HubSpot’s INBOUND conference is one of the busiest and most influential marketing gatherings in North America every year. This year, Creative Circle sent two of our best and brightest operations leaders, Devin Daniel and Ben Dabdoub, to rub shoulders and gather insights firsthand. 

Here are Devin and Ben’s three key takeaways from three full days of presentations and conversations with top marketing leaders. 

1. AI is everywhere, and it’s here to stay. 

The message was loud and clear: AI isn’t coming, it’s already here, and it’s transforming every corner of marketing, sales, and the customer experience. And — sigh of relief — it’s not eliminating marketers; it’s being fully integrated into workflows to enhance their impact.

“AI is more than just a tool in your toolbox; it’s getting so much deeper than that,” says Ben.

For marketers, this means moving beyond experimenting with ChatGPT or automating email subject lines. It’s time to operationalize AI — embedding it into content creation, audience segmentation, and performance analysis. 

Here’s a few ways to start building that partnership: 

  • Content at scale: AI can help draft outlines, repurpose longform content into bite-sized assets, and personalize messaging for different audience segments. 
  • Predictive insights: Use AI-powered analytics to forecast campaign performance, identify emerging trends, and make data-backed decisions faster. 
  • Customer journey mapping: AI can help visualize and optimize the customer journey by analyzing behavioral data across touchpoints. 

Developing a clear AI strategy should be at the forefront of every leadership discussion. Neither team leader nor individual contributor should be ignoring the technology, and everyone should be armed with the training to deploy it.  

2. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the new SEO, and it’s changing how customers find you.


AEO is the practice of optimizing content to be discoverable by AI-driven answer engines, such as Google’s featured snippets, voice assistants (like Alexa and Siri) and ChatGPT.  

At INBOUND, one stat kept surfacing: Nearly 60% of Google searches now result in zero clicks. HubSpot Senior Director of Global Growth Aja Frost said, “It’s kind of bonkers. For a long time, Google has been the most predictable way to drive traffic and demand to your business.”  

Today, users are getting answers directly from AI-powered overviews, without ever landing on your website. Traditional SEO, built around keywords and rankings, is no longer enough.

“Instead of chasing clicks, focus on building trust with content that directly answers your customers’ questions,” is the advice Devin said she’ll be sharing with her clients. “And it should live in the places where those questions are being asked,” Devin adds.   

To position your brand for AI-conversion, you must: 

  • Create clear authoritative content that AI can easily extract and summarize. 
    • Can ChatGPT clearly articulate what your company does, who it serves, and why it’s better than your competition?  
  • Focus on natural language (the way people actually speak) and long-tail keywords that reflect how people are using voice search or AI tools. 
  • Publish on people-driven platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and social media platforms where users ask and answer questions, such as TikTok, LinkedIn, and Reddit. AI tools prioritize this type of content!  

3. The marketing funnel is not linear.   

Marketing leaders have been saying this for a while, and at INBOUND, they drove the concept home.  

Traditionally, marketers imagined the customer journey as a straight path. But today, especially in an AI-influenced world, buyers don’t move through a linear funnel — they jump between stages, circle back to earlier steps, and discover through unexpected channels. 

Enter HubSpot’s new coined concept: Loop Marketing. 

It’s a customer-centric strategy that replaces the traditional marketing funnel with a continuous cycle of engagement, where marketing, sales, and service teams collaborate to attract and engage customers in an ongoing loop. 

The four-step framework has AI weaved in at every stage: 

  • Express: Define your brand voice and core message before turning to AI to output.
  • Tailor: Make your message feel truly personal, not just personalized.
  • Amplify: Ensure you’re discoverable across the channels your buyers trust.
  • Evolve: Use real-time insights to optimize and adapt continuously.

Ben describes Loop as, “Humans working with AI to be faster, more prescriptive, and more predictive.”  Devin says, “Unlike the funnel, which ends at conversion, Loop Marketing keeps the conversation going.”   This cyclical pattern is crucial because it mirrors how modern consumers interact with brands. 

Final Thoughts
INBOUND 2025 made one thing clear: the future of marketing is human-AI collaboration. 

