Welcome to What We're Reading, a weekly rundown of news stories, marketing columns, and specific B2B industry news that caught our eye.

Hallow’s Eve sales and marketing alignment lessons

Last week, a few blogs released some timely spooky-themed content in the spirit of Halloween — and we don’t mean the Spirit of Halloween stores that possess the skeletal remains of closed-down buildings for a few months out of the year before they mysteriously disappear. Anyway, here’s a Pardot blog about how to avoid scary missteps and miscommunications between your sales and marketing departments.

Don’t create a marketing monster

Yup, the Oracle blog published a Halloween blog, too! It’s all about common mistakes marketers make, from copying competitors’ campaigns to forgetting the proofreading stage before posting content.

We can be heroes — we just have to pay

Although we don’t speak directly to consumers as B2B marketers, it’s still important to understand how the end user thinks about their product choices. According to Marketo, consumers often feel heroic when they buy products that align with their values and identity.

The basics of email marketing software

Email marketing isn’t really a “set it and forget it” kind of effort, as Webbiquity explains — it’s something you’re constantly researching, reviewing and refining to send out tailored messages. The right email marketing software can make all that a lot easier. Here’s what you need to know about it.