HubSpot surveyed marketers to see what is working right now in 2026, and some of the findings in their 2026 State of Marketing Report might surprise you. I liked the video HubSpot did highlighting six insights from the report and I wanted to share them with you. I have embedded the video at the end. 

Insight 1

When everyone is using AI, is it still a differentiator? No, it’s a baseline. HubSpot brutally called out that we can smell AI writing from a mile away, and it all kind of looks and sounds the same. So, how do you stand out in a “sea of sameness”? 

Over half of the marketers surveyed said that because AI makes content so easy to create, it’s also less effective. 

Judgement and discernment about what is good and what is meh has become really important. Taking a critical eye to AI-generated content and adjusting it to seem more human and in alignment with the brand is what will bring results. 

Insight 2

Have you ever gone to a company’s website and wondered what the heck they do and what types of clients / customers they work with? This is so common. Companies often use industry buzzwords or clever slogans and a website visitor is left scratching their head. This is a pet peeve of mine and I was thrilled to see that HubSpot called it out. 

Make it easy for people and describe what you do clearly and concisely. Don’t make website visitors dig through hundreds of words of text or across multiple pages. 

And make sure your messaging is consistent everywhere. Create a brand voice and stick with it. HubSpot says:

Last year, the question was, do people recognize us? This year, the question is, do they understand us instantly? Buyers are deciding faster than ever. If your messaging isn’t clear in the first 5 seconds, they’re gone.

Insight 3

In these days of easy content creation, posting more isn’t necessarily better. This is great news. The recommendation was to look at your content calendar and ruthlessly evaluate what is important and valuable, and don’t post fluff. HubSpot said:

AI removed friction from creation and with it the filter that used to stop weak ideas from going live. Last year the question was how do we publish more? This year the question is how can we publish with intent? More content without a purpose doesn’t just underperform: It actively trains your audience to ignore you.

I loved this. 

Insight 4

It’s easy to find a brand when you’re online, but it can take a while for that brand to gain your trust. So, what type of marketing is working well for discovery and for building trust? HubSpot says:

Trust comes from repetition, depth, proof over time. The data shows that short-form video continues to drive the strongest  returns. At the same time, long-form video saw one of the biggest year-over-year lifts in performance.

Short-form video might grab attention and help you get seen, but longer content can help build trust over time, so you probably need both. 

Insight 5

Website traffic is going down. Raise your hand if you have gotten an AI summary that answered your question and then moved on to the next thing without clicking on the link. We all have done this. 

That said, the visitors who do click through may be more likely to buy. HubSpot says:

Nearly half of marketers say that traditional search traffic is declining due to AI-powered answers. At the same time, marketers report that traffic coming from AI tools carries much higher intent than traditional search. This isn’t traffic disappearing, it’s traffic getting filtered.

More decision-making is happening before a potential buyer visits your website, so the trick is to show up where people are evaluating options and making decisions. 

Since people have likely already researched what you do and are looking to take the next step, design your website to make it easy for someone to find your pricing, schedule a demo, and buy your product or service. 

Insight 6

The final insight was about identifying issues sooner and adjusting faster. HubSpot said:

What the report found is that the teams winning right now analyze performance weekly, sometimes daily, and update live campaigns within hours. Last year, the question was, how do we plan the perfect strategy? This year, the question is, how fast can we learn and adapt once something is live?

I definitely thought these findings were helpful. I hope you did as well. 

Photo by Melanie Deziel on Unsplash