At Creative Circle, we’re in the business of connecting forward-thinking brands with future-ready talent. Whether you’re hiring or freelancing, we’re here to help you navigate the shifts and embrace what’s next. 

Sources: HubSpot’s Spotlight with Yamini Rangan and Karen Ng, AI Broke Your Marketing 

Do you ever feel like your social media content is stuck at the line of scrimmage?  

You’re planning and posting — but nothing is advancing downfield. 😅  

I’ve been there, and I’ve found my way out by taking a close look at the accounts I can’t stop clicking on to find some inspiration.  

If they keep you coming back, they’re doing something right. Right? 

Lately I’ve been studying the Buffalo Bills’ social media channels. And not just because I’m a fan (hey-ey-ey-ey!), but because their content is a masterclass in building loyalty, evoking emotion, and keeping their audience engaged. 

Bills fans are widely recognized as one of the most loyal fanbases in the NFL, and that unwavering spirit doesn’t stop at the stadium gates. It lives online, too! 

Their social media strategy has evolved to connect with the next generation of fans, successfully attracting new followers — especially among those on socials who don’t yet support an NFL team. 

What keeps their followers coming back for more? Highlight clips aside… 

  • Is it the comical unscripted videos showcasing players’ personalities?  
  • Is it the clips of the emotional moments they share on the field?  
  • Or is it because they lean into the, ahem, *quirks* of the fans?  

The team’s social strategy is playful, unfiltered, and bold, and in my opinion, it’s one all content marketers and creators should be paying attention to.  

Here are four lessons I’ve learned from following the Buffalo Bills online.  

1. Lead with authenticity.

Well-crafted captions and picture-perfect posts deserve their moment in the spotlight, but oftentimes consumers crave real, unpolished content over perfection.  

Maybe it’s okay if your CEO is featured in a video from his living room rather than a production studio. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri does it. 

This grainy Instagram video of Josh Allen checking for last remnants of a nosebleed caught my attention more than any touchdown Reel did.  

2. Prioritize audience-first content. 

 

Monitor what trends with your audience, then weave in your brand elements and messaging to join the conversation. Prioritize what your followers care about, engage with, and find valuable: audience-first > brand-first.

Try using polls and skimming the comments section to see what your audience actually cares about.  

Relevant memes and pop culture references to summarize big moments have helped the Bills connect with their audience. They posted this meme on X celebrating their victory over the Jets (again joking about the nosebleed). And they posted it moments after the game ended. How do they do that??  

3. Mic up your team.  

Let the voices and minds behind your brand be heard! Giving your audience a peek behind the curtain can help humanize your brand, showcase your personality, and make you more likeable. 

Try employee spotlights with short bios and fun facts, or let your team share their expertise through short videos. Did you know posts with clearly visible human faces can significantly increase engagement?

This mic’d up video shows how likeable the team’s offensive tackle is. Standout talent aside, his charismatic personality makes him a fan magnet.  

4. Build excitement around what you do. 

Excitement is contagious — share your sneak peeks and celebrate your wins! If you build hype around what you’re doing, your audience will eventually start talking about it (and sharing it 🤞) 

Try teasing upcoming announcements or sharing glowing testimonials.  

This past spring, the Bills turned their 2025 season schedule release into a grand event with a 1.5 minute video teasing the use of AI — it has 2.9M views! The NFL turned what could have been a dry announcement into a multi-day content event, with these drip-fed reveals across platforms. 

The Takeaway  

The next time you’re staring at your content calendar wondering what to post, scroll through the accounts that keep you engaged and ask yourself why they work.  

What emotions do they spark? What post types are they sharing?  What is their tone like?  Emulate some of those tactics in your next post and see what happens! 

Analyzing the Bills channels taught me that standout social content goes beyond aesthetics — it thrives on being authentic, having fun, and prioritizing connection with your audience, in the ways your audience wants it. And that’s a playbook worth stealing!  

If you’re craving more content like this, check out this post on “social media magic” from two talented creators in our freelance candidate network.

 

About the Author.
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest.

By Kayleigh at Creative Circle

Did you know that more than 60% of new freelancers fail to earn a sustainable income within their first year?  

