Steve Roop, AI and Content Director
You’ll see a lot of INBOUND recap articles with headlines that have some variation of “staying in the loop” and I’ll admit it was hard not to join the crowd. More on that below.
The Littlefield Agency Content Team™ headed west this year to San Francisco for HubSpot’s INBOUND 25 (normally held in Boston), and to say our minds were blown would be an understatement. We could talk about the concepts and new strategies we were exposed to for days (and will on the next few episodes of the Little Talks podcast), but for now here is a quick overview of the proceedings. Buckle up!
What has two letters and dominates everything we do now?
There was a clear theme this year: the marketing landscape has fundamentally shifted. AI isn’t just another tool in our tool belts, it’s redefining what it means to create, connect, and convert. For agencies and brands alike, the question isn’t if you should embrace AI but how you’ll evolve alongside it.
The funnel is dead (or dying) for content marketing, long live The Loop
Traditional marketing funnels for content marketing no longer reflect the way customers discover and engage with brands, that’s just a fact in 2025. Awareness has fragmented across dozens of platforms, consideration is being outsourced to AI, and more than 65% of searches now end without a single click.
Enter The Loop, HubSpot’s new growth playbook for the AI era. The Loop framework emphasizes four main areas:
- Express: Define who you are, stand out with a clear brand voice, and scale content faster and more cost-effectively. AI can’t give you a point of view, that’s up to us humans.
- Tailor: Deliver one-to-one relevance using AI-powered intent signals.
- Amplify: Diversify across channels where customers actually spend time—socials, podcasts, newsletters—not just your website.
- Evolve: Iterate in real time, sharpen with AI, and continuously improve.
The shift is from static funnels to living, adaptive loops where data, AI, and brand POV keep the cycle alive.
From SEO to AEO: Competing in the answer economy
Search traffic to website is dropping, with blog visits down 50–80% in many sectors. Instead of chasing clicks, brands need to optimize for answers to stay in front of customers.
AI Engine Optimization (AEO) is about becoming part of the answer in AI-driven search experiences. Instead of relying solely on backlinks and meta tags, success will come from:
- High-authority sources and citations.
- Repetition and consistency across channels.
- Structuring content to surface in AI-generated results (think semantic models, not just lexical SEO).
The stakes are clear. Google reports 24% of traditional search sessions result in a click, but only 4.5% of AI-mode sessions do. HubSpot CEO Yamini Rangan called this the “Great Decoupling” where being found is no longer the same as getting clicked.
New tools, new plays
HubSpot also announced a wave of AI-powered tools that reflect this shift:
- Smart CRM with contextual intelligence (e.g., leadership changes, out-of-office signals).
- Marketing Studio for AI-driven content creation.
- Data Hub to unify and clean third-party data.
- AEO Strategy Tool to help brands become the “top answer” in AI results.
Littlefield’s point of view
The future of marketing isn’t just about chasing more clicks, it’s about earning trust in the spaces where customers actually engage. This means:
Moving away from traditional blog-heavy SEO
The days of relying solely on keyword-stuffed blog posts to climb search rankings are over. As search behaviors shift and AI platforms take center stage, brands must diversify into human, personality-driven channels that build trust and community. Podcasts allow leaders and subject matter experts to share authentic perspectives in long-form conversations. Social media (particularly LinkedIn for B2B brands) offers a platform for thought leadership, peer-to-peer dialogue, and brand storytelling that feels personal rather than transactional. E-newsletters provide a direct line to audiences who choose to hear from you, making them a high-trust, high-value channel.
At the same time, content must be created with Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) in mind, anticipating the exact questions customers are asking not just on Google but also within AI platforms like ChatGPT. Success in this environment comes from producing content that is authoritative, clear, and structured in ways these engines can surface as trusted answers. Diversification doesn’t mean abandoning SEO altogether; it means reframing it to fit a world where visibility depends as much on AI-driven summaries and social proof as it does on search rankings.
Building brand POV as a differentiator
As Rangan put it: “AI needs a point of view, and that is the point of you.” Humans, not AI, drive this strategy.
In a world where generative AI can produce endless streams of content, what sets a brand apart is not volume but voice. A clearly defined point of view gives your brand credibility, authority, and memorability. It’s the difference between being just another answer in an AI summary and being the answer customers trust. Brand POV anchors your messaging across channels, ensuring consistency no matter how the medium shifts. It also humanizes your marketing, reminding customers that while AI can amplify your message, it’s your values, your perspective, and your authenticity that make it resonate. POV becomes the compass that keeps content relevant and relationships real.
Prioritizing agility
Brands that can test, learn, and pivot quickly will outpace those clinging to old funnel models.
In today’s AI-driven landscape, campaigns can’t be “set it and forget it.” Algorithms, customer behaviors, and competitive dynamics shift in real time, and what worked yesterday may be irrelevant tomorrow. Agility means running smaller experiments, analyzing intent signals, and making micro-adjustments continuously.
The AI era won’t wait for anyone. Brands who adapt to The Loop, invest in AEO, and embrace human and AI collaboration will thrive. Those who don’t risk becoming invisible.
