It goes without saying that all written communication should contain well-written content that represents your company well. But how it looks visually is just as important, and often neglected. Essentially, every communication piece should instantly notify the recipient of who you are via a clear and consistent corporate identity. What’s the best way to establish and then maintain that corporate identity? By leveraging templates.

Some companies defy convention to become great. Stories abound of businesses that excel through innovative solutions which meet needs that buyers did not even know existed. Think Microsoft or the Sony Walkman, for example.

  Let's just be clear from the start. We LOVE inbound marketing, we are passionate about it, we preach it, we teach it, we blog about it, we write about it... Oh yes, and we execute inbound marketing campaigns for our clients for many hours every single day.   So why aren't we raging against outbound marketing as old fashioned, outmoded and expensive?

What are the key trends that are likely to impact B2B sales and marketing in 2013? OpenView Labs recently published 22 predictions. Funnel Coach, Bob Apollo was among the contributors and here he summarizes their key headlines.

Many organisations are still dubious about the effectiveness of blogging - mainly because many businesses don’t know how to do it effectively. Without a goal and a clear focus, the majority of your efforts are wasted.

It is hard to let go of product-centricity in favour of buyer-centricity. But this has never been more important, as the rapid rise of the internet and social channels are enabling buyers to  research their options freely and have put the buyer firmly back in the driving seat.

Jim Lenskold and Debbie Qaqish share key takeaways from their 2012 Lenskold Group/Pedowitz Group Lead Generation Marketing Effectiveness Study.

Asking people to call you back is a bit obnoxious-even if there is value and reason. When you do that your prospects are left thinking, "Wait, you want me to call you? So you can pitch me? Are you kidding?" This is why I take a different approach...