weeks ago we’ve received 9 leads at a cost of $27.00. After my initial follow-up I received no replies. I can’t say the leads have led to any prospects.

But I am encouraged by the program and plan to upload more presentations tailored to our prospects. It just makes sense that someone who provides their contact information after viewing one of our presentations is more qualified than somebody who simply clicks on an ad. And with ever-increasing competition and rising keyword bids on Google AdWords, I suspect it will lead to a higher ROI.

We’ll see. Meanwhile you can learn more about LeadShare here. And if you have experience with Leadshare please let us know how it works for you.

BH. How did you get started using social media?

LL. I asked myself: How can I increase the number of prospective clients and build my business? I enjoy the blog format and went to Blogger because it’s free. Blogger offers lots of widgets that lead people to your blog and tracks your results on Google Analytics.

In the beginning only a few people a day were visiting. Now I’m averaging about 25 visitors a day, whether I write something or not. About half of them find me through direct searches on Google.

I’ll get spike (500 or more people over a couple days) when I post something that’s timely and connected to a news item. For example, last May the air-supported roof covering the Dallas Cowboys practice field collapsed and injured 12 people. I’m a Cowboys fan so I was interested from that point of view, but in my blog I offered my perspective as an architect.  It resulted in international exposure for my firm.

BH. What are you trying to accomplish with your social media efforts?

LL. Increase exposure to more potential clients. Create a personality for my business. I’m convinced people don’t buy professional services so much as they “buy” people they know and trust. I want as many people as possible to know who I am and what I do, even the personal side.

Through my blog and other social networking activities I try to add value over and over again. When people interact with me it’s because we share something in common. They’re raising their hand and choosing to follow me, not because I’m pushing them.

BH. What social media tactics are you using now?

LL. Besides my blog, I’m using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. I have my own weekly show on blogtalkradio.

I’m constantly in front of my followers. I use tweetlater.com to upload tweets for distribution every hour for about 12 hours each day. Sometimes it has nothing to do with architecture. Maybe I tweet about who famous was born that day. Maybe it’s a tidbit from my book with a link to read more about it.

BH. What has been most effective in supporting your business goals?

LL. Perry Belcher, the social media guru, uses a simple analogy that starts at Twitter. It’s like you’re at a bar having cocktails with strangers. You don’t want to try to sell them anything. You have a conversation. Maybe you say, “BTW, I’m going to have a BBQ on Saturday, why don’t you come on over (that’s your blog or website). They learn more about you. They find things of interest and value to them: Links to a book, podcast, articles, etc. The relationship evolves.

BH. Is it happening?

LL. Yes, absolutely. Social media doesn’t require any more of a leap-of-faith than sending direct mail. I’m combating the somewhat arrogant attitude: “I don’t have to market myself― people will notice how talented I am and hire me.” Social media is the new country club.

BH. Do you have success stories to share?

LL. I’ve been doing my blogtalkradio for over a year now. I recently heard from a high school friend who started a new furniture company, Legaré Furniture.  When I was in Ft. Worth I went to his showroom and interviewed him for my show. A week later, I heard from him again: “Your radio show really works! I got a call from a retailer in NYC. They want to carry our line of furniture.”

Another success story: Last summer I had a commission to design a health and wellness center in New Jersey. I wrote and talked about it in every part of my social media from the perspective of adaptive reuse. An editor of Realtor Magazine interviewed me for an article on adaptive reuse and it went out to over 1 million subscribers.

BH. How much time do you devote to social marketing each week?

LL. About 2 hours a day. At some point my assistant take over parts of it. Here are resources and categories my followers will be interested in: calendar of events AIA, green architecture, ugly building of the day… go do it!

BH. How would you suggest that other architects and designers get started?

LL. Just do something. Do one thing. One thing builds on another. But don’t focus exclusively on architecture. I’m implementing tactics that aren’t typically done in architecture on purpose. They make me stand out.”

Connect with Larry

Blog: http://www.lanearchitecture.blogspot.com/
Web: www.LaneArchitecture.net
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lanearch
LinkedIn: www.Linkedin.com/in/lanearchitecture

ONE: Attract the right people to your site.

Search Engine optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-click (PPC)
We research the best keywords to target, use them effectively on your pages, and develop in-bound links that are so important in the Search Engine algorithms. Be advised, SEO takes time. If you’re looking for immediate results, we will set-up and monitor your Google AdWords PPC campaign to ensure a positive ROI. (Read a case study).

