Marketing That Works: Three Takeaways From INBOUND 2025

The marketing world has never moved faster, and for independent agencies, the pressure to “do it all” can feel overwhelming. The truth is, you don’t need every shiny new tool. You need a smart strategy and consistent execution.

Catalyit attended HubSpot’s INBOUND 2025 in San Francisco to learn what works and what doesn’t in today’s marketing environment. Here are three takeaways to sharpen your focus and drive results.

1. Create Content in Multiple Formats

Your audience doesn’t consume information in one way, and neither should your marketing. Content that starts on YouTube can become a blog, a LinkedIn post, an email, and even a podcast snippet. By breaking one idea into different formats, you extend its reach without multiplying your workload.

2. Email Performs

Social platforms shift algorithms constantly, but email remains the channel with the highest ROI. Agencies that use clear, simple, and urgent email campaigns outperform those leaning only on social. A single insight delivered weekly builds more trust than a dozen posts lost in someone’s feed.

3. Speed, Trust, and Experimentation Win

Marketing success isn’t about perfection. It’s about speed and consistency. The agencies that test, experiment, and refine their tactics are the ones that win. Micro-influencers, niche communities, and peer-to-peer voices carry more weight today than polished corporate ads. Show up quickly, be transparent, and keep asking: Is this remarkable?

Final Word

Smarter marketing doesn’t mean more marketing. It means breaking content into multiple forms, leveraging channels that actually convert, and staying fast, trustworthy, and open to testing. The playbook is simple: create, email, refine, repeat.

Marketing Notes

Content Strategy

• Repurpose everything: start with YouTube → blog → email → social → podcast.
• Blogs = SEO/AEO gold. Answer questions directly to get picked up by search and AI.
• Try LinkedIn blogs for professional reach.
• Always tie content back to your product or service.
• Gut check every piece: Is this remarkable?

Channels & Distribution

• Email outperforms social. Make it your campaign backbone.
• Social is for amplification, not dependence.
• Companies using 6+ channels grow faster.
• Micro-influencers and peer voices beat polished ads.

AI & Marketing Tools

• Optimize for answer engines as much as search engines.
• Use AI tools as your co-pilot for ideas, editing, and testing.
• Blogs fuel AI and SEO.
• AI-enabled teams that test and experiment outperform others.