Category Marketing

The Use of Unapproved AI Tools by Employees

By in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Marketing

by Ayaz Nanji Most employees say they use AI tools for work that aren't officially approved by their employer, but most also say their direct manager is aware of their use of the unapproved tools, according to recent research from Cyber News. The report was based on data from a survey conducted in August 2025 among 1,003 adults in the United States who are employed. Some 59% of respondents say they use AI tools for work that their employer hasn't approved. However, 57% say their direct manager is aware of their use of unapproved AI tools and supports it. Executives and senior managers are the…

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The social-to-search halo effect: Why social content drives branded search

By in Content Marketing

Written by Stephanie Wallace Social content creates curiosity that shows up as branded search. Here’s how to measure and use the halo effect. As search marketers, we tend to focus on what we can control: keywords, links, Core Web Vitals, indexed pages. We have dashboards for our dashboards. But not everything that shapes search behavior lives inside GSC, GA4, or your favorite rank tracker. One of the most influential forces sits just outside traditional SEO reporting: the social media halo effect. When a Reel takes off or a LinkedIn post hits the right nerve, it doesn’t just earn likes and comments. It creates…

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Fighting the “Grey Goo” of the Internet: We Must Humanize AI Content to Stand Out

By in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Content Marketing

The internet is facing a crisis of sameness. Generative AI models have democratized writing, allowing anyone, from solo bloggers to enterprise marketing teams, to churn out thousands of words on any topic in seconds. While efficient, this industrial-scale production has led to a flood of mediocre, indistinguishable content that clogs search results and social feeds. Futurists call this the “grey goo” scenario. Originally, the term was a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario involving self-replicating nanobots consuming all matter. Today, it aptly describes digital marketing: an endless ocean of grammatically correct but utterly soulless articles. As we move into 2026, the volume of…

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Lead generation funnels: A complete guide for growing sales & marketing teams

By in Lead Generation

Written by: Michael Welch When a company begins to scale, word-of-mouth alone can’t sustain predictable growth. Teams need a way to attract strangers, capture their information, and nurture trust until they’re ready to buy. Learn More About HubSpot's Sales Hub Enterprise Software Enter the lead generation funnel, which gives both sales and marketing visibility into what’s working, automates repetitive steps, and aligns around shared metrics like conversion rate and cost per lead. The result is a unified process that scales efficiently, improves lead quality, and keeps every new opportunity moving toward a close. This guide explains every stage of the lead…

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B2B Thought Leadership Content Trends for 2026

By in Marketing Tag

by Ayaz Nanji Some 47% of B2B marketers plan to increase their use of original research and data-driven thought leadership content in 2026, according to recent research from TopRank Marketing and Ascend2. The report was based on data from a survey of 797 senior-level marketing leaders who work for B2B companies in the United Kingdom or the United States. Respondents say the sources that most influence which topics they cover in their research-based thought leadership content are customer feedback (53% cite), CRM data (44%), and marketing trend analysis (44%). Respondents say their thought leadership content could be made more impactful by having more video content (48% cite),…

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4 Predictions for GTM in 2026

By in Marketing Tag

by LIZ CHRISTO As we kick off 2026 and shake off the holiday break after a couple of quieter weeks, I’ve been thinking about where go-to-market is headed. This year has been marked by a mix of sober budgeting, team recalibrations, and pressure to do more with less. But it’s also been a year of strong GTM fundamentals rising to the top and some unprecedented and explosive growth - Lovable anyone?? So what’s around the corner? Here are three GTM trends I’m watching closely and believe will be at the forefront of GTM in 2026. I hope they help you…

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Multi-channel content distribution: How to scale content reach in the era of Loop Marketing

By in Marketing

Written by: Justina Thompson I’ll say the hard thing nobody wants to admit: Creating “great content” isn’t enough; it’s time for a change. And that change starts with multi-channel content distribution. This guide covers: What multi-channel content distribution is How to efficiently syndicate content across platforms Content distribution ideas that align with the Loop Marketing era Download Now: Free Content Marketing Planning Kit You'll learn how to make the most of your content through modular repurposing, build an optimized distribution strategy using channel-specific adaptation, and measure which platforms drive pipeline. Multi-channel content distribution connects content to multiple channels using unified data and automation, transforming content distribution from a manual bottleneck…

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Decoded: How to Win B2B Buyers in the AI Search Era

By in Market Research, Marketing Tag

by Nikhil Pandey Picture it: A marketing leader at a mid-sized financial services firm is finalizing next year's budget. Instead of spending days browsing multiple vendor websites, analyst PDFs, and peer reviews, she asks ChatGPT which marketing automation platform is best for a financial firm with under 1,000 employees and strong Salesforce integration. Within minutes, she has a shortlist that previously would have taken weeks. This scenario highlights a fundamental shift with huge implications: B2B buyers now treat AI search tools like trusted teammates. Unlike traditional keyword-driven searches, these interactions are conversational, contextual, and decisive. AI is no longer just a…

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Top 10 Google Ads mistakes to avoid in 2026

By in Lead Generation, Marketing Tag

Written by Brad Geddes Optimize your PPC campaigns by tackling issues like inconsistent tracking, old negative keywords, blind reliance on AI, and more. Google Ads is constantly changing and evolving. With these changes come fresh mistakes PPC advertisers make in optimizing and managing their campaigns.  This article breaks down the most common mistakes of 2026 so you can avoid repeating them this year. Mistake 1: Inconsistent conversion tracking setup Optimization decisions rely on conversion data. If your tracking is inconsistent, your entire account data becomes skewed. When conversions use different attribution methods, count types, and conversion windows, the data applies unevenly across your account,…

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Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days

By in Marketing Tag

Written by Gert Mellak Big SEO audits look thorough but stall execution. Here’s why the audit-plus-retainer model underdelivers – and what works instead. A $4 million Shopify brand recently showed me an SEO audit it received six months earlier – 127 pages, 53 action items, and a $12,000 price tag. Since then, the company has updated page titles and meta descriptions and added a few blog articles – 12 recommendations in total. The remaining 41 were not even scheduled. This is not an execution issue. It is a model issue. This article explains why the traditional audit-plus-retainer approach consistently underdelivers for ecommerce brands.…

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