Email marketing and email newsletters
With a strategy for delivering information your clients and prospects want, an email newsletter can build loyalty, enhance your reputation, and generate inquiries. We provide custom HTML templates, easy subscriber management and understandable reporting. (See a sample of our newsletter).

Online PR
The traditional press release has morphed into a direct consumer-communication channel. We’re using keyword-rich press releases to connect directly to potential clients. Your online press release can reach thousands of websites and drive visitors to your site.

Blogs and Social Media Marketing (SMM)
An active blog, LinkedIn profile or Twitter account provides additional visibility. But unless you have a huge staff and a lot of money, you can’t do it all. So we’ll help you focus your efforts in a way that is manageable and effective.

TWO: Demonstrate your credibility.

Professional website design
Your site must have a professional look and feel that reflects your company and sets you apart from your competitors. Visitors judge your page in as little as 1/20 of a second! Their first impression influences their perception of the rest of your site, if they decide to stick around. (See our web design portfolio).

Ease of use
Good site navigation tells visitors where they are and what their options are. If they can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re not likely to contact you.

Up-to-date content
Nothing undermines your credibility faster than outdated content. Refinery CMS is our open-source, super-easy-to-use content manager that makes it simple for you to update and expand your site (without having to pay technical staff or outside contractors).

THREE: Provide the information and tools your visitors need.

Address the needs of your visitors
Effective copy speaks to your visitors in an appropriate “voice” and address their most obvious concerns. It highlights your strengths, differentiates you from your competition, and answers the age-old question: “What’s in it for me?”

Identify different visitor types
We help you identify and segment visitors based on their motivation and stage in the buying cycle. Recognizing these differences, we can provide relevant content keeps people engaged, builds trust and leads to more conversions.

Give them the facts and avoid the fluff
Your visitors may be looking for case studies or white papers. They may be inspired by testimonials. They might appreciate a buyer’s guide or instructional video. We define and create engaging content that convinces prospects to take the next step.

FOUR: Motivate them to take action (convert).

The conversion balance
On one side, Success Factors build trust and confidence and lead to conversions. On the other, Failure Factors undermine trust and confidence and lead to abandonment. If, in the mind of the visitor, the success factors outweigh the failure factors, he or she will convert. While a conversion technically happens in a single step, it’s not an isolated one. It is the result of a series of small decisions.

Minimize the failure factors
Failure factors generate anxiety. Create barriers. Undermine the motivation of your visitors and interfere with your ability to build a relationship. We minimize the failure factors with simple navigation, clear hierarchy and benefits-oriented copy.

Maximize the success factors
Success factors provide positive reinforcement. When visitors feel like they’re in the right place we earn their trust and the opportunity to build a relationship. That’s how we encourage them to read on, click to the next step, submit a form, or pick up the phone.

FIVE: Measure, analyze, test and improve.

Google Analytics
We set up all our clients with Google Analytics to gain insight into how visitors use your website and the effectiveness of our online marketing. Flexible and easy-to-use features help us analyze your traffic data, improving SEO and PPC campaigns, engaging your visitors more deeply, and increasing your conversion rate.

Search Engine Ranking Reports
For our SEO clients we provide monthly Search Engine ranking reports for all your top keywords. It demonstrates if our optimization efforts are effective (i.e. are rankings going up or down?).

User Testing
You can’t be objective about your own site, and after we’ve worked on it, neither can we. That’s where user testing comes in. It provides a valuable perspective which, in conjunction with our experience and professional judgment, leads to better decisions.

Go back to Step 1
Yes, the process is cyclical. The best websites are always “works in progress.” With each cycle, we learn more and build on the success of our earlier efforts.

Any feedback or suggestions? Anything that has worked well for your site? We’d love to get your comments.

But sometimes it is. Having seen my words copied on other websites I occasionally do a little checking. I Googled a sentence from one of my recent blog posts and found it in the Search results. Problem was, it was in the #2 position. The first result was a site for online vehicle sales. Their blog contained an exact copy of my post. No credits. No attribution.

I was not amused. I found a phone number on their site, called and left a voicemail. Then I noticed contact info for their blog and made a second call. I spoke with a very apologetic woman who said she was given the article and told to post it, but she didn’t know where it came from. She promised they would either remove the post or give me attribution and a link if I preferred.

Ten minutes later I got a call back from my first contact. He explained that they had hired a freelance writer to create original content for their blog. This so-called writer submitted my article. They liked it and posted it. End of story. Until I happened to come across it.