While there are many reasons for this, one of the biggest culprits is poor time management. When you’re your own boss, project manager, and HR department, it’s easy to let deadlines slip, boundaries blur, and burnout creep in. 

At Creative Circle, we’ve been helping freelancers thrive for over 20 years. So, we reached out to three of our most trusted, long-tenured freelancers — each with 30+ hours of freelance work per week — to get their best time management tips. These folks have seen prepared and timely clients, the emergent-fire-alarm type clients, five-hour work weeks, and 60-hour work weeks. Through it all, they consistently hit deadlines and keep their client roster full without sacrificing (too much of) their sanity. 

Meet the Pros  


Chris Latragna has 16+ years of experience in video production and motion graphics, 14 of which he’s spent freelancing. He’s the kind of guy who gets his best work done while the rest of us are sleeping in on a Sunday. Monday morning deadlines? He welcomes them with open arms. 


Dorey Kronick runs her own business and has been freelancing with Creative Circle for 12 years. She’s a creative director, graphic designer, and photographer whose branding and website designs are always in demand. She may work untraditional hours, but when it comes to time management, she’s as analog as they come — think paper planners, Post-its, and color-coded pens. 


Steve Summers  is a video editor with over a decade of full-time freelancing under his belt. He’s a structure-loving, software-using, boundary-setting pro who sticks to a traditional work schedule and still finds time to enjoy life offline. 

Tips to Manage Your Time

Build out a schedule.
Be realistic when planning and prioritizing.
Diligently track your time.
Communicate.
Get comfortable saying “No.”

1. Build out a schedule that works for you. 📅

There’s no one-size-fits-all schedule in freelancing. Half the beauty of freelance is you get to work when you do your best work (so long as you meet your deadlines). Find your rhythm and stick to it.

“I’m absolutely a night owl. I get my best creative work done at night when I have no distractions. When my clients wake up, my work is waiting for them in their inbox…and I don’t have to start my next work day at 9:00 AM.” — Dorey

 

“For me, the traditional 9–5 hours just make sense. I’m on when my clients are on and I’m off when Friends is on📺 (am I dating myself?). I’m not saying I won’t work in the evening — I will if a project needs my attention — but that is never the expectation. If I stray away from my schedule too often, the lines of work/home start to blur.” — Steve

 

“Saturday mornings before everyone gets up! That’s my most productive time, so that’s when I work.” — Chris

Whether you’re a morning person, a night owl, or a weekend warrior, own it! It’ll shine through in your work.

2. Be realistic when planning and prioritizing your tasks. ✏️ 

Project timelines shouldn’t be a random guess; they should be calculated by how long it has taken you to do similar work (and then some). Consider your commitments to other clients before agreeing to new projects. Keep yourself organized with task management tools such as Asana, or old-school pen and paper.

“Every month, week, and day, I write down my client projects in a paper planner. I also have color-coded lists taped to my wall. I’ve never been late turning in a project with this method!” — Dorey

 

“As soon as you have the due date, you must work backwards to set a timeline and start prioritizing. Estimate how long things will take, be honest with yourself, and build in some wiggle room.” — Steve

 

“You’re going to get asked daily how long something will take. You’ll never know exactly but you’ll get better at estimating. Don’t forget to factor in revisions and meetings. Then check in with yourself daily — where are you ahead? Where are you falling behind?” — Chris

Without careful planning and prioritization, it’ll start to feel like you’re working all the time, or you’ll be haphazardly jumping project to project with no real grasp of how much time you’re actually spending on each one.

3. Diligently track your time. ⏱️

Whether you’re billing hourly or tracking against your project-based pricing, find a way to track your time daily so you don’t cut yourself short on payment. Having your time on record is helpful for future project planning, too!

“I’m old-school — I write my start and stop times on a Post-it and enter them later.” — Dorey

 

“I use a tool called Thyme; it’s a simple Mac app. It’s like a project stopwatch. I tend to pop back and forth between clients all day, so I make sure I track every minute.” — Steve

 

“I jot everything down in a notebook at the end of the day. You get good at remembering once you’ve done it enough. But make sure to do it daily; your memory will get fuzzy if you wait until the end of the week.” — Chris

Find a system that works for you. Here are a few popular software options: Harvest and Office Time

4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate 🗣️

Clear communication is truly the nucleus of freelancing — it helps avoid misunderstandings and builds better relationships with your clients.

