Back to Grammar School: 12 Easy Ways to Become a Better Writer

Communication skills are more important than ever, but what if your grammar doesn’t quite make the grade?

Technology has reshaped how we communicate in the business world. Fifty years ago, you would have walked over to your coworker’s desk or called up to the second floor to ask a question. Now, whether your coworkers are in the next cube or half a world away, it’s standard practice to email, instant message, or text.

The Democratization of Ecommerce Through SaaS (and the Importance of Uptime)

The holidays seem so far off, but trust me: they are approaching full speed. For ecommerce companies, the holidays are a black train in the night –– but one for which you’ve already bought a ticket and are excited about the destination. You know it is coming, you know it will be on time, but the anticipation, the necessary preparation –– well, those are a bit less exciting than the benefits of the trip itself.

25 Powerful Quotes From #INBOUND15 Speakers [SlideShare]

Marketers, entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, co-founders, strategists, thought leaders, investors, and bloggers … oh my. 

While their roles and responsibilities may vary, the one thing all of this year’s INBOUND speakers have in common is their ability to inspire. The INBOUND15 lineup is riddled with the kind of people you could benefit from simply sharing an elevator with. From BuzzFeed Founder and CEO Jonah Peretti to best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur Seth Godin, there’s absolutely no shortage of experience and expertise.

How to Create a Writing Style Guide Built for the Web [Free Template]

Businesses pump out content at a staggering rate these days — and as that volume increases, more inconsistencies are bound to creep in. Whether due to lack of clarity about the style in which you’d like to write or disjointed communication across the multitude of content creators in your organization, failure to decide upon and document accepted editorial guidelines is a recipe for inconsistent messaging.

That’s why at some point, most companies accept that they’ll need to develop a writing style guide: a document that indicates the basic rules of writing we’ll all agree to follow (like whether I should’ve capitalized the “a” after the colon in this sentence).

Don’t Worry About Facebook Instant Articles: Here’s Why They’re Actually a Good Thing

Last week, Facebook made a big announcement: the release of their new Instant Articles feature. It allows publishers to create and distribute mixed-media articles in a self-contained Facebook “capsule,” while promising mobile app users a more visually interesting reading experience that loads significantly faster that articles have previously.

In response, my HubSpot colleague Kipp Bodnar wrote a blog post concluding that Instant Articles is bad for marketers. But I think he’s missing the point.

How to Market a Pro Sports Team: Inside the Boston Red Sox’s Growth Strategy

The concept of growth is a little different when you’re a marketing executive for a professional sports team.

For Adam Grossman, SVP of marketing and brand development for the Boston Red Sox, success is often dictated by two things that he can’t actually control: the team’s wins and losses. But he still has to do his job and fill seats, sell merchandise, and drive revenue for the organization.

Competing With Content Marketing: 7 Steps to Success [Infographic]

Today, succeeding in inbound marketing means putting content at the heart of your communications strategy.

This is no secret, of course. Content marketing is now a well-established technique and the space has become pretty competitive. So, the question is, how do you invest wisely in content marketing to improve your capabilities so that you can compete and stand out from the noise?

11 Fascinating Books on Harvard Business School’s Required Reading List

There’s no better time to revamp your reading list than the beginning of the summer. The question is … what should you read?

With so many business books out there to choose from, sifting through all those online descriptions and reviews could take up an entire summer in and of itself. We figured you’d rather spend that time actually, you know, reading.

3 Amazing Examples of Ecommerce Companies Ensuring Customer Delight

As customers, we really only expect the most basic level of service. We find a product, pay for it, and it shows up at our house a few days later. Transaction complete, right?

When we do experience the minimum requirements, consumers are happy enough. We’re willing to leave great reviews based on minimal interaction. With so many meh experiences getting good attention, why would any ecommerce retailer want to go above and beyond?

Form Length Isn’t Everything: 3 Other Ways to Optimize Your Forms for Conversions

What’s the best length for landing page forms? Would a shorter form increase submissions while retaining quality, or are longer forms better?

These exact questions have been at the center of a hotly contested debate that’s been raging on since 2009. In fact, the popular website WhichTestWon that catalogs A/B tests, has 40+ tests on forms alone.