The Rev. Edward Stone's letter to England's Royal Society in 1763 eventually earned billions for a German dye manufacturing company, the result of an unintended consequence.

It seems that Rev. Stone, seeking relief from various "agues" caused by "miasma" (bad air) from wet or swampy areas, happened to peel off and gnaw on a piece of willow bark as he wandered around the wetlands of Chipping Norton. In his mind was the common belief of the time that Divine Providence should supply a cure alongside the source of human ailments.

Late one night, according to the internet, a group of traditionalists apprehended an allegedly "dangerous" criminal element: one "Inbound Marketing." Committed to truth in commerce, they leveled some serious charges against their foe. What follows is the gripping tale of a courtroom drama, the outcome of which has far-reaching consequences to those of us who sell products or services.

The Prosecution begins.

Starting a new Inbound marketing campaign? Don't sweat it! Here are a few tips to get you started.

Wouldn't it be great if we got a treat every time we did something right? My sister is training her new puppy using behavior modification techniques. For Finn the Labradoodle, "Sit" = treat. "Stay" = treat. "Come" = treat. Finn still acts like an exuberant two-year-old with acute ADD, but he is starting to remember that chewing on grandma's hand never results in a treat.

Marketing would be so simple if we sold our products to dogs, but for people it gets a bit more complicated. However, there are some universal truths that should inform our approach to building brand loyalty.

Violate this list of DOs and DON'Ts and get whacked with the rolled-up newspaper of public scorn. If your goal is to build a long and happy relationship with your customers, think about the following: