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Online communities are a staple of B2B companies. They enable customers to support each other, provide valuable feedback on products and services and can even be leveraged to help in product development and marketing. Leader Networks’ Big List of online customer communities documents more than 100 examples of B2B companies that are using these valuable resources, covering industries as varied as plumbers, baristas and dentists.

Vanessa DiMauro (left) is the CEO of Leader Networks, a research and strategy consulting company that helps organizations succeed in social business and online community building. She is a popular advisor, author and speaker who has more than 20 years of experience in social business leadership positions. She’s also an expert on social selling and B2B applications of social media.

In this week’s interview Vanessa discusses best practices in B2B online communities and how they can shape the culture of an organization as well as generate revenue. Follow Vanessa on Twitter.

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