Top Story

• 7 ways for B2B firms to shine on Pinterest
  Making an impression on Pinterest isn't rocket science, Monika Jansen writes. Be sure to pin your own original images alongside repins from others, create boards related to your business and add enough detail to draw in potential customers. "You want to grab people’s attention so they’re eager to see more," Jansen writes. NetworkSolutions.com (1/16)     

Eye on Marketing

• E-mail marketers should take up new standards, expert says
  A group of 15 tech companies -- including AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo -- founded an e-mail-security standard called DMARC last year in a bid to clamp down on phishing and other e-mail scams. Though wide adoption hasn't happened, some e-mail clients are now automatically flagging DMARC-compliant messages, and marketers should take note, Message Systems' Ralph Lentz says. "Marketers who ignore DMARC do so at their peril. ... Do you want your email to be the only messages in your customer's inbox not flagged as DMARC-secure?" BtoB Magazine (1/17)     

• Marketers can ride the coattails of YouTube's success
  As obvious as YouTube's success has been in delivering everything from serious political news to "Gangnam Style," much more opportunity awaits ambitious marketers. YouTube's relationship with Google AdWords means that marketers can optimize viewing with keywords and track the results. Adding transcripts, captions and descriptions help search engines find your video. And once you've established videos on YouTube, the links serve as a perfect entree to social media and other sites. B2C Marketing Insider (1/17)     

Tech Edge

• Simple steps to improve your LinkedIn presence
  LinkedIn has added features that make it more useful for demand generation, writes John Koehler, but marketers must take certain steps to make the most of them. For example, set aside part of every week to update your LinkedIn pages, build your network and reach out to the connections there. Take advantage of the "endorsements" feature to establish credibility, and be sure to participate in relevant groups. Sales Benchmark Index/Sales Force Effectiveness Blog (1/17)     

• Other News

• Yesmail adds data-collection features to its Marketing Intelligence tool
  BtoB Magazine (1/17)     

Innovation

• How to create an innovation-free workplace
  It's quite easy to prevent your company from developing any innovative ideas, writes Rosabeth Moss Kanter. You can start by making sure that your employees are busy at all times and by refusing to listen to their ideas. "Be suspicious of any new idea from below -- because it's new, and because it's from below." If innovation matters to you, though, you should be sure to take the opposite approach, she advises. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (1/15)     

• Why taking handwritten notes is a waste of time
  Using a paper notebook is inefficient and frustrates people who know that technology like tablets are more productive, writes Alexandra Samuel, vice president of social media at Vision Critical. With the help of tools like Evernote, you can easily share notes with colleagues, maintain a digital record of meetings and easily transfer ideas into your task management program, she writes. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (1/16)     

Association News

• BMA Philadelphia -- Sowing the seeds of search-engine optimization
  Search-engine optimization is a slow process that, when done correctly, over time yields positive results. In a culture of instant gratification, it's understandable that there is a perception that something rooted in technology and logic is something that can be quickly changed. And because of that perception, many organizations end up overpaying for some "Secret Sauce" or "SEO Snake Oil." At the heart of good organic SEO is good content. Once you have the content, then you can get into the meta data. Read more.     

• Thought Leadership -- How B2B marketers can cultivate relationships in-house
  As B2B marketers, we are often reminded about the importance of working collaboratively with our sales counterparts, ensuring that we execute against complementary goals and objectives for the benefit of our organizations as a whole. And while there is significant value to building positive relationships with sales, the mindset of nurturing relationships with colleagues outside of marketing shouldn't stop there. Read more.     

On Leadership

Top five news stories from SmartBrief on Leadership this week. Want more leadership news?

• 6 ways to give a stupendous presentation (SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership)

• Want to freak out prospective hires? Ask these questions (GlassDoor.com)

• How to make your workers hate you (SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership)

• 6 questions to help you define your work balance (ThoughtLeaders blog)

• Before hiring, find out how people act around their spouses (The New York Times (tiered subscription model))

SmartQuote

If I had my life to live over, I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I'd have fewer imaginary ones." --Don Herold, American humorist, writer and cartoonist