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:

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April Sunshine Hawkins, Marketing and communications leader

“What warm memory comes to mind when you hear these three words: creative, curious, courageous?”

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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 is the first ‘IRL’ dinner I had with a marketing leader I connected with on LinkedIn, after months of engaging with each other‘s content. What started as a digital connection has since grown into a genuine friendship (and many double dates with our husbands!) — and it’s all thanks to social.

“To any marketers reading this that may be hesitant to get started, let this be your sign: Make the leap into posting. You don’t know what new friendships you may be missing out on.”

Read more: Gen Z is turning this CEO’s business model upside down

Novoselsky asked, “How do you approach your personal brand on social media? Has social created meaningful opportunities or opened doors for you professionally and personally?”

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Preston Rutherford, Co-founder of Chubbies

“I approach the personal brand piece by trying to be exactly how I am in person. I don’t know how to do anything else.

“And yes, it has opened infinite doors, not least of which is the opportunity to talk with [Masters in Marketing]!”

Read more: Chubbies’ co-founder warns: Don’t get hooked on the performance marketing drug

Rutherford asked, “What is your favorite movie that you’re embarrassed for anyone to know about?”

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Anna Engel and Nathaniel Gaynor, Director of brand, content and culture; Sr. marketing manager, brand partnerships at McDonald’s

Gaynor: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Engel: The Princess Diaries

Read more: Beyond the Golden Arches: How two McDonald’s marketers win Gen Z

Engel and Gaynor asked, “What brand do you think is taking bold risks to connect with Gen Z today?”

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Jeff Wirth, Co-founder of the Interactive PlayLab

“Party At Anna‘s is a company pushing boundaries by creating interactive and immersive experiences that resonate with Gen Z’s love for storytelling and social engagement.

“Their projects take bold risks by incorporating real-time audience participation, unconventional venues, and dynamic, unpredictable narratives. By embracing themes of identity, community, and collective storytelling, they craft highly shareable and deeply personal experiences that redefine what theatre can be for a new generation.”

Read more: Consultant behind Meow Wolf, Blue Man Group shares lessons on joy, playing, and branded experiences

Wirth asked, “What is a blind spot in the marketing world that, if addressed, would make people’s lives better?”

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Eric Munn, Director of marketing at Chicago Transit Authority

“A major blind spot in the marketing world is forgetting that most people aren’t as aware of your brand as you are. Many brands use messaging that already assumes people know who you are or what you offer. Make sure you’re clear about what your product or service is going to do to help people. Witty and eye-catching is fun, but the conversion is in solving people’s problems.”

Read more: Marketing like a Castaway

Munn asked, “What’s a career you’ve always wanted to get into but never have?”

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Jennifer Waters, Co-founder of 7 Figure Dojo and executive sensei at Seigler’s Karate Center

“Honestly, I always wanted to do what I’m doing today! No other careers I would want to have!”

Read more: Be a knockout in small and local business marketing

Waters asked, “What’s one marketing mechanism that will generate the most revenue quickly for a startup?”

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Erin Quinn, The Original Pickle Shot

“I know it‘s annoying to say ’it depends,’ but my recommendation for quick revenue growth would likely vary depending on the startup.

“For example, paid social is likely to be a cost-efficient and impactful choice for a budget-friendly DTC skincare brand targeted towards Gen Z. (There’s a reason that paid social is the first and only paid media that many brands invest in!)

“Promo codes, rebates, and couponing can be an important add-on to said campaign, as these tactics provide an extra incentive for conversion and you can use redemption as a KPI.

“No matter the business model, my most important ‘do this before anything else’ recommendation would be to spend time on your consumer target, positioning, and brand identity development so that you are targeting the right people in the right place with the right messaging and creative. It won’t drive revenue in the short term, but it will save you money and drive revenue in the long run.”

Read more: How this small startup outperformed a stalling industry

Quinn asked, “What’s the most memorable advertisement (commercial, print ad, OOH, anything!) you can remember seeing, and why do you think it has stuck with you?”

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Alex Lieberman, Co-founder, Morning Brew

“The OG Dollar Shave Club ‘Our Blades Are F*cking Great’ commercial.

That spot hits on everything I look for in a good ad:

• It tells a story, which makes you FEEL before you THINK.
• Its approach is novel, which creates intrigue & makes you lean forward (vs. lean back).
• It doesn‘t sell a product. It sells an emotion. And once you feel that emotion, you become open to the product.It’s an ad disguised as entertainment. The best ads make you feel like you‘re eating ice cream, when you’re really eating cauliflower.

The spot drove 27 million YouTube views on a budget of $4,500, and I believe is a big reason why DSC ultimately sold for $1 billion to Unilever.”

Read more: Morning Brew’s co-founder on the three channels that will win 2025 (plus, how to craft a voice that stands out)

Lieberman asked, “What are your thoughts on the ongoing ‘attribution’ hoopla? And what’s the right amount of attribution without getting overly scientific/metrics-focused with your marketing strategy?”

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Jackie Widmann, VP of marketing at Bero Brewing

“When you‘re building a new brand from the ground-up, you don’t have historical data to look at as you evaluate performance. We‘re doing everything that we can to combine a mix of more tactical metrics (i.e., sales of our products across channels as we invest in various marketing tactics, how quickly we are growing our community and how engaged they are with the information we’re sharing with them, and of course monitoring sentiment around everything that we say and do).

“The best thing brands can do right now is to operate with a connected strategy and look at every moment as an opportunity to be 360 – and truly analyze your results in the same way.”

Read more: Be an addition, not a substitution: Lessons from Tom Holland’s NA beer brand

Widmann asked, “Right now, it feels like so many brands are investing in beautifully produced, curated, experiential moments that are intended to drive awareness and shareability (and likely very expensive). How do you think new brands with limited budgets should approach this tactic and still manage to cut through the clutter?”

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Kevin Indig, Growth advisor for Hims, Reddit, Toast, Dropbox & more

“In my experience, the highly produced moments matter at certain moments, like when customers consider a purchase, but what often catches their attention is the highly authentic, unpolished moment.

“That’s why influencer marketing works. So, as a brand with a limited budget, I’d focus my budget on a few well-produced marketing assets (like videos of product images) and the rest on authentic, raw moments that build trust and curiosity.”

Read more: Reddit’s growth advisor on finding your vertical-specific SEO strategy

Indig asked, “What’s the most underrated marketing channel right now, and why do you think it deserves more attention?”

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Lisa Lozelle, Sr. director of state communications & engagement at Best Buddies International

“For me, the current most underrated marketing channel is direct mail. A well-designed print piece can break through the clutter and make an impact.

“People save postcards from favorite non-profits that capture a mission moment, connecting them to the cause. They earmark pages in a well-designed catalog of products they covet and are incentivized to purchase with direct mail pieces that feel curated and personal.

“Pro Tip: Mail isn’t dead — ask Gen Z. According to a USPS survey, 72% of digital natives get excited about good old-fashioned mail. Give them something to hold on to.”

Read more: Brand-building brilliance from Best Buddies

Lozelle asked, “As a marketing thought leader, how do you see AI influencing strategic thinking and the creative process in brand building?”

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Heike Young, Head of content, social, & integrated marketing at Microsoft

“AI is effective as a thought partner. Ask it to poke holes in your strategy and play devil‘s advocate. Also ask it to find additional research and data points you haven’t considered. Those workflows can make your original ideas even stronger.

“All of that being said, I believe human creativity is more critical than ever, and I love seeing human fingerprints on the content I personally consume. For instance, I’ve recently been swooning over all the tiny creative details in Severance.

“I believe some AI-related changes in marketing will happen faster than we expect, and others will happen more slowly. Only time will tell what falls into which category. So I’m leaning into AI where it’s useful for me, and not forcing it where it doesn’t seem helpful.”

Read more: How Heike Young uses humor to transform B2B marketing

Young asked, “What’s a piece of marketing advice you would have given earlier in your career, but you would no longer give, due to how marketing has changed?”

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Sonia Thompson, Founder of Inclusion & Marketing

“Early in my career, I would have advised marketers to spend time focusing on a unique brand and really investing in what you could do to deliver a remarkable customer experience.

“It‘s not that remarkable experiences and strong brands aren’t needed, but I find spending too much time there — especially up front — prevents brands from showing up consistently. Today’s world and consumers move fast — and quite frankly, consumers will be the ones that guide you on what makes a remarkable experience.

“So, it‘s more important now to show up and let your voice, point of view, and what you stand for be known. Refine your experience over time, based on feedback from your customers and the community you build. That community and the trust they need to have with you is hard to build if you don’t show up consistently. Don’t fall into the trap of analysis paralysis.

“This isn’t a case for delivering poor quality, but rather a case for brands and marketers to do a better job of being active shapers and participants of culture as it is happening. Be relevant and remarkable to consumers in a way that is most valued and relevant to them. Your marketing and impact will be much more effective as a result.”