I’ve now found three more blogs that have copied my post, only one of which includes attribution. I received one response that blamed “automated software that I configured wrong and was grabbing a whole heap of blog posts.” That’s comforting.

Of course I’m happy when somebody appreciates my humble efforts. Posting online means you’re wide open to all kinds of “borrowing.” Whatever. I’m not a lawyer and I know there are plenty of gray areas. But if you’re a freelance writer copying and selling other writers’ words as your own it’s time to find a new line of work. May I suggest mortgage broker?

Meanwhile, to find unauthorized use of your content you can do what I did, just Google a sentence or two and see what comes up… or if you have serious concerns about plagiarism try a web-based content verification technology like ithenticate.com.

Yesterday I clicked on the link of a new follower to learn more about his business. The link appeared to be broken, the page never loaded. Sometimes that’s enough to put me off completely: I don’t have time for this. But instead I sent a direct message suggesting he check the link.

This afternoon I was surprised to receive a call. “It must have been like this for 6 months!” he confessed. It was like Androcles and the Lion, he was so anxious to find some way to return the favor.

My point is you need to check these things! A broken link to your website from your Twitter profile can mean you’re losing tons of traffic (Twitter is now the 2nd biggest source of traffic to the Resolve Digital site, right behind Google). And while you’re at it, go to your website and test your contact forms!

In 2005, Dan and Lara Eve Feltin co-founded Biznik, with a simple premise: business networking shouldn’t suck.

Today Biznik has grown to over 25,000 forward-thinking business people in 120 countries. “We always have room for one more, no matter what profession you represent (as long as it’s legal!” say Dan. His message is resonating with growing numbers of small business people. Social media guide Mashable named Biznik one of the Top 10 Social Networks for Entrepreneurs.

Members connect using Biznik’s social network and strengthen relationships at more than 100 member-hosted events every month. Unlike most social networking that emphasizes building huge lists of friends and followers, Biznik is about building business relationships, sharing ideas, resources and opportunities.

All members are required to use their real names and provide real data. Biznik editors review all profiles to ensure compliance with this policy.

They offer three membership levels (basic membership is FREE). I’ve only recently joined so I can’t really say that it has produced dramatic results. But it’s an intriguing idea and I’m excited to be part of this rapidly growing community.

Biznik is just beginning their 100k member challenge. Check it out and join now.

The list below comprises a small sampling of the countless examples of this connection that can be found on Twitter. There are of course many others, and I welcome further contributions to this by no means complete list.

http://twitter.com/AaronMartirano

http://twitter.com/bigebiz

http://twitter.com/erockefeller

http://twitter.com/the_gman

http://twitter.com/jagadeeshmp

http://twitter.com/SEO_MARKETERPRO

http://twitter.com/SEO_PRO

http://twitter.com/steveweber

Mediterranean Summer screenshot

Here’s a nice tidbit I received from one of our clients, David Shalleck, on how a web presence is an essential part of his marketing.

“We did the Volochef.com site in a timely fashion so I could press my editor into mentioning Volochef on the Mediterranean Summer book jacket, which it does. I get reader mail from time to time.”

“Turns out a journalist in Germany read Mediterranean Summer, got an assignment to do a piece for a new yachting/lifestyle magazine, needed a chef to be part of a panel discussion, thought of me from the book, and contacted me from my site.”

“Now I will be featured in the article, with a photo and call to action for the book. Every little bit helps. Maybe someday I’ll sell rights there.”

These things don’t happen every day, but they do happen. David gets it. He’s now using his blog and videos to help spread the word via social media, with his websites at the hub of his strategy.

Have you got a web success story? Share it with us!

I use Twitter to provide other website owners with brief critiques of their sites, not exceeding 140 characters. The critiques are reasonably objective, and I hope somewhat amusing. Take a look and see if you agree.

Bounteous well of possibility, or giant time sink-hole?

My Twitter activities are fun, at least for me, and there’s a lot to be said for that. Clearly I’m not ‘working’ (designing sites; talking to clients; panicking; etc) while I Tweet, but there are a number of productive things that I am doing:

• Fine-tuning my critical abilities
• Building a relationship with a large and relevant audience
• Exploring and keeping up with a popular social media tool
• Creating inbound links to our website

Don’t speak unless spoken to

My original intent had been to ONLY post Tweets in response to people who had asked me to review sites. However, Twitter lends itself to a more conversational approach – a kind of give and take between parties. So I will continue posting my site critique Tweets, but will also respond publicly to questions or comments.