I’m always flagging useful articles and blog posts that I think would be benefit our audience – articles about new trends, technologies, or just insightful ideas. Sometimes I’ll Tweet links to them, post them on Google+ or email them to an individual, but usually after I read them, they just become bookmarks that die. So I’d like to make a habit of putting them together in a blog post from time to time. This compilation of articles from February and March is my first crack at that.

5 Reasons You Need to Meet in Person | Inc.com

So this one might not be a marketing article like the next four, but it’s a pretty common topic of discussion at Gorilla and I wanted to include it. We’ve worked with clients from California to Florida to DC. GoToMeeting is a great tool and phone calls certainly work, but there’s nothing quite like sitting down in the same room and hammering it out. My favorite point from this article: “Most business conversations are focused on solving a problem quickly and efficiently, while business relationships are built when people take the time to share and learn more about each other.” We’re a big believer in that. Read the article

Google’s Search, Plus Your World | Social Media Examiner

OK, so the full article is actually titled “8 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Site With Google+” and it’s a good one. But the point I wanted to highlight is a few paragraphs in: Google’s new “Search Plus Your World” rollout.

Over the past few months, Google has lead the charge in allowing your search results to be influenced by your social network. Google wants to give searchers the best possible results when they’re trying to find something; that’s how they remain the best search engine. So when someone does a Google search and they see that 8 of their friends recommend a company that appears in the results, isn’t it logical that that they’ll be more likely to chose based on such a personally-qualified endorsement? This trend of social media influencing search results will only grow, so take note. Read the article

8 Social SEO Strategies To Start Using Right Now | Search Engine Land

The last article gave you a sense for what Google is starting to do. This one gives you some ideas for applying it. If you care about search engine optimization for your business, your strategic participation in social media is now an absolute requirement. Read the article

Facebook Brand Timelines: 6 Big Changes Every Marketer Needs to Understand | Mashable

If you haven’t paid much attention to the new Facebook brand timelines, here’s a good starting place for learning about the changes and picking up a few ideas on how to use them to your benefit. Read the article

Facebook brand timelines

How Pinterest Is Becoming the Next Big Thing in Social Media for Business | Entrepreneur.com

If you work in marketing, you probably couldn’t be more sick of hearing about Pintrest at this point. PintrestBut if you’re a business owner and you haven’t dabbled in it yet, it’s certainly worth seeing what all the hype is about. Pintrest is essentially a web-based bulletin board for posting photos and commenting others’ photos. It’s probably most beneficial to businesses who sell something visual – like food, or shiny objects. But if you’re in the B2B marketing world and willing to be creative, there are certainly possibilities. I’m just diving in myself. Read the article

Some other articles by Gorilla that you might like:

How can I use Google+ for business?

Twitter fixed my sh*tter

How to market with patience in a tough economy