Read more: Main character energy: What Black Panther can teach you about inclusive marketing

Thompson asked, “How have you seen inclusion shape the way marketing has been done over the last five years, and how do you feel it will shape (if at all) the next five years of marketing?”

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Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com and host of Try This, Not That! For Marketers Only!

“Over the past five years, inclusion has shifted from a corporate checkbox to an essential part of how we approach marketing and business overall (or at least, it should be!).

“It‘s no longer just about who appears in stock photos; it’s about who’s developing the strategy, writing the copy, and making the decisions.

“In our own work, from virtual events to newsletters to agency services, we’ve seen that when people feel seen, they engage more, share more, and stay loyal longer.

“Looking ahead, inclusion won’t just shape marketing, it will be marketing. As AI continues to dominate content creation, the ability to add a human touch, making every person feel recognized, respected, and understood will be the ultimate differentiator.”

Read more: Attribution is garbage, says this email expert. (Plus, 3 reasons Jay’s a loser)

Schwedelson asked, “What’s one marketing belief you held five years ago that you’ve completely changed your mind about?”

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Brian Morrissey, Founder of The Rebooting and former editor-in-chief of Digiday

“That in-person events would become less important. 100% wrong. In-person events are more important than ever.

“Humans are social animals and will always congregate. No matter what comes with AI, I do not believe the human species will throw in the towel on congregation.”

Read more: The growth hack era is ending, according to Digiday’s former editor-in-chief

Morrissey asked, “Will SEO be obsolete in three to five years?”

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Shelagh Dolan, Content marketing lead at Quora for Business

“Honestly? Yes.

“Traditional, organic SEO has always been a challenge — it required constant research and maintenance with no guaranteed returns, not to mention being beholden to an algorithm that could tank your strategy at any moment.

“AI Overviews and zero-click search have made it 10 times harder to drive organic traffic, and in three to five years, there will be no reason for anyone to ever scroll through pages of results to find themselves on a company-sponsored blog post reading a long-winded, H2-clad overview of an industry topic — and I say this as a long-time content marketer.

“I think about how my own information-seeking behavior has completely changed over the last year with AI, from finding quick answers and technical troubleshooting at work to making recipes and getting TV/movie recommendations at home.

“I don‘t have a technical background but I get a daily behind-the-scenes look at the AI product the Quora team is building (it’s called Poe, and it’s a central place to access every AI model and create your own customized bots). The biggest shock has been how quickly new models and capabilities roll out — announcements and launches almost daily.

“I think marketers — probably especially B2B marketers — are hyper aware of AI‘s capabilities and its impact on SEO, among other aspects of marketing, but it won’t be long before the general public catches up and becomes accustomed to the deeply personalized experiences possible through AI.

“Soon everyone will gravitate to their preferred method of finding and consuming information, whether it’s scanning an AI Overview, messaging a chat app (which can already do so much more than chat), conversing out loud with AI, or referencing a handful of trusted sources.

“In three to five years I think we’ll be far away from scrolling through SERPs and much closer to a Her [the 2013 sci-fi movie in which a man falls in love with his AI] situation.”

Read more: Does Quora work for marketing?

Dolan asked, “Besides AI, what marketing trends or technologies are you keeping your eye on or planning to try this year?”

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Katie Parkes, Director of social, community, and customer marketing for Apollo.io

“I’m paying close attention to how data storytelling is evolving, especially as trust in traditional marketing claims continues to erode.

“The brands standing out right now aren‘t just publishing content — they’re showing receipts. Customer impact. Product usage. Transparent benchmarks. As social algorithms continue to reward who is getting the most attention, credibility is the new currency.

“But here‘s the thing: credibility can’t just be manufactured and isn’t all about numbers. It needs to be earned in creative, human ways, so you need to rely on real voices.

“That‘s why I’m excited about creator-led and community-first B2B marketing — tapping into your power users, internal experts, and community members to share the story in their own words. We’re moving away from polished brand narratives and toward trusted individuals who bring both expertise and authenticity.

“It’s not about saying more, it’s about being believed.”

Read more: Turn your power users into creators (and vice versa)

Parkes asked, “What’s one ‘boring’ marketing channel or tactic that’s working way better than expected for you right now, and why do you think that is?”

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Jay Schwedelson, Founder of SubjectLine.com and host of Try This, Not That! For Marketers Only!

“Weekend email sends! Email campaigns targeting director-level and above contacts are generating a 40% year over year increase in click-through rates. Not testing Sunday sends is leaving a super valuable opportunity to engage with key people when they have the time to really dig into what you are sharing.”

Read more: What you’re doing wrong in your marketing emails (according to an email expert)

Schwedelson asked, “You always say ‘create once, distribute forever’ — what’s one piece of content you’ve milked longer than anyone should reasonably admit? And why that one?”

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Ross Simmonds, Founder and CEO of Foundation Marketing

“One piece of content I‘ve absolutely milked? A tweet I wrote in 2019 simply said ’Create Once, Distribute Forever‘ and it was a hit… It wasn’t even meant to be a flagship idea back then… Just a brain dump about repurposing strategy. But I kept referencing it in talks, turning it into a slide, a workshop, a tweet thread, the title of my book, a core framework for Foundation.

“Why that one? Because the concept resonated deeply not just with marketers, but with entrepreneurs, creators, and executives who realized they were sitting on gold without mining it. It gave people permission to stop chasing new and start maximizing what they already had. That message stuck, and I’ve been doubling down ever since.”

Read more: Trash AI content, experimental budgets, and TikTok for B2B: Ross Simmonds unfiltered

Simmonds asked, “What’s one marketing hill you’ll die on… Even if the data or the trends say otherwise?”

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Grace Wells, Creative director

“It‘s not about how big you are, it’s about how connected your audience feels.

“Buying followers is worse for your credibility than a small organic following. Avoiding events because they cost money robs you of essential customer interaction. Organic content and brand storytelling are what make conversion content work. I see so many brands get caught up in chasing an immediate conversion to scale as fast as possible.

“To get big you have to get connected to an audience that will champion your growth, and that takes soft skills.”

Read more: Make space for customers to see their business as part of yours

Wells asked, “What’s one thing you learned in your first-ever job that remains core to the businessperson you are today?”

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Joy Gendusa, Founder and CEO of PostcardMania

“I learned that most people give 80% to their work and some give 100%. If you give 110%, you’ll be the best.”

Read more: 239% growth from… print mail?! Why you shouldn’t sleep on direct mail

Gendusa asked, “What’s one marketing strategy you think will be obsolete in five years?”

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Maya Grossman, Executive career coach and CEO of Maya Grossman Group

“In 5 years content won’t be king.

“We‘re already seeing AI can generate ’good‘ content on demand (just spend 5 minutes on LinkedIn). What breaks through won’t be quality alone but distribution strategy, speed of iteration, strategic positioning and relevance. Your brilliant thought leadership won‘t matter if your buyer’s AI skips it for something faster, easier, or more emotionally compelling.

“Marketers’ jobs will revolve less around creating and more around matchmaking.”

Grossman asked, “What’s a trend everyone’s excited about that you think is overhyped or completely misunderstood?”

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Brenna Loury, CMO of Doist

“Adding AI chatbots everywhere. *ducks for cover*

“Unless there is a very obvious use case, I feel that this is a lazy implementation of AI. Most companies need to think much harder about their users’ pain points before just slapping a chatbot onto their UI.”

Read more: Memorable marketing, visible mistakes, and a faster horse

Loury asked, “What is your favorite thing about marketing that can’t be easily measured?”

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MacKenzie Kassab, Director of creative strategy at Rare Beauty

“The emotional connection. I love the way marketing can make people feel something. It could be inspiration, motivation, curiosity, nostalgia, or just a moment of joy. For us it comes down to self-acceptance and belonging. That connection drives everything we do, no matter how impossible it is to quantify (although I’m sure AI is trying).

“Helping even one person in our community feel seen and comfortable in their skin—I love so much about my work, but that’s really what gives it all meaning.”

Read more: Rare Beauty’s “anonymous insider” spills the tea on their new Substack

Kassab asked, “What’s your least favorite part of your job, and how do you motivate yourself to get through it?”

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Max Miller, Founder and host of Tasting History

“My least favorite part of the job is the constant need for growth and more content. Whenever a video drops, YouTube gives me a ranking of how the video is performing in comparison with the last 10 videos. If it‘s a 1 out of 10, it’s a good day; if it‘s a 10 out of 10, my whole day is spent asking why people didn’t like it as much.

“The best way to motivate myself through that is remembering that I get to do what I love for a living — even on the tough days, that perspective keeps me going.”

