All this and more in this week’s edition of The Hypha Wire, from Hypha HubSpot Development.
Welcome back to the Hypha Wire!
We dedicate a lot of space in this newsletter to AI, and for good reason. The technology is reshaping our daily lives, from customer support to content creation to data analysis (and that’s just in the workplace). However important these tools may be, our perspective on AI has always been clear. These tools should enhance your work, not replace it.
That’s why I wanted to highlight a feature we launched a little while back that didn’t get the spotlight it deserved: our AI Prompt Optimizer. You might have noticed it tucked away at the bottom of our blog post about structured prompting.
How many times have you asked an AI tool a straightforward question only to get a disappointing or laughably irrelevant response? The problem isn’t always the AI itself, but our inputs. Much like the difference between asking a colleague “How’s the project?” versus “What milestones did we hit this week,” the art of prompting can transform AI from a basic chatbot into a powerful collaborator.
Our AI Prompt Optimizer helps you structure your prompts using a framework that includes role definition, clear task instructions, specific requirements, contextual background, concrete examples, and important notes. Instead of hoping your AI understands what you need, you’re giving it the structured guidance it needs to deliver exactly what you’re looking for.
This is intended to make you more effective at leveraging the tools you already have. Whether you’re categorizing support tickets, drafting marketing copy, or tackling complex business challenges, a well-structured prompt makes all the difference.
Ready to see how it works? Check out the AI Prompt Optimizer on our blog about structured prompting and experience the difference thoughtful communication can make.
-Sage Levene, VP of Marketing, Hypha HubSpot Development
Open Mic
AI’s Great Source Squeeze
By Jed Morey, CEO, Hypha HubSpot Development
The shaky rollout of GPT-5 won the headline war in tech for most of August but there is corollary that likely has many in the SEO world pretty shook up. Even before the rollout, a massive shift was underway at ChatGPT in terms of sourcing. Ready for it?
Referral traffic from GPT searches are down over 50% since July.
The great AI plagiarism tools are moving away from pilfering information from websites and consolidating their source materials. And the biggest winners are Reddit and Wikipedia. Let the dumbing down of everything continue. According to Search Engine Land, Reddit citations are up 87% and Wikipedia is up 62%. Together, they account for nearly a quarter of all citations.
But hey, at least they’re sourcing, right?
If you felt a rush of wind go by your window, it was from the millions of marketers rushing to get Wiki-certified and Reddit-authorized. Sometimes it’s okay to follow the herd, but more often than not it’s wise to stand back, lest you be trampled. This is a continuation of the TOFU (top-of-the-funnel) erosion trend that we’ve been talking about for quite some time. If your company is still relying on putting out information better explained on Reddit or Wikipedia, you’re probably doing it wrong.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t monitor these sources to ensure that information is accurate and vetted. Commenting with authority on Reddit and cleaning up Wikipedia entries isn’t a waste of time. Just know that these queries are informational and typically occur during the awareness and consideration stages of a buyer’s journey, when the goal is to acquire new customers.
Come decision time, your organization requires both external validation sources (ratings, reviews, earned media) and internal documentation that is clear and detailed (white papers, website copy, marketing and sales materials, videos, podcasts, etc.)
If anyone should be upset about this trend, it’s all the high school and college professors who are about to see an increase in Wikipedia citations for all those papers.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman penned an essay warning against the dangers of Seemingly Conscious AI (SCAI) and the repercussions if we don’t plan for the inevitable impact on society.
“We must build AI for people; not to be a digital person. AI companions are a completely new category, and we urgently need to start talking about the guardrails we put in place to protect people and ensure this amazing technology can do its job of delivering immense value to the world. I’m fixated on building the most useful and supportive AI companion imaginable. But to succeed, I also need to talk about what we, and others, shouldn’t build...
“Just as we should produce AI that prioritizes engagement with humans and real-world interactions in our physical and human world, we should build AI that only ever presents itself as an AI, that maximizes utility while minimizing markers of consciousness.”
“In today’s team-based and emotionally charged workplace, understanding and managing emotions at work effectively is no longer optional. Emotions are central to every interaction—connecting us in our humanity, serving as powerful tools of persuasion and influence, and offering vital cues about our environment. Ignoring them squanders valuable opportunities and can often lead to real problems. And as AI takes over more analytical tasks once owned by leaders, emotional intelligence remains one of the few uniquely human skills—and a critical one for navigating today’s complex workplace.”
Hypha Highlights
B2B buyers don’t just want quick answers—they expect personalized, seamless interactions every time. In fact, 90% of customers say an “immediate” response (10 minutes or less) is critical when they have a service question, per HubSpot.
If your team is juggling scattered systems and inconsistent data, delivering that level of service can feel impossible. That’s where HubSpot’s AI tools come in—turning what feels like a tech headache into a competitive advantage.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to activate HubSpot’s built-in AI features to:
Automate routine customer interactions
Personalize experiences in real time
Scale service without adding headcount
Best of all, you don’t need a massive new tech stack—you already have the tools. You just need a plan to connect the dots—and that starts with understanding why AI in CX matters now.
INBOUND 2025 is quickly approaching! While the conference is officially sold out, you can tune into the Spotlight on 9/3 12:30pm ET; streaming on YouTube and LinkedIn.
AI in Action
News, updates and tools from the AI industry.
What’s new in AI?
Adobe announced Acrobat Studio, a new AI-powered workspace that combines Adobe Acrobat’s PDF tools, Adobe Express content creation, and customizable AI assistants in one platform.
Meta has frozen AI hiring after a months-long spending spree that brought in 50+ researchers and engineers from top companies like OpenAI and Google, with some receiving compensation packages worth up to $100 million. The move coincides with a broader restructuring of Meta’s AI division into four teams and comes amid investor concerns about the massive costs and uncertain returns of Big Tech’s AI investments.
Google is globally expanding its AI Mode search feature to 180 new countries and adding “agentic” capabilities that can book restaurant reservations by searching across platforms for real-time availability. The enhanced version also includes personalized search results based on user history and a sharing feature for collaborative planning.
Anthropic is in talks to raise up to $10 billion in new funding at a $170 billion valuation, doubling from an initially expected $5 billion round. The company would see its valuation jump significantly from the $61.5 billion it achieved in an earlier funding round this year.
“Companies are acquiring creator media brands. It’s a model offering financial stability for creators without sacrificing audience trust. Our guest this week is Jonathan Hunt, VP of Media at HubSpot, where he oversees an operation of around 60 people reaching more than 50 million people a month across newsletters, podcasts, and YouTube. HubSpot has been one of the most visible practitioners of the creator-media acquisition play since acquiring The Hustle in 2021.”
How can we help you?
Case Study: HubSpot Content Hub Site Build
A 300-year-old Quaker Meeting faced an unprecedented challenge: launching their very first website in just four months to coincide with their tricentennial celebration. With no existing digital presence, dual audiences of longtime members and curious newcomers, and a hard anniversary deadline, they needed more than just a website—they needed a welcoming digital home that honored centuries of tradition while removing barriers for first-time visitors.
Through strategic content architecture and custom HubSpot CMS development, Hypha delivered a fully functional website that seamlessly blended accessibility, storytelling, and event registration capabilities. The four-month build launched on schedule, featuring integrated testimonial videos, member portal access, and intuitive pathways that guide visitors from curiosity to community participation.
Planning your organization’s first website launch or digital transformation? Contact Hypha to discover how we can create a foundation that captures who you are today while scaling for tomorrow’s growth.
