About Paul Gillin

Paul Gillin, host of FIR B2B, is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. Full bio

FIR B2B #132: Worst PR Nightmares of 2019

January 17, 2020 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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This week we take a moment to reflect on the past year’s major PR blunders. Thanks to the folks at Crain’s Chicago Business, we have five doozies to relive with you. We cover the gamut from Hallmark’s lesbian bridal spot to Sallie Mae’s Hawaiian junket to the various missteps of Boeing’s now ex-CEO in face of numerous airline crashes and other disasters.
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FIR B2B #131: How to Run Webcasts and Video Calls

November 20, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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Running a great online meeting isn’t hard. We have tips to make yours more successful and less stressful.
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FIR B2B #130: Don’t be fake!

October 28, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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Fakery is never a good practice for brands. In a democratized media world, the truth will eventually come out.
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FIR B2B #129: We’re Pleased and Excited to Tell You What People Don’t Know About Social Media

October 18, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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Content marketing excellence at the BBC; pointless happy words litter press releases; people still don’t know that advertising supports social networks.
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FIR B2B #128: More SEO Secrets with Charley Spektor (Part 2)

September 25, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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In this second part of a two-podcast interview with search engine optimization expert Charley Spektor we discuss some of the practical tools that marketers can use to improve their SEO operations, common mistakes that marketers makes when trying to improve their SEO results, how to provide the best content mix to deliver solid leads and how to stay ahead of the constantly changing technology.
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FIR B2B #127: B2B SEO Secrets With Charley Spektor – Part 1

September 18, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:37 — 28.6MB) | Embed

This is the first part of a two-podcast interview with Charley Spektor, principal at Saratoga B2B Group and an experts in search engine optimization. We talk about how Google’s search algorithms have changed in recent years, how B2B buyers use search differently than consumers and how even small companies can dominate search results if they pick their targets carefully.
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FIR B2B #125: Buyer Personas: Why They Matter; How to Create Them

July 30, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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Buyer personas have been around almost as long as marketing itself, but lately they’re taking on a more critical role. Matt Naffah, VP of Strategy at International Data Group, tells us what makes for a good persona and how to apply them to content strategy.
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FIR B2B #124: How to Supercharge Your Website Content

July 15, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

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Many marketers probably don’t know what content they already have on their site and in their social channels. A good lead nurturing strategy starts with auditing your content, figuring out how it can be re-purposed in other media and applied across different stages of the buyer journey.
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FIR B2B #123: The Differences Between B2B and B2C Marketing

June 21, 2019 by David Strom and Paul Gillin Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:28 — 26.5MB) | Embed

We discuss how B2B and B2C decisions differ and what that means for marketers. Caterpillar comes up with a way to create an emotional attachment to tractors. And a year after GDPR went into effect, marketers say it’s made them better.
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FIR B2B #132: Worst PR Nightmares of 2019

FIR B2B #131: How to Run Webcasts and Video Calls

FIR B2B #130: Don’t be fake!

FIR B2B #129: We’re Pleased and Excited to Tell You What People Don’t Know About Social Media

FIR B2B #128: More SEO Secrets with Charley Spektor (Part 2)

FIR B2B #127: B2B SEO Secrets With Charley Spektor – Part 1

FIR B2B #125: Buyer Personas: Why They Matter; How to Create Them

FIR B2B #124: How to Supercharge Your Website Content

FIR B2B #123: The Differences Between B2B and B2C Marketing

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