Read more: Tasting marketing: What a viral YouTube star wishes marketers knew

Miller asked, “Have you found AI making an impact on your work at Condé Nast? If so, has it been a net positive or net negative? In many ways, the proliferation of AI content is making creating quality content, especially educational content, more difficult so I’m always curious how this new technology is affecting other fields.”

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Sheena Hakimian, Senior director of digital consumer marketing at Condé Nast

“From a marketing and subscription standpoint, we’re excited to explore how AI can help us deliver more dynamic, personalized experiences on our sites. That said, the human touch is still the heart of our strategy, especially when it comes to brand voice and creative direction.

“The rise of AI-generated content has actually made high-quality, thoughtful content even more valuable. It’s easier than ever to pump out content, but much harder to build trust, credibility, and originality.

“At Condé Nast, our unique edge is still our storytelling and editorial integrity. AI, to us, is a tool to scale our voices around that, not replace it. So overall, I’d say it can be a net positive when used with intention. But like anything, it depends on how thoughtfully it’s integrated.”

Read more: Condé Nast marketing leader shares her framework for destroying your imposter syndrome

Hakimian asked, “You’ve built an incredible reputation for understanding Gen Z behavior and creating authentic, community-first content. In a world that’s constantly chasing virality, how do you balance consistency with creativity, and what advice would you give to brands trying to build genuine relationships over time, not JUST reach?”

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Jayde Powell, Founder and head of creative at The Em Dash Co.

“Remember that there‘s a difference between consistency and cadence. Oftentimes I feel, especially as it relates to building community on social, that there’s this mentality that the more content you pump out, the more you engage with people — and the more beneficial it is for your brand. And I disagree.

“I think what people are looking for is a sense of comfort, a sense of home, a sense of familiarity. And that‘s what you can accomplish through consistency. Consistency is less about how much and how often you’re putting content out and more about the feelings that your audience will associate with your brand.

“So it could literally be something as simple as the style and the tone in which you communicate or create your content. It could be the visuals you use. It can be how you greet your audience when you post — those are the things that really build community.

“Think of it as like a relationship. You’re not in a relationship with someone just because of the amount of things that they do for you, it’s how they do it for you. That’s the same way it should be for your community as it relates to brands.”

Read more: Marketing without the cringe: Jayde Powell on Gen Z audiences

Powell asked, “What sparks joy for you?”

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Ryan Atkinson, Founder and CEO of Spacebar Visuals

“Professionally, when you take a bet on something and it works.

“Personally, being with family, friends, working out, and reading books.”

Read more: Don’t just grow to grow: Real talk from a serial founder

Atkinson asked, “If you could only invest in one tool to help your company grow for the next three years, what tool would it be?”

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Al Iverson, Industry research and community engagement lead at Valimail and deliverability consultant and publisher at Spam Resource

“Email deliverability is a land of best practices. Do’s and don’ts that we collectively tell people to stick to, but we can potentially become too complacent to stay within our lane, not challenge the status quo of how best to do something, whether it be connect with our audience or market a new product.”

Read more: Here’s why your next newsletter isn’t going to spam

Iverson asked, “What’s one email-sending habit or best practice you think we should collectively leave behind, and what would you replace it with?”

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Lindsey Gamble, Creator economy consultant and creator of the Lindsey Gamble newsletter

“Relying solely on last-click attribution for measuring the success of influencer marketing is a mistake. Sure, tracking links and promo codes show direct sales, but creators play a much bigger role in awareness, brand building, consideration, traffic, and more, all of which leads to purchases down the line, even if the link or code isn’t used.

“We need to measure the impact of creators more creatively and look at the full picture, including content performance, website traffic, brand follower growth, search lift, share of voice, brand and sales lift studies, post-campaign surveys, and other methods to capture the true impact of influencer campaigns, otherwise you’re likely missing a ton.”

Read more: Why creator marketing works for any business

Gamble asked, “What’s a marketing strategy or trend that you think is widely overlooked but has high potential for impact right now?”

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Brandon Smithwrick, Founder of Content to Commas

“One strategy I think is often overlooked is using social media to drive exclusive offers directly within the community you’ve already built. For example, teasing a promotion through Instagram Close Friends can give you a sense of traction before launch. Tools like ManyChat also make it easy to create DM-only offers that feel special and personal.”

Read more: “You can make money doing this?!”

Smithwrick asked, “What’s a creative hot take that will make a marketer second guess how they work with creatives?”

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Alicia Mickes, Senior creative director at Magic: The Gathering

“In my experience, the business side (i.e. product strategists, sales and marketing managers) bring in Creative too late…often treating creative as the shiny gift wrap around the product strategy—but in reality, the creative is the product strategy.

“If you involve us only at the end, you‘re not getting design, you’re just getting decoration. Every time you hand us a baked plan and ask us to ‘make it pop,’ you’ve already cut the legs out from under what could have been a more powerful marketing campaign.

“Let creatives lead earlier! I always encourage working in groups: have early holistic campaign development conversations with key stakeholders from media, strategy, product, and creative. The future of marketing is all about experiences where creative execution is indistinguishable from brand strategy. If you still think of Creative as just a service department, you’re already behind.”

Read more: Why creative teams need the safety to fail, according to a senior director for Magic: The Gathering

Mickes asked, “As marketing shifts from communication and storytelling to creating authentic cultural experiences, how are you or your company rethinking the role of Creative?”

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Deesha Laxsav, Senior manager of brand marketing at Clutch

“At Clutch, we‘re making sure every content piece is supported by creative that feels rooted in real-life experiences. That means weaving in authentic perspectives from influencers and providers we quote, so the stories aren’t just polished narratives, they‘re reflections of what’s actually happening in the market.

“Most recently, we’ve been testing more video content that’s intentionally lighter-touch rather than investing in big, glossy productions. We’re seeing that people consistently choose authenticity over stiffness. They want to hear directly from trusted experts in a way that feels conversational and relatable. For us, creative’s role is to amplify real voices and experiences, not manufacture them.”

Read more: Why you should build relationships backward (and how)

Laxsav asked, “When it comes to building partnerships for CultureCon, how do you decide which people to collaborate with — whether that’s speakers, creators, or community leaders — to make sure they authentically represent CultureCon’s mission and resonate with your audience?”

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Shareese Bembury-Coakley, VP of business development and partnerships at CultureCon

“At CultureCon, data is paramount to everything we do. So, we‘re not making assumptions about our audience, we’re not just coming up with ideas. We’re really letting that [data] inform everything that you see.

“So, the programming that you see being hyper-relevant? Our communities told us what they wanted, the brands that they like to engage with, the speakers they wanted to hear from, and we listened to them.

“I think a lot of brands and communities are sometimes trying to go against the grain, trying to push something on their audience, and it’s not what they want. We evolve and iterate [based on data], and that’s why the brands and the community and the speakers can come out and have a great time.”

Read more: It’s all about you

Bembury-Coakley asked, “I think nostalgia is something that’s been overdone. I would love to know: What’s a better way for brands to engage with communities or consumers that they want to connect with?”

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Bryetta Calloway, Co-founder and CEO of Stories Seen

“I agree, nostalgia has become the easy button for connection. But real community is built forward, not backward. The better path for brands is participatory storytelling: inviting people to co-create the narrative rather than simply consume it. Communities don‘t want to be reminded of who they were; they want to be seen in who they’re becoming.

“That requires marketers to move from campaigns to contexts, spaces where shared curiosity, lived experience, and emerging identity meet. Whether through localized storytelling, behind-the-build transparency, or platforming authentic user voices, brands can shift from ‘remember when’ to ‘imagine with us.’

“Connection today isn’t about familiarity; it’s about alignment. The question isn’t ‘How do we tap into what people loved?’ but ‘How do we stand alongside what they’re creating next?’ That’s where trust, loyalty, and modern belonging live.”

Calloway asked, “As marketers, we often talk about authenticity and alignment but those words can become buzzwords fast. How do you ensure your team stays connected to real people and not just the performance of connection?”

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Katie Miserany, Chief communications officer and SVP of marketing at SurveyMonkey

“You absolutely must know what your customers care about and want from you. I think a lot of brands today want to be “cool” and that’s contributing to the great flattening of brands and content across the ecosystem right now.

“At SurveyMonkey, we don’t aspire to be cool. We want to be the lovable nerd who you want to partner with in your high school chem lab because you know we’ll do all the work and make you look smart. This is how you differentiate today: know the value you provide in your customers’ eyes and maximize it in everything you do.”

Read more: Why SurveyMonkey’s marketing leader says your foundation is broken

Miserany asked, “Every leader must justify marketing and brand investment with hard numbers. How do you functionally bridge the gap between creative, intangible brand value and tangible financial outcomes, and how do you justify that brand investment to key stakeholders?”

