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Spam trigger words: How to keep your emails out of the spam folder

By in Marketing

Written by: Jeanne Jennings Back in 2003, I was working with my first big consulting client, Hasbro. (Yes, that Hasbro. And yes, it was as fun as you'd imagine.) Sitting on my desk at the time — dog-eared, tea-stained, salsa-splotched — was a multi-page document I treated like sacred scripture: the spam trigger word list. Use HubSpot's AI Campaign Assistant to Create Emails This wasn’t just a list of naughty words. It came with spam scores — weights assigned to each phrase based on how likely it was to get your email flagged by filters. Before any copy went to the client for review, I’d…

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Reversing the Employee Disengagement Trend with Interactive Technology 

By in Human Resources

By Sean D'Arcy Employee engagement is at its lowest point in a decade—less than one-third of employees in the U.S. say they feel engaged at work.   This is according to the latest annual reporting from Gallup, which cites several key contributing factors—including rapid organizational change, inadequate performance management, and the transition to an increasingly hybrid working world.  As a result of this concerning downtrend, some business leaders have reflexively pointed to technology as the cause of employee disconnect. There is some reason to believe that, as employees have admitted that virtual meetings, presentations, and training are where they’re most likely to…

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Email Marketing Reliability vs. Social Media Uncertainty

By in Email Marketing, Marketing

by Martha Bitar, Rebecca Shostak Social media platforms have become the cornerstone of many businesses' marketing strategy. But such an approach is unstable and unpredictable. Consider TikTok. Its future ownership is unclear, and it faces a possible ban or ownership change; many brands that have built their audience on the app are facing uncertainty. But it isn't just a TikTok problem—it's a loud reminder that social media space is rented, not owned. What happens when the platform you've invested thousands of hours and dollars into changes overnight? The hard truth is that your social media following never truly belongs to you. As a result, savvy brands…

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If Your Salespeople are “Sharing Without Clicking,” They’re Missing Opportunities

By in Sales

BY GEORGE BRONTÉN I was interested recently to read a study in Nature Human Behavior showing that about 75% of social media shares are made without reading past the headline or even clicking through. Though this is horrifying, it doesn’t surprise me. After all, it happens in complex sales all the time. While the study’s authors (Sundar, Snyder, Liao, et al) don’t speculate about why so many shares are made without reading the article, I will. I suspect it’s a combination of laziness, confirmation bias, and a misplaced effort to be “efficient.” We see a headline that confirms something we already believe, we already believe it…

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LinkedIn Is the Epicenter of B2B Marketing—Here’s How to Reap Its Benefits

By in Marketing

by Palash Soni If you were on LinkedIn just seven years ago, you might remember a pre-feed time, when people simply logged on to post career updates. That's hard to imagine now, considering how central the feed is to B2B relationships today—and how it continues to grow in popularity. In some conversations I've had with the LinkedIn team, they've indicated that feed traffic was doubling year over year! Basically, if you're a B2B marketer serious about boosting brand visibility and viability, LinkedIn is the one place you need to be now. If you aren't posting regularly and connecting with folks via DMs, you're…

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The physics of sales, part 2

By in Sales

PSA: There’s a companion podcast! I go into WAY more detail on my “Physics of Startups” podcast - available on Spotify, YouTube, & Apple Podcasts. Last week, we covered the theory behind SELLER-PUSH versus BUYER-PULL sales approaches, and the signs you’re operating in the SELLER-PUSH world. See that post HERE. To recap: The difference is that in a SELLER-PUSH approach, we think that the main force that closes a deal is “us convincing buyer to buy”, where in a BUYER-PULL approach, we think that the main force that closes a deal is “buyer trying to accomplish something on their to-do list.” The difference between PULL…

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5 Ways to Improve Sleep Health for Your Workforce

By in Self Improvement

By Jenna Everhart It’s no secret that sleep is an epic elixir. When we are well rested, our immune system works better, we lower our risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. We think more clearly, solve problems faster and with more creativity, make better decisions, and are more focused and engaged at work.   Lack of sleep, particularly on an ongoing basis over time, can impair job performance, increase the risk of accidents, and contribute to a less productive workforce. And for employers who are already facing high healthcare costs year over year, sleep-starved…

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How AI Is Impacting Email Marketing

By in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Email Marketing

by Ayaz Nanji Marketers say AI is having the most impact on their email programs through the use of tools for generating content, according to recent research from Litmus and Datalily. The report was based on data from a survey conducted from December 30, 2024 through January 16, 2025 among 692 marketing professionals in North America and Europe. Respondents say the top uses where AI has been most impactful on their company's email marketing are generative tools (25% say so), personalizing email content (18%), and analyzing campaign performance (16%). Marketers expect the most impactful AI capabilities on email marketing in the next year to be generative tools…

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4 types of emails that get the most engagement [+ 4 emails that fail]

By in Email Marketing, Marketing

Written by: Jeanne Jennings My inbox is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get (with apologies to Forrest Gump). Just today I received: A newsletter from Monumental Sports Network celebrating the career of Nicklas Backstrom, a beloved player from the Washington Capitals who just departed the NHL. I’m a fan. I engaged; I clicked through and read the article. A promotional email offering accounting services for an organization that is a client of mine, from a company I’ve never heard of. I dislike cold email, especially when it’s totally irrelevant to me. I did not engage. An email…

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The Rise of FOBO: Why Workers Are Eyeing AI-Proof Careers

By in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Human Resources

By Lin Grensing-Pophal As AI tools continue to reshape work across industries, a new anxiety has entered the professional lexicon: FOBO—fear of becoming obsolete. While the term may sound buzzword-y, the concern is anything but abstract for today’s workforce. According to new data from Kickresume, 21% of respondents say they’ve either lost a job due to AI or know someone who has. A significant number are now rethinking their career plans: 37% intend to actively learn AI skills to remain relevant, and 28% are planning a move into what they consider “AI-proof” careers. Another 4% aren’t making changes yet but admit they’re uneasy…

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