“I let my clients know where I’m at in terms of capacity from the get-go, and consult with them to figure out how we can all get our needs met realistically.” — Dorey

 

“Communication is essential to succeed. Ask questions, give honest answers, probe when the client is unclear with direction, and make sure their expectations are crystal clear. Put everything in writing so if you run into issues on either end, you have it for reference.” — Steve

 

“Before you accept a gig and take off running, ask all the questions you need to make sure the project stays on track. Remember, you’re the expert in this relationship and they’re coming to you for help. Guide and shape the project if needed based on your experience.” — Chris

Set expectations early, check in often, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

5. Get comfortable saying “No.” 🙅🏽

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your business is turn down a project.

“After a while, you’ll start to build up Spidey senses on which projects are good and which projects to stay away from. Little red flags such as, continually unclear project outlines and expectations, work for ‘exposure,’ and poor communication from the client can be tricky. If your gut is telling you something is off, follow it. The payout won’t be worth the headache.” — Steve

 

“If a client is asking for something that’s entirely unrealistic, I let them know — but in a kind, respectful, and down-to-earth way. They may genuinely have no idea of how wild their ask is.” — Dorey

 

“If I’m too busy or it’s not something I can deliver well, I say no. Or I explain what I can do instead. If you’re managing your time well, you should be able to say no or manipulate deadlines with more confidence. And for me personally, I don’t disclose my workload with other clients. They don’t need to know that; I want them to feel like they’re the only one.” — Chris

Final Thoughts

Freelancing can be a dream job — but only if you plan and manage your time like a pro. Whether you’re a pen-to-paper creative like Dorey, a weekend warrior like Chris, or a structure-loving editor like Steven, the key is to find what works for you and stick with it.

If you’re looking for work, check out the dozens of open roles posted on our website. And if this advice has been helpful to you, follow us on LinkedIn and check our career resources page to explore jobseeking insights from our hiring experts.

“Falling for a job scam is like climbing Everest. Except when you get to the top, you slip and tumble — rag doll, head to toe — all the way back to the bottom. And you know you’re in for some big trouble.” 

This is how freelance creative director Myldwin Pierre describes his gut-sinking experience of falling victim to a job scam last year.

Myldwin’s Story

After months of job searching and multiple interviews, Myldwin got the offer of his dreams — a fully remote art director role with a Fortune 500 cosmetic company.

Everything about it was great — until it wasn’t.

Blinded by the allure of job security, Myldwin fell victim to a well-orchestrated scam which ultimately resulted in him divulging all of his personal and tax information to an imposter.

This scammer got through most of the standard checkpoints waving a green flag. And for the warning signs? Well, Myldwin admits he may have turned a blind eye in hopes of landing a great job.

That’s the thing with these scammers — they catch you when you’re the most vulnerable.

job scam statistic

1. The Bait

Myldwin’s LinkedIn profile indicated he was “open to work.” When he received an InMail (direct message from someone outside of your network) from a recruiter, he wasn’t at all surprised. To check the legitimacy of the message, he confirmed the sender was a real recruiter by searching their profile on LinkedIn.

“[The recruiter was] actively engaging on the platform, and their profile showed their employer as the Fortune 500 company they stated they worked for via their message. Everything checked out,” Myldwin told us.

Green flag.

2. The Initial Bite

After a short email exchange, Myldwin was quickly offered a chat-based interview via WhatsApp without video. An interview on this platform raised some suspicion, but this was a multinational company, and he assumed this was their interview process. So, he didn’t question it and proceeded with an open mind.

“Speed is the name of the game in hiring, I know that. Rushing into the interview process didn’t alarm me,” Myldwin shared.

Green-ish flag.

3. The Trap Sprung

Myldwin completed multiple interviews with the supposed hiring manager — with frequent assurances that he was doing well, stating he was “in line to be offered the position.” Shortly thereafter, he was offered the job and rushed into a seemingly standard onboarding process.