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Ashley Judge, Executive director at Destination Salem

“In destination marketing, our work sits between numbers and imagination. We’re here to drive economic value for residents and small businesses, so we measure everything: visitation, spending, seasonality, excise tax. But the way we get there is by creating a bit of fantasy. People don’t visit because of data; they visit because they’ve been pulled into a story about a place. Our creative work builds that story, and when it works, you can see it in the numbers that follow.”

Read more: Marketing is removing barriers: Lessons from a destination marketing expert

Judge asked, “What’s something your team does purely out of love for the user — not metrics, not growth, just because it feels right?”

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Ashley Faus, Head of lifecycle marketing, portfolio, at Atlassian

“We offer the Atlassian Team Playbook, available free and un-gated, to make it easier for teams to collaborate. It’s full of practical advice, exercises, and templates to help teams discover dependencies, run retros, and define roles and responsibilities.

“We’ve also added some whimsical experiences to the product, like a Halloween-themed animation, or confetti when you move a task to ‘done’. These make the day a little brighter for our users!”

Faus asked, “What tactics are marketers using to make their messaging stand out in a show floor filled with booths about AI?”

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Jihan Donawa Gibson, Senior growth marketing manager at Swoogo

“The best way to get your booth to stand out against AI is to be human. Seems simple, but sometimes we forget that just building the booth doesn’t mean attendees will come. People are craving human connection in this AI-driven time.”

“Make sure you have the best, most welcoming representatives at your booth. That means standing outside of the booth sometimes, making it clear to attendees passing by that you want to speak with them. Don’t wait for them to come to you. 85% of consumers are likely to purchase from a brand that creates a positive, memorable experience.

“Make sure your booth‘s messaging is very clear. Not just your company’s name and logo — but what your company can help people with.

“Incorporate play/experiential into your booth. Schedule live talks for attendees to stop by the booth and chat with an expert. Give intentional and meaningful swag. Not everything needs your logo blasted on it.”

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Moni Oyolede, Founder of MoMartech

Read: 3 bitter truths all marketers need to hear right now

Oyolede asked, “If you could redesign the way creatives and marketing professionals work, what non-negotiables would you include?”

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Cristina Jerome, Founder of Off Worque

“First, I‘d make work/life balance a structural expectation and not a personal responsibility. After working in marketing for ten years, I’ve seen the best output from every team not only when we‘re well rested, but we don’t feel anxious to ask for rest and use our PTO.

“Structurally, I‘d include flexible work blocks, projected no-meeting windows, and half days on Fridays all year round. Additionally, I’d prioritize mental health literacy for managers. If marketing is an always-on industry, we need leaders who know how to recognize burnout, support employees through high-pressure seasons, and model boundaries themselves.”

Read more: Use the ick to create better marketing

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 only half (51%) of global marketers actually have one.

The remaining 49% revealed the following:

• 39% say, “We have a general idea, but it’s not formally documented.”
• 8% say, “We have multiple competing value propositions depending on who you ask.”
• 3% say their brand completely lacks brand positioning (documented or undocumented).

Why It Matters

When you compare overall goal attainment (in the past year) across respondents, 52% of marketers on goal-exceeding teams had a clearly defined and documented UVP. Only 36% of teams who just hit their targets (without regularly exceeding) did. And just 24% of respondents who regularly missed their goals did.

The connection is clear: If your own teams can’t articulate what makes you valuable, your customers won’t get it either. Misalignment across marketing, sales, product, and leadership can quickly lead to inconsistent messaging in the market.

How to Build a Brand Identity That Grows With You

Every brand identity should amplify how your business uniquely solves for the customer (and outshines the competition). Respondents with clearly documented brand positioning leaned into the following best practices when developing and refining their own:

• Competitive research: If you have a limited customer base or don’t yet have access to the customer data you need, start with competitor research (like 25% of global marketers HubSpot surveyed) to learn what and what not to do from high- and low-performing brands in your space.
• Customer data analysis: 48% of US respondents (and 97% of non-US respondents) leverage accessible customer data to build positioning statements or value propositions based on the needs and opportunities of target groups with the highest buying potential.
• Monitoring hard analytics: 31% use web data, like social media analytics or site engagement, to test, monitor, and validate content that tests new messaging, value propositions, brand mission statements, brand aesthetics, or other parts of their brand identity.
• A/B or multivariate testing: A/B or multivariate testing enables teams to create two or more alternative brand identities for the same audience to see which one “wins.” While this is greatly dependent on the tools you’re working with, 11% of US marketers and 38% of non-US marketers still use it for refinement or validation steps.
• Regular audits and refinement: 64% of respondents whose teams regularly exceed goals say they make time to audit and refine their brand identity at least every five years (with 34% saying they do it at least every two years).

In the Loop framework, brand positioning becomes the anchor that every iteration loops back to.

2. Brands need to create personalized customer content.

While most global respondents use some form of personalization in their marketing or advertising content, 50% aren’t going any deeper than inserting a name, company, or address token.

Only 25% said they segmented audiences by easy-to-find demographics, such as gender, country, or industry. And only 15% were segmenting or personalizing content tailored to the buyer personas (groups or targets) most likely to buy their products.

Why It Matters

Let’s face it. Contact tokens are cute, but they aren’t captivating.

As marketing teams gain broad access to generative AI, basic personalization is no longer a differentiator in the market — it’s the standard. What actually moves customers to take action is content that speaks directly to their needs, motivations, and buying behaviors.

The correlation to performance is striking:

• 93% of respondents on goal-exceeding teams reported using some form of basic to advanced personalization techniques in their marketing, compared to 49% of respondents on teams that simply meet their goals.
• Half of respondents on those goal-exceeding teams also say their brand uses at least one form of advanced personalization or segmentation.
• Further, 56% of respondents on goal-exceeding teams report more than a quarter of their monthly content leverages some form of personalization or segmentation, compared to 26% of respondents on teams that do not regularly exceed goals.

How to Get Personal

You can’t create tailored content without first knowing who you’re speaking to and where they spend their time.

Of the respondents with personalization tactics in motion, basic demographic data (43%) and shopping habits (36%) were most valuable to them when determining:

• Who to target for the best purchasing opportunity.
• Which channels to target them on.
• What types of content will resonate most with them.

Once you’ve built out buyer personas for your target audiences, start identifying the channels they use and what types of affordable, personalized or segmented experiences you can provide to them.

Two channels that respondents said their brands regularly use for personalized or segmented content were email (61%) and paid media, such as website or social ads (47%).

In the Loop model, personalization is how brands learn in real time, feed insights back into the system, and refine the next iteration of content.

3. Brands are diving into channel diversification.

The web landscape is always changing and evolving, particularly with the expansion of generative AI. As new channels emerge and gain virality, others can drop in effectiveness or ROI within weeks or months.

HubSpot’s survey found that:

• 73% of global respondents say they use three or more distinct marketing channels (e.g., email, ads, social platforms, video, SEO, AEO, podcasts, influencers, etc.).
• This experimentation is ramping up even more in the US, where 56% of respondents say their brands have over five marketing channels, compared to one-third of global respondents.

Why It Matters

It‘s easy to see one channel doing well and become complacent, thinking you can just lean into it forever. But that’s not how today’s world works.

In the past 12 months, for example, web brands that invested most of their resources in SEO experienced significant ROI downturns when Google’s AI Overviews unexpectedly led to 60% fewer search result clicks to other websites.

That’s likely one of many reasons why 48% of respondents now say their brand allocates more than one-fifth of its budget to channel experimentation and diversification.

Where to Expand Next

When looking at the data, these channel expansion opportunities stood out the most:

• 79% of respondents dabble in some form of paid brand amplification across multiple channels (although each brand’s investment may vary).
• 74% of global respondents leverage influencers or brand partnerships (particularly on channels their marketers are less familiar with).
• Most marketers on goal-meeting or -exceeding teams are building or experimenting with some type of online community.

Diversification ensures that if one part of your Loop falters, the rest of your strategy stays in motion.

Getting in the Loop

As brands adapt to a world where AI accelerates the pace of change, the businesses that win are those that can continuously learn, adapt, and refresh their strategy.

That’s the power of Loop Marketing: it turns growth into a perpetual cycle rather than a one-time roadmap.

Teams that consistently exceed their goals aren’t relying on static playbooks. They are:

• Unifying their teams around clearly documented value propositions.
• Embracing the customer data they have at their fingertips.
• Leaving critical time for experimentation and channel expansion.
• Using AI to optimize workplace efficiency while still amplifying human-driven creativity that makes their brand relatable and unique.

That’s the next era of marketing.

To learn more about these findings and how to build a strong Loop Marketing playbook, read the full report here.

Lights dim. Sounds hush. The aerialist spins into the air. Sequins sparkle in the warm light of a followspot, and my weird little brain wonders: “What does marketing look like for a travelling circus where every other week brings a totally new market?”

