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How to Not Be Cannon Fodder

By in Sales

BY GEORGE BRONTÉN One of my pet peeves is salespeople sending out proposals too soon. You’ve heard me talk about it before. In complex sales, proposals should never be the first thing you send, unless it’s with an existing customer who already knows you and knows they’re ready for something specific from you. Aproposal that is sent too early makes you cannon fodder. Your sales team discovers a lead, whether through an RFP, marketing lead, or outbound prospecting activities. The prospective customer thinks they know what they want, and they ask for a price. The salesperson gets excited, asks a few questions,…

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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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From AI Screening to the Uberization of Talent: 4 Trends HR Needs to Prepare For in 2026 

By in Human Resources

By James Terry HR teams are under more pressure than ever. Budgets are tight. Expectations are high. The pace of change is accelerating. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) and flexible workforce models are reshaping not just how people work, but how talent is accessed and managed. Many HR leaders are trying to make sense of the headlines—AI replacing jobs, rapid automation, economic uncertainty—while still managing day-to-day realities like staffing shortages, retention risk and compliance oversight.  But the real story is more nuanced. According to recent data, only 17% of HR teams have fully embedded AI into their operations. Yet 62% of employers expect…

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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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Five Trends That Will Define 2026 for HR Teams

By in Human Resources

By Rob Whalen It has been a difficult few years for employees. There was the shock of COVID-19, which fundamentally reshaped how and where we work. Then employees were hit with surging inflation, which exacerbated the financial vulnerability they already felt in the waning years of the pandemic. More recently, employees had to quickly acclimate to the reversal of policies such as work-from-home and the pause on student loan payments. Now employees face slowing job growth, rising healthcare costs, and the accelerating adoption of AI. HR teams always have their hands full, but 2026 is shaping up to be a…

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

By in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Sales

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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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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