Eager to start, Myldwin completed a stack of new hire tax paperwork, including an I-9 and a W-4, and sent it back. These forms include personal information such as complete mailing address, Social Security number, and employee signature.

“I believed this was a legitimate process,” Myldwin admitted. “I was excited to work for this company; I wasted no time getting those forms back to them.”

Green flag.

4. The Scam Revealed

Then, the alarms began to sound. After completing the onboarding paperwork, the scammer stated that all employees are responsible for paying for their remote workstation equipment up front via PayPal, but that they would ultimately get reimbursed.

RED FLAG!

5. The Realization

Worried, Myldwin retraced his steps. He noticed the email address provided in the initial contact via InMail was off.  So, he messaged this supposed recruiter directly and her response put a pit in his stomach.

“That person you’re emailing with is not me,” she said.

The PayPal account where Myldwin was instructed to remit payment was not listed under the company name, and the username did not match the supposed recruiter he’d been communicating with.

It became abundantly clear that Myldwin was being scammed. And knowing that he handed over all his personal information to this stranger had him riddled with fear and frustration.

6. The Aftermath

Back on WhatsApp, he denied payment to the imposter and tried to push them to admit their fraudulence. They ultimately stopped responding and are now completely untraceable.

So there Myldwin sits, back at the bottom of the metaphorical mountain, with no job, hours of wasted time, and now completely compromised personal information.

Myldwin thankfully has not yet seen any signs of Social Security number fraud, identity theft, or financial loses. He watches his credit reporting like a hawk, hoping the scammer was ultimately just in it for the “workstation” PayPal payment, which he didn’t send. He hopes the exchange of onboarding paperwork was just more bait to get him to pay up.

“These scammers are like drug mules. They probably send messages, like the one they sent me, to hundreds of people. Not everyone falls for it, but a handful do get through. And the payouts from those folks are worth the effort,” Myldwin explained.

The Red Flags

Keep on high alert for an imposter — remember these warning signs.

You receive an unsolicited direct message, text message, or email.

Scammer messages appear to be written by a reputable recruiting company or brand. They’re usually incredibly convincing, encouraging you to apply for a high-paying job in an industry that closely aligns with your LinkedIn profile, and offers flexible working hours. If this unsolicited opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.

The email domain doesn’t match the name of company outlined in the email.

If the email is from a personal account or public domain, like Gmail or Yahoo, you might have a scammer on your hands. Sometimes the email address will have slight misspellings to appear legitimate — verify the email domain, and the name of the sender, carefully.

The job offer is time-sensitive.

Scammers create a sense of urgency to keep you engaged and make you act quickly. While there is a fast lane in hiring at times, don’t let anyone unverified rush you in the process.

The majority of communication is on a chat app.

Legitimate hiring teams should conduct interviews by phone or through traditional company channels. If your correspondence is being moved to a chat app, like WhatsApp, request a more traditional platform.

The hiring manager requests payment or banking information.

Honest employers will never ask employees to pay up front fees to process paperwork or pay for equipment. And they certainly won’t ask you to pay via a cash app like Venmo or PayPal.

Banking information should only be provided once you’re fully onboard, via a secure system.

 

The Learnings

It’s hard to find a job. And It’s tempting to latch onto any job offer that comes your way, but this is when you need to be the most vigilant.

Some of the biggest risks to your personal data are low-tech — no hacking necessary. The scammer reels in vulnerable job seekers and gains their trust, then those people willingly hand their information over, and it’s downhill from there.

Pause. Assess. Question.
Never share personal information like Social Security numbers, bank details, or other sensitive data without definitively verifying the source. Research the hiring manager and/or company first, and if you’re still slightly skeptical, respectfully and directly ask them to confirm their legitimacy while also reaffirming your interest in the position.

And always trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.

For a safe and secure job search experience, Myldwin encourages job seekers — especially freelancers — to link arms with a recruiter they trust, “The saving grace for me is working with Creative Circle for nearly 20 years now.”  Myldwin has worked with eight trusted Creative Circle recruiters over the years and has been placed on dozens of jobs. When our recruiters email Myldwin, from their verified email address (✅), he knows the offer is legitimate.

 

Information Creative Circle Asks For

Creative Circle does not send unsolicited text messages to job-seekers. We will never request you to provide personal information via a text message, email, or LinkedIn mail.

Additionally, Creative Circle will not send or request money to purchase equipment, or ask for your credit card information during the hiring process.

If you are contacted by someone that claims to be a recruiter for Creative Circle, ensure the domain is @creativecircle.com, @e.creativecircle.com, @creativecircle.live, @jobalert.creativecircle.com, @backofficeportal.com, or @mail1.clearlyrated.com. If it’s not, this communication did not come from our team and is likely imposter spam.

To further protect yourself from job scams, review this full list of information we do and don’t ask for. And if you’re ever skeptical about a communication or job offer from our team, contact us at cyberquestions@creativecircle.com.

 

About the Author.

Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest.

Creative Circle gives back in a number of ways, including charitable donations, volunteer opportunities, socially conscious policies, and local investment. One of our main efforts comes at the end of every year through our Circle of Caring program, when each Creative Circle team has the opportunity to select nonprofits to receive charitable donations.

This year, we’ve donated nearly $20,0000 across 50 nonprofit organizations! Our employees carefully selected these organizations, each one holding a mission that deeply resonates with us.

If you’re looking for additional gift and giving options this season and beyond, consider donating to our collection of nonprofit organizations listed below. We hope you have a safe and healthy holiday season!

Animal Welfare

Children & Youth

Food & Nutrition

Health & Wellness

Homelessness & Housing

Human Rights & Advocacy

Poverty & Social Services

Why should they hire me?
Because they need my help, and I need their money.
But I can’t say that. Not if I want the job.
So, what the heck am I supposed to say?  

If your internal dialogue sounds like this from time to time, you’re in good company. 👋  

I get tripped up on interview questions, too. Some questions seem like a trap, while others are just bizarrely quizzing me on my knowledge of the animal kingdom. Seriously, why? 

6 dreaded interview questions

According to the nearly 3,000 votes on our recent LinkedIn poll, and the buzzing comments section, there are six common questions that trip up interviewees the most:  

  • Tell us about yourself! 
  • Why should we hire you? 
  • What is your greatest weakness? 
  • What are your salary requirements? 
  • Tell us about a time you failed. 
  • If you were an animal, what would you be? 

Why hiring managers are asking

Did you know there are over 9,000 job applications per minute on the LinkedIn platform alone? And only about 8% of applicants make it to the interview scheduling stage?  

That’s a lot of applicants for one job, and likely a lot of people that can do the basic day-to-day functions of that job. Skills- and competency-based questions aside, these behavioral questions can help hiring managers (in their mind at least) assess things like a candidate’s communication style, how they respond to challenges, and how they’ll fit in with the team. 

Tackling the dreaded question

To better understand how to answer these behavioral questions, I leaned on two experts from our Chicago office. Creative Circle recruiters Mary Blackburn and Rose Boyer break down each interview question below — what do hiring managers really mean when they ask these questions? And how should you respond? 

“Tell us about yourself.”

This is usually an icebreaker question, right at the start of your interview. It is not the time to share details of your personal life, and your response should be relatively brief. Think of it like an elevator pitch and keep it professional — the hiring manager wants to know a bit about who you are, what you do, and why you’re interested in the position you’re interviewing for.  

Rose says, “Some candidates make the mistake of starting off by sharing where they live — that’s not what we’re asking.” She adds, “I’ve had candidates begin by sharing their age. We don’t need to know that either.”  

Mary adds to Rose’s sentiment, “Try to avoid the year-by-year play. It’s fine to include where you started but let that be a brief bullet in your overall response. We can see previous employers and duration of employment on your resume, so it’s not necessary to spell that all out for this question.”  

“Why should we hire you?” 

Interviewers are looking for a specific and personalized response that showcases how you can solve their business needs; be sure to emphasize your most relevant experiences. This is an opportunity to show that you’ve researched this company, that you understand what they need, and that you can deliver.   

Rose suggests explaining why you’re a great fit for the role you’re interviewing for specifically, and to refer back to some of the discussions you’ve had throughout the interview. You might say, “You mentioned earlier that time management is essential to this role — time management is one of my biggest strengths. I use a project management tool to stay on top of deadlines, prioritize, and plan my tasks and it works tremendously.  It helps keep my manager in the loop on project status, too.” 