When I went searching for the answer, I found, instead, one of the most genuinely profound and heartfelt conversations I’ve had in a long time.

And the reinforcement of my belief that, sometimes, the most important lessons for marketers… don’t come from marketers at all.

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Kevin Venardos

Owner/Founder/Ringmaster of Venardos Circus

• Fun fact: I’m sorry, what could be a more fun fact than that he owns his own circus?!

• Claim to fame: Kevin grew his circus from a rented tent at a state fair to two touring shows delighting 45 locations across the U.S. and over 200,000 attendees!

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Lesson 1: Use your dream to help others achieve theirs.

“All I owned was a significant amount of debt,” Venardos says, recounting the birth of his circus. “It started with a desire to keep working. To not have to rely on someone else thinking I was useful to keep around.”

But life had a lesson in store that would change his very motivation.

“I found this little [carnival] in Snohomish, WA. And I said, ‘Hey, let me put my little circus by your event, and don’t charge me a dime. And I’m gonna work my tail off putting as many butts into those hay bales as I possibly can.’”

It was only meant to be a shrewd business move, a way to stretch their thin budget, but something clicked into place for Venardos.

“The capacity we have to make an economic impact. Where we place the circus, there are businesses nearby. And when we’re successful, they benefit from that.”

That little lesson grew into the philosophy that underpins how Venardos thinks about his crew, his partnerships, and even his audience.

“How can you use your dream to help other people achieve theirs? When I’m not asking myself that question enough, I’m usually on the wrong track.”

Lesson 2: Invest in emotional connection.

“Every [interaction] has the opportunity for us to rob them of their joy or offer a reason to smile. Lift a weight from them or make our needs more important than theirs.”

This holds true with customers, coworkers, and collaborators alike. And it’s that consideration to which Venardos attributes the success of the show. To illustrate, he tells me about what could have been their lowest point.

“When 2020 hit, that investment of love is what carried us through the pandemic.” Social isolation could and did end a lot of live shows. Instead, “people showed up and bought $25 tickets [to a livestream of the circus] when they could have watched YouTube for free.”

And Venardos is quick to point out that love isn’t just for customers. “It’s about the other businesses and other parts of your community for whom the warmth that your flame generates.”

“Places where it’s simply a transactional relationship are generally not the places where we’re most successful,” he says. “When you have an army of people whose success is tied to yours in some way, that’s when things really start to grow.”

Lesson 3: Share your unique struggle.

As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Venardos what he would do differently if he could time-warp back to 2014 and do it all again.

“It might be a trap to torture oneself with such a question. Our identity as The Little Circus that Could was forged absolutely, and only, because I made so many mistakes,” he said and stared into the middle distance.

The first time I saw the Venardos Circus, the show ended as the ringmaster himself came out to thank the audience. His voice quavered as he explained how close the show had come to not making it. How he bet everything on a rented tent and a circus dream. How each one of us there was supporting a whole family of dreamers. I was hooked.

“I don’t wish pain on anyone, but pain is a spoon that carves out space in your heart for gratitude. I think that’s something that connects with people. There’s an emotional resonance.”

People come to the circus for the spectacle. But they come back because they find something deeper.

“That thing you think is your flaw, if you’re willing to get comfortable sharing, is actually your unique struggle. Someone else is out there — and you might not even know them yet — who needs to see the thing that only you can offer because of the unique challenges you’ve passed through.”

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Bonus Lesson 1: Happiness is clear expectations.

“Making a happy community means setting clear expectations for everybody and holding each other accountable to that.”

If you think culture is important at your job, imagine if you lived with all of your coworkers for months on end! I asked Venardos how his team navigates that dynamic.

He says the first step is “the amount of time and love that is spent finding the right people and caring for them.” The second step is the promise you make to each other.

“Great people will feel disrespected if people are permitted to perform at a mediocre level or are not held to whatever they promised to do,” Venardos says. “I thought that this was a cold-hearted philosophy at one point. I went through so many painful iterations before I discovered that I create far more pain by not dealing with that stuff immediately than I do by [addressing it].”

Bonus Lesson 2: Heirarchy doesn’t imply worth.

“The person who is greeting at the front door, our concessions team, they are all equally important to every artist,” he explains. “In recent months, I’ve even discovered that giving people titles that would seem to indicate some sort of superiority [is harmful to team dynamics].”

Which isn’t to say that there aren’t levels of leadership.

“True, someone may have responsibilities where they’re looking after certain individuals and holding them accountable. But the idea that a boss should get respect simply because that’s their title goes in the opposite direction of what I’ve found to be a successful team.”

In a car, the engine isn’t more important than the wheels. You need both if it’s going to work.

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Lingering Questions

Today’s question

“How do you see your marketing evolving as we’re entering the holiday season?” — Cristina Jerome, Founder of Off Worque

Today’s answer

Venardos says: “We don’t really change our marketing for the holiday season as our formula is more targeted to whether we’re playing a new city or a returning city.”

Sometimes it’s just like that!

Next week’s question

Venardos asks: “What is your single most effective marketing tool in your arsenal?”

“I think we’re moving into a space where most beauty companies are tech companies,” says Maya Smith.

It’s a striking claim from a brand that launched in 2012, long before AI was everywhere. But The Doux has always been ahead of the curve. Since day one, the haircare brand has been anchored in culture: hip-hop references, retro- and Afrofuturism, Black hair-salon nostalgia, all in service of marketing hair products to Black women.

For all AI can do, Smith, who’s The Doux’s co-founder, CEO, and creative director, is well aware that system biases are still rampant; the tech is accelerating faster than access and representation. “What I understood is that in order for that to change, you really have to start to train AI,” Smith tells me. “I wanted to be a part of [it].”

Here’s how she’s doing exactly that.

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Partnering with Black Girls Code

Collaborating with Black Girls Code (BGC), The Doux launched the Black Beauty AI Challenge back in June, calling on budding creators to submit their original AI-generated videos.

Other than the requirement to use only free tools like Canva, Capcut, or Pika — “because a lot of the obstacles are to do with access” — participants were given intentionally broad parameters to showcase how they define Black beauty, for a chance to earn cash prizes and additional visibility opportunities. Winners will be announced later this month.

“I understand that there‘s some apprehension, because a lot of people don’t understand it,” says Smith, hopeful that this challenge provides some awareness. “But it‘s important for Black creators to be able to participate in the AI conversation, because it’s not going anywhere.”

Key takeaway: Leading with education and access is a powerful form of thought leadership and a solid way to build trust and authority.

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Letting culture lead

Prior to the BGC partnership, Smith had already been experimenting with AI to help bring her campaign and product launches to life.

To help execute the vision for The Doux’s Press Play Collection, which launched last year, she used Midjourney AI to organize the endless thoughts in her head and generate usable renderings that guided her production team. “We didn’t want to spend a lot of time and money on revisions,” says Smith.

Smith is inspired by everything from the Black Barbie evolution to pin-up culture to Palm Springs aesthetics. “When people are communicating with any of these platforms, even if you‘re good at it, you’re still going to have to be very specific,” says Smith.

“You have to learn [in this case] art history so that you know what to say. You have to learn about camera angles, wide shots. You still have to educate yourself on what you’re telling AI to do.”

The latest launch was no different. Products across The Doux’s Block Party Collection were formulated to stand up to humidity. The biggest challenge, notes Smith, was telling this story without leaning into the typical, often culturally unsound campaign showcasing the frizz-to-sleek arc, implying that the hair wasn’t beautiful to begin with.

With the help of AI, a bubble visual became the metaphor for an anti-humidity barrier.

“Beauty brands need to lean into the people they’re serving,” says Smith. “Everything we do is informed by our community. AI is just another way to engage them.”

Key takeaway: Use AI to clarify — not replace — your creative vision. Humans still set the tone; AI helps execute it faster.

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AI will never replace IRL

In that spirit, the “Block Party” concept was customer-led. New York remains its biggest community and what Smith kept hearing about the city stuck with her: that it was changing, that neighborhoods were looking different than what people grew up with.

So Block Party became an homage to the famous New York block parties that raised so many of The Doux’s customers.

For its NYC debut party, The Doux team invited 60 beauty journalists, influencers, and distributors for dinner and dancing, and hired DJ Ty Alexander to lead the set comprising crowd pleasers like Boosie’s “Wipe Me Down,” Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and FLY’s “Swag Surfin.”

“I think our love language to our community is showing them the way that we see them and ensuring that they see themselves,” says Smith.

Key takeaway: AI is inevitable, but in-person experiences remain irreplaceable drivers of community.

The future of newsletters is bright, but it’s a far cry from its snail mail origins.

I’m showing my age here, but back in the late 1900s, I thought newsletters were just something fan clubs sent out in old sitcoms. It wasn’t until much later that I realized they actually exist in real life and that they can be a powerful marketing channel for all kinds of organizations and communities.

