Where Marketers Go to Grow

A few hours after giving my session at INBOUND 2014 on how to build an inbound team, a colleague of mine told me there was one slide in my presentation that caused around 80% of the audience to stand up and take pictures with their phones.

The slide illustrates exactly how marketing leaders should structure their teams in different team sizes and stages. This subject clearly struck a nerve with the audience in the room, so I'd

Just because we're marketing things doesn't mean we really know the science behind what makes people buy. But marketing without that information is like walking outside with a blindfold on -- it's going to be very hard to end up at your destination without a scratch. 

To catch up on the latest and greatest research about online buyer behavior, keep on reading.

With blogging, success doesn't happen overnight.

I know, right? How many times have you heard that little nugget of blogging wisdom?

But seriously -- a B2B business blog is a huge time investment. It can take a while before you've grown it into a truly valuable marketing asset. 

With blogging, success doesn't happen overnight.

I know, right? How many times have you heard that little nugget of blogging wisdom?

But seriously -- a B2B business blog is a huge time investment. It can take a while before you've grown it into a truly valuable marketing asset. 

With blogging, success doesn't happen overnight.

I know, right? How many times have you heard that little nugget of blogging wisdom?

But seriously -- a B2B business blog is a huge time investment. It can take a while before you've grown it into a truly valuable marketing asset. 

With blogging, success doesn't happen overnight.

I know, right? How many times have you heard that little nugget of blogging wisdom?

But seriously -- a B2B business blog is a huge time investment. It can take a while before you've grown it into a truly valuable marketing asset. 

By now, most marketers know that Twitter isn't just a great medium for creating and reinforcing your brand image -- it's also a tool for reaching fans of your business who can become leads (and, ultimately, sales).

But simply knowing that Twitter can make you

This post originally appeared on The Agency Post. To read more content like this, subscribe to The Agency Post.

I recently wrote a piece on bad clients and the bad attitudes of agencies. In writing it, I was reminding myself as much as anyone else that clients who are willing to pay for expertise to solve important business challenges are often

Remember when Gmail unveiled the new inbox tabs layout? Marketers freaked out. Suddenly marketing emails were relegated to an off-the-beaten-path folder where lots of people thought they would rot forever.

Well, Google's ready to tug on our marketing heartstrings again. Two days ago, they started

Know what's scary? Figuring out Halloween costumes for work. You've gotta strike the right mix of work appropriate and creative -- nothing that would freak out HR (or your coworkers with more delicate sensibilities).

While the stress of coming up with a costume is enough to make you just show up in your regular attire, you don't want to be the office

This post originally appeared on the Sales section of Inbound Hub. To read more content like this, subscribe to Sales.

It’s relatively easy to lead a team when things are going well. But what separates good leaders from great leaders is how they guide their teams when the chips are down.

Ever wondered how to make those clickable buttons that show up on some YouTube videos?

Wonder no more -- I'm here to teach you how.

Why? Because little annotations that prompt viewers to "Subscribe" or "Follow us" or "Click

Whether you just took on your first managerial role or are a long-time exec, dishing out criticism to a colleague is never easy. It’s a lot like going to the dentist -- painful and you can’t wait until it’s over.

The funny thing is, as much as we all dread giving or getting negative feedback, it actually

When you sign into LinkedIn every morning, what do you see? You see that flag icon in the upper right-hand corner of the site (unless you’re on mobile, in which case it’s on the left-hand side), and it’s red.

But when you click through, the notifications aren't about you.

My boss was in Des Moines, Iowa a couple weeks ago, and sent me this message:

Subj: Zombie Burger

Bringing you the menu from that zombie burger place. Such a cool content story. 

With blogging, success doesn't happen overnight.

I know, right? How many times have you heard that little nugget of blogging wisdom?

A few months ago, the Sidekick team here at HubSpot decided everyone on the team should have a rapper name. I was dubbed "Queen Tweet."

Well, I can't rap, and I'm certainly not royalty, but I do have experience with Twitter. Most recently, I joined the experts on Twitter's Small Business Team to speak on a webinar about

I've never been a fan of making a cold, hard distinction between extroverts and introverts.

Although I myself identify as an extrovert because I draw energy from others, I wouldn't say I possess every quality typical of an extrovert. I'd guess that if I surveyed our readers, most of you would say you're somewhere in between the two.

One crucial aspect of being a great marketer is being able to measure your success. No matter which metrics you use, you want to prove to your boss and the company at large that you're worth your salt. You deserve your budget -- and maybe need more of it. You deserve to hire another person to supplement your marketing activities. You deserve to dedicate time to the marketing activities that work. 

I'd venture a guess you get many emails in your inbox every day. Coupons, daily deal sites, newsletters, password resets, lead nurturing emails, social media notifications, invitations to your friend's party, and maybe even an email from your mom. That's a lot to sift through, never mind open.

Once upon a time, you wrote an article. It was a good one. It took you four and a half hours, required a ton of research, and maybe cost you a very late night. 

After you wrote the article, proofread it, edited it, added images, and published it, you felt good about yourself. Clicking the “publish” button gave you a huge sense of satisfaction.

Wouldn't it be nice to graduate from college knowing exactly what your passion is, or how to live and act in the business world?

The exciting and terrifying truth is that most of us throw our caps and tassels in the air without knowing our path, our passions, and how to successfully jumpstart our careers.

I've been not writing this post for a long time.

What I mean by that is -- I've had this post in my head for a long time, but I couldn't think of a way to write it without alienating a lot of people. I might still alienate a few here, but I think I found a productive way to say what I've been thinking about for a while now

Almost a year ago, Netflix made major headlines when a conversation with one of their customer service reps went viral. Everyone was amazed to see that a customer service representative was not only helpful, but also going out of his way to delight a customer.

For even the most seasoned marketer, website design can be both really exciting (so many possibilities!) and totally daunting (so many possibilities ...).

The final product is a combination of many, many little details: What should the color scheme be?

Ah yes, the old nod-and-smile. You may have read articles on great conversation starters and mastering in-person networking situations, but what about dealing with those conversations you desperately want to leave?

Whether at a conference or a party, we can all relate to that heavy discomfort that arrives

This week's most popular content covered a wide range of subjects. About to launch a new website? We've got your checklist covered. Looking to craft the perfect Facebook post? We have the secret formula. Want to foster a better relationship with your counterpart in Sales? We've got a post for that.

Most people's job titles are an accurate description of their role.

For example, if you manage your company's email marketing campaigns, your title might be something like "Email Marketing Manager." If you work in your company's customer service department, you might be a "Customer Service Representative."