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Building systems of trust in the age of AI while staying human at heart

Customer Centric Marketing
December 20, 2025/by
Building systems of trust in the age of AI while staying human at heart When I joined HubSpot, I stepped into a rare position. I had already spent years as a customer, learning how to build systems creatively with the tools I had access to. Then, I joined the company with the responsibility of modernizing a long-standing customer reference system that had served many teams well but was now struggling to meet new expectations, complexity, and scale. Seeing both sides changed how I approached this work. Advocacy is often misunderstood. It can be seen as simple or administrative because so much of its complexity lives behind the scenes. But once you look closely, you realize it requires nuance, discernment, finesse, and emotional intelligence at every step. My goal was not to replace any of that. It was to create a system that supported it. If you have ever tried to build trust at scale, you likely know firsthand how challenging the work can be. So, consider this a look inside what we rebuilt at HubSpot, how we approached it, and how you can apply the same principles without needing an engineer or a separate platform. And speaking as someone who is very much not an engineer — only a marketer armed with a MacBook and grit — if I can build this, you can too. If there has been one theme throughout this journey, it is that AI is not the threat to fear. Inconsistency is. AI did...
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Consistent brand voice: How to be unmistakable no matter what the channel

Branding
December 18, 2025/by
Consistent brand voice: How to be unmistakable no matter what the channel One of the most satisfying things you can achieve as a business or personality is instant brand recognition. You know, those little moments of marketing glory when people can name your brand from the first sentence of an article, social media caption, or even live chat. A big part of this comes back to maintaining a consistent brand voice across all channels, teams, and formats. Consistent branding ensures all your marketing and communication sounds like one cohesive thing, not several disjointed versions of it. And when done right, consistent brand voice builds recognition, trust, and customer confidence and makes collaboration across marketing, sales, and service easier. But how do you maintain a consistent brand voice in a time when businesses are expected to be omnipresent? I’ll take you through what brand voice is, why it matters, and exactly how to create a clear, well-documented brand voice your entire organization can use confidently. Table of Contents Executive Summary What is a consistent brand voice? Why a Consistent Brand Voice Matters Brand Voice vs Tone of Voice Where Your Brand Needs a Consistent Voice The 7-step Process to a Consistent Brand Voice Tools to Keep Your Brand Voice Consistent Common Brand Voice Challenges and How to Fix Them Consistent Brand Voice Examples Frequently Asked Questions About Consistent Brand Voice Executive Summary A consistent brand voice is...
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What should marketers let go of in 2026?

Uncategorized
December 18, 2025/by
What should marketers let go of in 2026? I asked six HubSpot colleagues who are experts in their respective arena what their hopes and dreams are for 2026. From “just make AI and spreadsheets work” to tracking emotional momentum, here‘s what we’re looking forward to next year. You can also check out the hard-won lessons my colleagues learned from the rollercoaster that was 2025. What is the one thing you are betting AI will finally be able to do for you in 2026 that it cannot quite nail today? Adam Biddlecombe, Lead marketer, AI media strategist “Honestly, I am just praying for seamless integration with Sheets. I have lost too many hours this year going back and forth with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini trying to build or analyze a spreadsheet, and it still never quite lands. “I want that moment where I can point at a messy sheet and say, ‘Clean this up, fix the formulas, and show me the insights,’ and it just does it. No weird formatting and no hallucinating. If AI can genuinely understand and manipulate Sheets the way an analyst would, that is the upgrade I am most excited for in 2026.” Rory Hope, Senior manager, EN Growth “I hope that we’ll see more AI reporting solutions from analytics platforms in 2026. If we can get to the point where reporting becomes as easy as entering prompts asking for performance insights that take into context your objectives, goals, and priorities (possibly via MCP),...
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Loop Marketing software that grows with your business strategy

Loop Marketing
December 17, 2025/by
Loop Marketing software that grows with your business strategy AI has drastically changed the marketing industry. From remapping the buyer's journey to changing the way we analyze data, to reshaping how we connect with consumers, almost everything is different from just a couple of years ago. A new age calls for a new playbook called Loop Marketing, and a new playbook calls for new tools. Keep reading to learn more about Loop Marketing software and its playbook so your business can seamlessly adapt to the new age of marketing. Table of Contents What is Loop Marketing software? Loop Marketing Software for the Express Stage Loop Marketing Software for the Tailor Stage Loop Marketing Software for the Amplify Stage Loop Marketing Software for the Evolve Stage Integrations that Make Loop Marketing Software Work Frequently Asked Questions About Loop Marketing Software What is Loop Marketing software? Loop Marketing is HubSpot's modern growth framework, designed for the AI-driven marketing landscape. The marketing framework reshapes the traditional linear funnel with a continuous cycle of four interconnected stages: Express - defining brand identity Tailor - personalizing messaging at scale Amplify - diversifying across channels where buyers actually are Evolve - optimizing in real time Loop Marketing software is an integrated technology stack that addresses each stage through a unified system. Unlike legacy tools built for linear funnels that assumed predictable customer journeys through your website, Loop Marketing...
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5 SEO keyword research tools that help teams show up in search

SEO
December 17, 2025/by
5 SEO keyword research tools that help teams show up in search SEO keyword research tools are essential for marketing teams looking to level up their content. Keyword research software can help identify search opportunities that align with a business’ offerings. That SEO strategy is crucial — nearly one-third of internet users 16 or older discover new brands through search engines. The good news is that many free SEO keyword research tools exist. Teams can build a powerful keyword strategy without spending a dime. In this guide, I’ll share the best free and affordable SEO keyword research tools I’ve tested, explain how to use them step-by-step, and show how HubSpot helps you bring it all together inside one connected platform. Table of Contents TL;DR SEO Keyword Research Tools How I Tested the Best Keyword Research Tools Best Free Keyword Research Tools for 2025 How HubSpot Helps With SEO How to Do Keyword Research with Free Tools Pro Tips for Using Free Tools Effectively Frequently Asked Questions About Keyword Research Tools Turn Keyword Research Into Real Results How I Tested the Best Keyword Research Tools TL;DR: The best keyword tools balance data quality, usability, and workflow integration. If you Google “what is the best free keyword research tool?”, you’ll probably get pages of sponsored posts and affiliate lists that don’t tell you much about how these tools actually perform. So, I decided to test them myself. For...
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AI-powered email content suggestions that actually convert leads

ai-hidden, Artificial Intelligence
December 15, 2025/by
AI-powered email content suggestions that actually convert leads AI-powered email content suggestions are changing how marketing teams write, test, and scale email campaigns. Instead of guessing what message will resonate, marketers can now use AI to analyze data, predict engagement, and generate personalized content that converts. But there’s a huge difference between emails that sound good and emails that perform. In this guide, we’ll cover how to use AI email content suggestions to deliver stronger open rates, higher click-throughs, and measurable revenue impact. Table of Contents What AI-Powered Email Content Suggestions Are and Why They Matter Best AI Tools for Email Content Suggestions How to Set Up AI Email Suggestions Inside Your Existing Workflow AI Email Content Prompts for Every Lifecycle Stage AI Email Content Generation Guardrails How to Measure AI Email Content Performance and Iterate Fast Common AI Email Content Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them What AI-Powered Email Content Suggestions Are and Why They Matter AI-powered email content suggestions use machine learning to tailor your subject lines, body copy, and CTAs to each audience segment and lifecycle stage. The system analyzes engagement data, like open rates and replies, to recommend what message, tone, or offer is most likely to drive action. In practical terms, that means: Generating email subject lines designed to boost open rates Optimizing email copy that earns more clicks and replies Recommending CTAs that move contacts from MQL...
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Website homepage design: My favorite 32 examples to inspire you

Website Design Examples
December 15, 2025/by
Website homepage design: My favorite 32 examples to inspire you Homepage design shapes the first impression potential customers have of your business, yet many companies underestimate its impact on conversions and credibility. When I first meet with a potential client, I'll often hear: "The website is fine, it just needs to be optimized for visibility." Then I visit the site and, as soon as the homepage loads, I see that’s not quite the case. Unclear messaging, messy layouts, poor design choices … I've seen it all. What you might not realize is the bottom-line impact your homepage design can have, good and bad. The homepage is usually where leads and customers get their first look and impression of your business. It's a digital representative, acting on behalf of your business to introduce your brand, products, and services.  In this guide, I’ll share best practices for homepage design along with brilliant homepage design examples that have implemented them. Table of Contents Homepage Design Best Practices Brilliant Homepage Examples To Inspire You Homepage Design Best Practices Through trial and error (and a whole lot of website analytics ), I’ve developed a set of homepage design best practices that consistently deliver results. The goal is to capture attention at the first page load, while also leaving a lasting impression that encourages visitors to return and take action. 1. First impressions and next steps happen in the hero section. The most important part of your homepage lies...
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“AI is bad at being cool”

Uncategorized
December 15, 2025/by
"AI is bad at being cool" I spent the last week asking HubSpot marketers to get really honest about what actually worked for them in 2025 — and what they let go of. Six HubSpotters share some of their “why didn’t I do this sooner?” moments from the past 12 months, from rethinking how they use AI to backing unmeasurable bets. If you could go back to January 2025, what would you tell yourself to stop overthinking? Adam Biddlecombe, Lead marketer, AI media strategist “Stop overthinking AI. It is exciting, easily the biggest technological shift of my lifetime, but so many use cases are still experimental and not consistently accurate. “The real wins have come from keeping it simple. Small tasks, small workflow tweaks. Building a handful of custom GPTs for specific jobs, getting meeting notes summarized for a quick Slack update, turning messy ideas into a clear campaign brief. “Those little building blocks have made me way more productive, organized, and efficient at work.” Rory Hope, Senior manager, EN Growth “I would have told myself not to overthink how AI is disrupting top of funnel search marketing, and that’s because we’ve seen this year how the search community has evolved to focus on optimizing for AI visibility. We’ve now got AI visibility monitoring tools, proven AEO tactics, and clear AEO reporting KPIs. “In January 2025, the route forwards was uncertain, but we’ve thankfully been able to navigate that uncertainty and establish a new AEO process that’s...
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2025’s Lingering Questions

Uncategorized
December 10, 2025/by
2025's Lingering Questions Lingering Questions is one of my favorite parts of the Masters in Marketing newsletter, because it’s an opportunity for marketers to talk directly to one another. This year, a few clear themes emerged: yes, AI can help you be a better and more efficient marketer, but human connection is more important than ever; authenticity, even if it means you’re a bit unpolished, is preferable to perfection; and consumers across all industries are hungry for community. We’ve rounded up all the questions marketers asked each other in the last 12 months: April Sunshine Hawkins, Marketing and communications leader “What warm memory comes to mind when you hear these three words: creative, curious, courageous?” Irina Novoselsky, CEO of Hootsuite "I've spent the last year focused on building meaningful relationships on LinkedIn — sharing personal and professional experiences to create genuine connections. Each of these words have shaped this journey: staying curious about what my audience cares about and wants to learn from me, experimenting with creative ways to share my experience and engage with others, and embracing the courage it took to get started and be vulnerable. "As the CEO of a social company, I recognize the transformative power of social media. It drives pipeline, builds connections, and ensures your voice shapes conversations that are happening with or without you. But what's even more powerful is the impact the relationships built through social can have outside of the digital world. "A memory that stands out...
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3 easy growth hacks to get ahead in an AI-saturated landscape

Loop Marketing
December 10, 2025/by
3 easy growth hacks to get ahead in an AI-saturated landscape Over the last five years, the business world has undergone a more dramatic transformation than it did in the entire decade before. Just as companies were adapting to permanent shifts in workplace dynamics, consumer behavior, and global economics — all sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic — generative AI emerged. This delivered a shock to business comparable to the internet revolution of the 1990s. Companies that once led the digital transformation now face an unexpected reality: their hard-won advantages are evaporating as competitors leverage AI to match the capabilities of much larger, better-funded teams. The playing field hasn‘t just leveled. It’s been completely redrawn. Through months of market research focused on customer needs, HubSpot uncovered how growth-driving teams are responding to this new environment. They’re abandoning linear playbooks in favor of go-to-market strategies that operate in an infinite Loop — a continuously adapting cycle of learning, experimenting, optimizing, and scaling. A 2025 study of 1,800 brand professionals (including marketers, advertisers, content strategists, brand specialists, and GTM decision-makers) identified key tactics that brands are using to get ahead in the eye of dramatic tech transformation. These insights form what HubSpot calls The Loop Marketing Landscape. 3 Takeaways from HubSpot's Loop Marketing Landscape Report 1. Brands must document clear brand positioning. This may sound pretty obvious, but it’s far from a given. While every marketing textbook harps on the importance of documenting a unique value proposition (UVP), HubSpot found that...
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