Let’s unpack what newsletters look like going into 2026, including monetization, format, and channel trends marketers need to know, from our State of Newsletter Growth Report.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

The future of newsletters is unified, AI-powered, and multi-channel. Marketers need to move beyond inbox-only strategies to reach their audience and get creative. That means using AI for content creation, CRM-driven personalization, and integrated measurement across email, web, and social.

To succeed, focus on segmenting your audience, automating workflows, and tracking engagement with a Smart CRM like HubSpot. Prioritize deliverability, privacy, and accessibility, and choose monetization models that feel natural, not pushy. Start by reviewing your tech stack, updating your measurement dashboards, and testing new formats.

Ready to future-proof your newsletter strategy? Check out our proven framework and get started for free with HubSpot’s tools.

The State of the Newsletters Industry

As of 2024, there were more than 50,000 newsletters on the newsletter platform Beehiiv alone. That’s nearly double the number it hosted the year prior, and thousands more have been added across web platforms and inboxes in the months since.

The popularity is not limited to fan clubs, though. From niche thought leaders (like Ann Handley and Nikhil Krishnan) and content creators to corporations like Buffer and branded communities like HubSpot Media’s The Hustle, newsletters are proving to be an effective strategy for:

• Building and connecting with an audience
• Sharing expertise
• Fostering brand loyalty
• Generating website traffic and sales.

Our research also shows that LinkedIn is the most popular newsletter distribution channel, which isn’t too surprising, given its free, native newsletter offering and huge potential reach.

Source

Despite this, however, email remains the top platform for consuming newsletter content — especially Gmail.

In terms of artificial intelligence, 28% of the marketers we surveyed are using AI for brainstorming and planning (i.e., outlining, making suggestions, etc.) their newsletters, and 23% plan to use it in their strategy within the next twelve months.

But those are not the only changes transforming the future of newsletters and newsletter content strategy. Let’s dig into these trends and several others.

The Future of Newsletters: Emerging Trends, Channels, & Formats

1. Web platforms for newsletters are on the rise.

While most people still read newsletters in their email inboxes, web platforms like Substack, Patreon, and even LinkedIn offer something email can’t — discoverability.

More creators and brands are publishing newsletters as web-native content (in addition to email) in the hopes of reaching new audiences and potential buyers.

Web-native newsletters can get crawled by search engines and answer engines and also shared on social media, which is likely why those who publish online report an average of 500–1,000 views and engagements per post.

What marketers can do:

Repurpose your email newsletter content for your website or blog, making sure it’s optimized for search engines as well as AI engines like ChatGPT or Gemini.

While you don’t have to worry about duplicate content with emails, it’s still good practice to switch things up. Buyer behavior and the mediums of content you can share on a website are dramatically different from those in email. For instance, you can share a video that plays directly on a webpage, but in an email, you’re limited to a gift or thumbnail with a link.

Keep these differences in mind and lean into them to create an optimized experience.

Try using Breeze AI to rework your copy or Content Remix to repurpose your newsletter into content for other channels (i.e., social posts).

Rather than your own website, you can also explore using third-party platforms, such as LinkedIn and Substack, which have their own established audiences and email delivery. Shopify is the biggest brand so far to take to Substack with “In Stock”:

Source

2. Brands are experimenting with formats based on reader preferences.

Like all marketing, newsletters that align with their audience are the most successful. I mean, you can’t expect customers to take what you’re giving if what you’re giving isn’t what they want.

34% of respondents reported using newsletter formats that align with how core demographics prefer to consume content, while 31% align topics with the biggest demographics that subscribe to newsletters, and 25% schedule newsletters when core demographics are most active.

These percentages may seem low, but these were just some of the options. Only 7% of respondents say they don’t personalize their newsletters to their audiences at all, and they’re bringing in the lowest average monthly revenue. (Surprise surprise.)

Marketers who format their newsletters according to their core demographics earn the most, with monthly earnings ranging from $45,001 to $55,000.

What marketers can do:

Cater to your audience. Plain and simple.

Who are they? What do they care about? What are their behaviors? Understand what your audience wants to read about in-depth versus what they need quick access to (i.e., links to upcoming events, tools, resources) and update your format accordingly.

One thing that frustrated me in my years of sending marketing emails and newsletters was the creative limitations. I wanted to take the email experience from passive to active by incorporating elements like polls and video. Thankfully, there are a lot more tools available today to make those interactions possible.

For example, the Why We Buy newsletter for marketers includes a “one-click quiz” built with Kit complete with a flashy prize.

Alternatively, if you’re a little more limited in resources, you can take a link-based approach, such as The New York Times.

Whatever your means, don’t be afraid to get creative based on what your audience responds to.

Pro tip: Unfortunately, newsletters become graymail for many subscribers. When evaluating what your readers respond to, consider testing or surveying a list of only your engaged subscribers. This will help you understand what matters to those who are actually engaged.

Use a mix of content blocks, like:

• Interviews or quotes
• Resources
• News articles
• Polls
• Checklists
• Education/advice
• Product spotlights
• Short-form vs Long-form

Not to brag but my friends over at The Hustle do an awesome job of this.

3. Readers engage more with personality-driven newsletters than brand.

Just over half of those surveyed in our report say readers prefer newsletters from independent people over business-branded content. In fact, the average conversion rate for personal newsletters ranged from 5% to 25%, performing better than their branded counterparts.

Whether it’s our increasingly virtual lives or simply human nature, people clearly crave and respond to connection with other human beings. Most consumers also trust word of mouth from other people more than they trust claims from brands, and personality-driven newsletters tap into this.

What marketers can do:

Even if you’re representing a brand, have a dedicated writer or team of writers behind your newsletter. These personalities are your spokespeople or “hosts.” They give readers someone human to recognize and connect with rather than just a cold, faceless brand.

Sarah Schmidt, President of Interdependence, a PR and strategic communications firm that manages Instagram accounts for celebrities, CEOs, and brands, says putting a face to the business is now essential, and it doesn’t always have to be the company founder.

“We’ve had the most success when someone from the team becomes a consistent presence — a personality followers can connect with,” she says. “When that person shows up with opinions, behind-the-scenes context, and a sense of humor, the brand becomes more than a logo, it becomes a point of view.”

Take our new “The Science of Scaling” newsletter. My fellow HubSpotter and former teammate Jay Fuchs pens this weekly email.

In it, readers get invaluable sales tips, but also a healthy dash of Fuchs’ signature humor, perspectives, and expertise.

Meanwhile, Shopify’s “In Stock” is authored by a four-person team, consisting of Dayna Winter, Shopify’s newsroom lead, and other members of Shopify’s communications division.

People pay attention to (and often pay for) real, exclusive insights — Not the same old opinions they can get across social media or competitor blogs.

To build and maintain your subscriber list and even close sales, newsletters need to get people hooked on their unique perspective and style, and how they curate their niche. They have to give people something they can’t get anywhere else to warrant subscribing.

Using personality-led content to tap into storytelling and the human experience can be the ticket to standing out from the masses and the AI-generated, unedited competition.

Speaking of which …

4. AI is leaving a mark on newsletter strategy and executive.

AI is everywhere these days, and newsletter strategy is no different. As we already saw, many marketers are already using AI to brainstorm and outline their newsletters. Well, nearly 25% of them say this saves them 1-2 hours per week.

52-104 hours saved a year isn’t too shabby.

64% of respondents also agree that most newsletters will be AI-generated by 2030 — but this creates a whole new landscape. AI, by its very nature, is derivative. It creates based on existing things, and, speaking from experience, plagiarism and duplicate content are very real concerns.

If AI is writing most newsletters, then putting a human back behind the keyboard will be a powerful differentiator.

What marketers can do:

Human editing and oversight are essential when using AI for newsletters; however, you can set up AI tools to learn your brand voice and identity to hopefully keep them to a minimum.

Read: How to Humanize AI Content So It Will Rank, Engage, and Get Shared in 2025

The “Express” phase of the loop marketing framework is focused on that. During it, you establish a crystal-clear style guide and give it to AI, so every asset the tech generates is on brand.

But AI isn’t just for generating content. Explore using it to:

• Creating niche customer segments
• Using predictive analytics to make personalized content recommendations
• Track and analyze behavioral data to find trends about what your audience likes
• Personalize your newsletter with reader data

Generate your brand voice and style guide with Breeze AI.

5. Personalization and relevance are more important than ever.

By 2030, 67% of marketers believe people will expect a far higher level of personalization from newsletters than we see today.

That means it’s not enough to just send generic updates or slap [first name] on a newsletter anymore. Audiences don’t want to feel like a number. They want to feel like every message was crafted just for them.

Luckily, personalization is another area where AI excels and can help you scale.

What marketers can do:

Instead of leaning into broad segments, brands should move toward 1:1 personalization even in transactional emails. It can be used to:

• Tailor content based on CRM data (i.e., name, location)
• Make content recommendations based on pages viewed, services/products bought.
• Adjust tone based on demographics, season, etc.

Whether you’re a large enterprise or a solo creator, integrating AI with your CRM can help you deliver the right message to the right person — automatically.

In fact, HubSpot’s own marketing team recently found success with this.

We built an AI system that analyzes a contact’s business website, evaluates the offers or resources they’ve downloaded, and then predicts what they’re trying to achieve. The AI then used that data to generate a custom content offer, and personalized message aligned to that individual’s goals.

The results were incredible:

• 82% increase in conversion rates
• 30% higher open rates
• 50% increase in click-through rates

For a detailed walkthrough on how to build personalization into your email strategy, check out HubSpot’s guide on dynamic email personalization.

Newsletter Monetization & Revenue Possibilities

Goal	Best Model(s)	Why It Works
Build steady recurring revenue	Paid subscriptions, memberships	Predictable income, loyal audience
Drive product or service sales	Product/service promotions	Ties newsletter directly to business ROI
Grow audience reach and partnerships	Sponsorships, affiliate marketing, third-party platforms	Scales with visibility and credibility
Deepen community engagement	Premium communities, events	Builds loyalty and perceived value
Maintain independence and authenticity	Donations	Reader-supported, mission-aligned

As the industry matures, 45% of marketers expect newsletter profits to increase significantly over the next year. But what does that revenue actually look like?

According to recent survey data:

• 30% of newsletter creators earn income through product, service, or membership sales promoted within their newsletter.
• 16% generate revenue through paid subscriptions to their newsletter.
• 16% monetize via sponsorships and advertising — selling placement within their newsletters to brands aligned with their niche.

Other brands explore community engagement, donations, or even audience arbitrage. The best monetization model depends on your audience, goals, and brand type. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

For Businesses and Brands

If you’re running a company newsletter, treat it like a performance marketing channel.

• Include contextual CTAs to your products or services where relevant in your newsletter
• Use UTM tracking and CRM integration to measure conversions from email clicks.
• Attribute revenue through lifecycle stages (e.g., subscriber → lead → MQL → customer) instead of relying on last-click metrics. This ensures you see the full pipeline impact of your newsletter — not just immediate clicks.

For Individual Creators

If you’re an independent publisher or thought leader, paid subscriptions are a powerful way to grow sustainable income. Offer tiered membership options inspired by creators like Rachel Karten’s “Link in Bio” newsletter.

Premium subscribers may receive perks such as extra weekly issues or bonus content, access to a private Slack or Discord community, one-on-one consultations or Q&A sessions, or exclusive reports and data-driven insights.

This model can work for brands as well; you just need an audience that is loyal, niche, and values your expertise.

Frequently Asked Questions About Newsletter Trends

Should newsletters move beyond email to web posts or social?

Yes — if you want to grow reach and visibility, establishing a presence for your newsletter on a public, web-based platform will make it accessible to search and AI engines unlike email. Email builds relationships, while web and social aid discovery. Use your CRM, like HubSpot, to unite metrics and track cross-channel engagement.

How often should you send newsletters next year?

There’s no one-size-fits-all frequency for newsletters. Some companies may send once a week, while others go quarterly. It really depends on your audience and the nature of the information you’re sharing.

I’d recommend starting with a biweekly or monthly schedule, then monitoring open rates and engagement to find your sweet spot. HubSpot’s reporting and analytics can help you evaluate these email metrics and more.

What’s the best newsletter format to start with?

Again, this depends on your audience, but it’s not a bad idea to start modular:

• A personal intro
• 3–5 curated links or tips
• One deep-dive story
• One strong CTA

This format is flexible, scalable, and easy to personalize over time, especially with HubSpot’s drag-and-drop email templates.

Which AI tasks are safest to automate today?

Start with strategy and short copy. Think tasks like:

• Brainstorming topic ideas
• Brainstorming and testing subject lines
• Testing content variations

Keep human review for tone, brand alignment, and storytelling.

How do you avoid sounding generic with AI?

Create a brand voice guide, train your AI tools with proprietary examples, and always add personal commentary or experience. Authenticity and originality will be your biggest differentiators. I also recommend adding unique examples, quotes, and mixed media. Learn more here.

The Future is (More Than Just) Email

The future of newsletters is personal, data-driven, and multi-channel. Whether you’re a solo creator or a brand, the key is to combine automation with authenticity, email with web presence, and to measure every step of the way.

Want to build a future-ready newsletter program? Explore the Loop Marketing Framework to connect your channels and grow smarter in 2026.

In business, to waste time is to waste money so you need a strategy that is efficient and the best use of your resources.

With that in mind, intent-based marketing is an optimal strategy for marketers who want to ensure they are reaching audiences who have a genuine interest in what their business has to offer.

But what is intent-based marketing and how is it different from traditional or account-based marketing. Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

What is intent-based marketing, and how is it different from ABM?

Intent-based marketing (IBM) is a strategy that focuses on delivering targeted messages to consumers based on their online behavior and preferences.

Intent-based marketing differs from account-based marketing (ABM) in that ABM targets specific high-value accounts while IBM targets accounts that are actively searching for solutions.

For intent-based marketing, you’ll want a Smart CRM like HubSpot that utilizes AI automation to identify prospects who are actively showing interest and exhibiting buying signals, allowing you to prioritize and engage at the perfect time.

Furthermore, you‘ll need a CRM that unifies and enriches your data, with key features such as custom reporting, which will turn data insights into manageable reports that track everything from the start of the buyer’s journey to revenue attribution.

Why Intent-based Marketing Matters Now

In an era of rising data breaches and growing distrust in how companies manage their data, consumers are understandably becoming more cautious with their personal information.

As a result, consumers are beefing up the security around their personal data by using privacy tools and deciding which companies they want to purchase from based on their data practices.

With that in mind, intent-based marketing is an excellent strategy for engaging prospects while respecting their privacy, as it relies heavily on first-party data collected from user interactions on your website, as opposed to mostly third-party sources. But what are third-party sources, and why are consumers wary of them?

Have you ever visited a website and been bombarded with pop-ups asking you to “accept or manage cookies”? Well, those website cookies and tracking scripts are third-party sources.

In addition to annoyingly interrupting your internet browsing, they also track your activity. They are owned by external entities, raising concerns about the level of control consumers have over the collection and use of their data.

These third-party sources are under even greater scrutiny thanks to regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which both impose restrictions on how third-party data can be collected and used.

Another great benefit of intent-based marketing is that it enables marketers to create highly personalized experiences for website visitors by tracking their behavior and actions on the site.

For example, let‘s say you’re an online clothing store, and a website visitor spent a significant amount of time clicking through your fall lookbook before subscribing to your email list.

You could then follow up with personalized emails recommending fall attire and or a personalized digital fall lookbook, rather than a generic email of general sales and deals.

How to Start Intent-based Marketing

1. Define your ideal customer profile and buying signals.

Start by clearly identifying who you’re targeting and what behaviors indicate purchase intent.

Map out the specific actions that suggest someone is actively researching solutions in your category—like visiting pricing pages, downloading whitepapers, or searching for competitor comparisons.

The more precise you are about these signals, the more effective your targeting will be.

This aligns perfectly with the Express stage of HubSpot’s Loop Marketing framework, where you define your brand identity and ideal customer profile before leveraging AI to create targeted campaigns.

By establishing clear buyer personas and intent signals upfront, you set the foundation for AI-powered personalization throughout the entire loop.

2. Choose your intent data sources.

Select the right combination of first-party, second-party, and third-party intent data for your needs. First-party data from your website and CRM shows direct engagement with your brand.

Third-party providers reveal when prospects are researching topics related to your solution across the web. Consider your budget and identify the sources that align best with your target accounts.

Remember, most consumers are not fans of third-party sourcing, so be cautious when collecting and using third-party data and ensure you follow the guidelines set by the GDPR and/or CCPA.

3. Integrate intent data with your marketing tech stack.

Connect your intent data sources to your CRM, marketing automation platform, and advertising tools to streamline your marketing efforts. This integration ensures intent signals flow seamlessly into your existing workflows and can trigger appropriate actions.

Platforms like HubSpot’s Marketing Hub offer native integrations with major intent data providers, making it easier to centralize your intent signals alongside your contact data, email campaigns, and analytics—giving you a unified view of prospect behavior.

4. Create intent-specific content and messaging.

Develop tailored content that speaks directly to prospects at different stages of their buying journey. Prospects demonstrating early research intent require educational content, while high-intent prospects closer to making a purchase need case studies, demos, and competitive comparisons.

Match your message to the urgency and specificity of their signals.

In the Tailor stage of Loop Marketing, you can use AI to personalize this messaging at scale, leveraging unified CRM data to create experiences that feel individually crafted based on each prospect’s specific intent signals and stage in the buying journey.

5. Build automated workflows and trigger campaigns.

Set up rules-based workflows that automatically respond when prospects hit certain intent thresholds. This might include adding high-intent contacts to nurture sequences, alerting sales representatives to leads, or launching targeted ad campaigns to accounts that show buying signals.

Automation ensures that you act on intent data quickly while it remains relevant.

6. Measure, optimize, and refine your approach.

Track which intent signals correlate most strongly with actual conversions and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Monitor key metrics, including time-to-conversion, campaign engagement rates, and ROI, by intent source. Regularly review which topics and behaviors are most predictive of purchases in your specific market, and continuously refine your targeting criteria based on what’s working.

This continuous optimization mirrors the Evolve stage of Loop Marketing, where AI helps you measure, predict, and adapt in real-time rather than waiting for quarterly reviews — making each campaign cycle smarter and more effective than the last.

Intent Signals to Gather and Track

Not sure what intent signals you should track? No problem. I’ve got you covered with 5 intent signals you can track with Smart CRM.

1. Website Behavior Patterns

Repeated visits to high-value pages, such as pricing, product comparisons, case studies, or demo request pages, indicate a serious level of consideration. Multiple sessions over a short timeframe, especially from the same company domain, suggest active evaluation.

2. Content Consumption Activity

Downloading gated content, such as whitepapers, industry reports, implementation guides, or ROI calculators, shows that prospects are investing time in understanding your solution. The more in-depth the content, the stronger the signal.

3. Search Intent and Keyword Research

If a prospect is actively searching for solution-specific keywords, competitor comparisons, or “best [product category]” terms, then they’re in active buying mode. Third-party intent data can reveal when companies are researching these topics across the web.

4. Engagement with Sales or Support Content

Watching product demos, attending webinars, requesting trials, or engaging with chatbots about implementation or pricing questions all signal high purchase intent and readiness for sales conversations.

5. Technographic and Firmographic Changes

Changes in a company‘s tech stack, recent funding rounds, leadership hires, office expansions, or posted job openings for roles that would use your solution can indicate timing windows when they’re likely to invest in new tools.

How to Activate Intent-based Targeting Across Channels

So, we’ve been talking about data and patterns to observe when building an intent-based marketing strategy, but what do you actually do with that information? And how do you implement it across channels? Here are four ways to do so:

1. Keyword and Search Query Targeting

Monitor and target users based on their search behavior and the specific keywords they use. Search behavior and specific keyword searches reveal active intent as people search for solutions to their problems. You can bid on relevant search terms or use search data to inform advertising across platforms.

2. In-market Audience Segmentation

Identify and target users who are actively researching or comparing products in your category. Platforms like Google and Facebook offer in-market audience segments based on browsing behavior, site visits, and engagement patterns that signal purchase intent.

Tools like HubSpot’s Marketing Hub can help you analyze and segment these audiences based on their behavior and engagement data.

3. Retargeting Based on Behavioral Signals

Create campaigns that target users who have demonstrated specific intent signals, such as visiting product pages, adding items to their cart, downloading resources, or spending a significant amount of time on comparison content.

Layer these audiences with recency and frequency data to prioritize high-intent users.

This multi-channel retargeting approach is essential in the Amplify stage of Loop Marketing, where you diversify distribution to meet buyers across the scattered channels where they actually spend time — from social platforms to AI-powered search engines — rather than waiting for them to return to your website.

4. Content Engagement Triggers

Target users based on their engagement with specific content types that indicate intent, such as viewing pricing pages, accessing product demos, reading buying guides, or engaging with customer reviews.

You can also utilize lead scoring systems that trigger advertising when users reach specific engagement thresholds.

AI in Intent-driven Marketing

If I‘ve said it in one blog post, I’ve said it in a million others: When it comes to gathering and analyzing data, you want AI in your corner.

Artificial intelligence simplifies data scoring, clustering, and purchase prediction. AI algorithms seamlessly analyze vast amounts of data points in real-time and assign scores to each lead based on digital behavior.

For behavioral scoring, AI assesses actions such as visits to pricing pages, subscriptions to newsletters, or downloading case studies. AI then groups prospects and visitors together to gain a deeper understanding of their intent.

From there, AI uses machine learning and predictive analytics to predict which leads are most likely to make a purchase.

Tools like HubSpot’s Breeze AI can help marketers operationalize these insights by automatically scoring leads, identifying high-intent prospects, and triggering targeted campaigns at the optimal moment in the buyer’s journey.

This human-AI collaboration is the foundation of Loop Marketing, where AI handles execution and optimization while marketers focus on strategy and creativity — allowing you to launch campaigns in days instead of months while continuously improving results with each cycle.

How to Measure and Optimize Intent-driven Marketing

To successfully launch an intent-driven marketing strategy, you must match message intensity to buyer readiness, so start by segmenting all your metrics by intent stage (awareness, consideration, decision).

The core measurement is intent conversion rate — track how many high-intent signals convert within at least 30 days — and optimize monthly by auditing which signals actually drive revenue, testing message-intent fit, and reallocating budget toward decision-intent channels with lower customer acquisition cost (CAC).

Implement quick wins like intent-based scoring, keyword-to-close tracking, and intent-specific landing pages. Tools like HubSpot’s AEO Grader can help you assess how well your content aligns with search intent and identify optimization opportunities to better capture high-intent traffic.

If you‘re seeing high traffic but weak pipeline contribution or unqualified leads, you’ll want to recalibrate your strategy to ensure you‘re not wasting time and money on awareness-stage audiences who’ll never buy.

Here are some additional metrics to track to optimize your intent-based marketing strategy:

• Intent-surge duration – How long a prospect stays in a high-intent state
• Content consumption trends – Examples include whitepaper downloads and blog visits by role
• Social engagement by target role or account
• Website engagement – How frequently and for how long prospects visit your website, the number of pages they visit per session (page depth), and overall time spent on the site
• Conversion rate

3 Intent-based Marketing Playbooks You Can Copy

High-Intent Intercept Playbook

Target prospects actively searching for solutions with decision-stage keywords like “best CRM for startups” or “[competitor] alternative”. Create dedicated landing pages for each high-intent query, run paid search campaigns with aggressive bids, and route conversions directly to sales within minutes.

This captures demand that already exists rather than trying to create it.

Account Surge Playbook

Monitor target accounts for intent spikes such as multiple visits to pricing pages, repeated product searches, or engagement with comparison content.

When an account hits your intent threshold, trigger coordinated outreach via tactics like:

• personalized emails from sales
• LinkedIn ads to key decision-makers
• retargeting with case studies

Strike while buying signals are hot, typically within 24-48 hours of the surge.

Content Progression Playbook

Map content to intent stages and use engagement to advance prospects through the funnel. Awareness-stage visitors get educational content, consideration-stage get comparison guides and ROI calculators, decision-stage get demos and consultations.

Use marketing automation to sned the next appropriate materials based on consumption patterns, and score interactions to identify when someone transitions from browsing to buying mode.

Frequently Asked Questions About Intent-based Marketing

Is intent-based marketing the same as ABM?

Not quite, but they work very well together. ABM focuses on targeting specific accounts with personalized campaigns, while intent-based marketing identifies prospects actively showing buying signals regardless of whether they’re on your target list.

Think of intent marketing as the “when” and ABM as the “who”, then combine them to reach the right accounts at exactly the right moment.

Do I need third-party intent data to start?

Nope. Start with first-party signals you already have: website behavior, content downloads, pricing page visits, search queries, and email engagement.

These are often more accurate than third-party data because they reflect direct interaction with your brand. Once you’ve optimized your first-party intent strategy, then consider layering in third-party data to catch prospects earlier in their journey.

What’s the difference between purchase intent and search intent?

Search intent is what someone wants to accomplish with a specific search query (informational, navigational, or transactional), while purchase intent indicates they’re actively in-market to buy a solution like yours.

Someone searching “what is marketing automation” has informational search intent but likely low purchase intent, whereas “HubSpot vs Marketo pricing” shows both transactional search intent and high purchase intent.

How long should I run a pilot before judging results?

Give it at least 90 days to see meaningful patterns, though you can spot early indicators at 30-45 days. B2B sales cycles typically run 3-6 months, so you need enough time for high-intent leads to convert and for your team to iterate on messaging and targeting.

Track leading indicators weekly (intent score distribution, engagement rates) while waiting for lagging indicators (pipeline, revenue) to materialize.

How often should I refresh my intent signal taxonomy?

Review quarterly and update as needed, but don’t over-engineer it. Your intent signals should evolve with product launches, competitive shifts, and what your data reveals about actual buyer behavior.

If you notice new high-converting keywords, content types, or behavioral patterns emerging, add them immediately rather than waiting for the quarterly review.