Mary says, “Make yourself stand out from the crowd. What skills and experience do you have that might separate you from the other applicants?”  

“What is your greatest weakness?” 

If a hiring manager asks you this question, they’re probably checking to see how self-aware you are. They want you to expand on your weaknesses with a couple details on how you’re managing them. Saying that you’re a “perfectionist” isn’t going to cut it — be sincere, not cliché. 

Rose and Mary both agree that they personally hate this question and prefer not to ask it in interviews. However, to save yourself from any unnecessary surprises, they do suggest having an answer prepped just in case.  

Mary says, “Be mindful of which weakness you decide to share. If the job description says you need to learn a new CRM, don’t share that you struggle learning new CRMs.”  

As an example, Rose shares what a response to this question might look like for her: “Sometimes, I have a hard time processing information that I hear. I combat this by asking for an email communication instead, or I’ll follow up via email so I can have things in writing.”  

“What are your salary requirements? “

Thanks to the pay transparency laws developing in several states now, the salary requirements conversation has become more transparent. If you know the range an employer is willing to pay for a job, then you know how much you can expect to earn.  

If you’re interviewing for a job with the pay range listed, Mary advises against requiring the top of the range from the jump. “It could jeopardize your opportunity for a role, especially if there are other candidates interviewing with similar experience to yours and a salary expectation closer to the middle or middle-upper end of the range,” Mary says.  

Pay transparency or not, Rose says, “Candidates should never be dead set on a specific number. Always let the hiring manager know that you’re targeting between two numbers. This shows that you’re open to negotiation.”  

Mary lives by the rule of 5s. If you’re sharing expectations for an hourly rate, keep the range within $5. If it’s a salaried position, try to stick to a range at or close to $5k. In her experience, increments of 5 provide a fair opportunity for both the candidate and the client to meet somewhere in the middle. 

“Tell us about a time you failed.” 

Everyone experiences failure at one time or another — this question isn’t really about the failure itself, it’s about how you worked through it.  “We’re trying to understand your process,” says Rose. With this response, you have the opportunity to show a hiring manager how you take feedback and how you grow.  

Consider sharing these details with the interviewer:  

  • How did you identify your failure and how did you react to it?  
  • What steps did you take to rectify the situation?  
  • Did you communicate your mistakes appropriately?  
  • And what are you doing to avoid it in the future?  

Mary suggests keeping a response to this question in your back pocket.  “Talking about failure isn’t easy. Think through your scenario in advance and rehearse it so you’re not stumbling through the details mid-interview.”  

“If you were an animal, what animal would you be?” 

This is just an awkward way of seeing if you’ll be a good cultural fit for the company. Rose and Mary both agree that this question is silly and advise not to get too caught up on which animal you select. “If you can connect a few of your key personality traits to an animal that you have some knowledge about, that’s all you need.” says Rose.  

It’s worth noting that this question could be an opportunity to stand out as memorable and creative, if you want to. You could choose an interesting animal; instead of a dog, you could try a dolphin, eagle, or honeybee. Just make sure you can connect some of their standout traits back to your personal interests and qualities.  

As with all the other questions, keep this one in your back pocket too. Interviews are stressful enough as they are, so no need to add another layer of uncertainty with an animal kingdom pop quiz.  

If you’re looking for more advice from our recruiters, check out our Creative Circle Career Resources page and follow us on Instagram. If you’re feeling ready for your next interview, apply to the open roles on our website! We add new jobs to our site every day, in locations across the U.S. and Toronto, plus remote roles. 

About the Author.
Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer — when she’s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you’re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you never miss the latest. 

The contours of the media landscape are ever-changing. What was once ubiquitous is now far less so. By the end of 2022, 39.3 million US households cut the cord on traditional cable, a number expected to hit nearly 47 million households by the end of 2024.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that so many are saying bye (or never saying hello) to traditional cable with a plethora of streaming services like Netflix, Prime TV, Hulu, Apple TV+, Disney+, and more, which allow viewers to watch what they want, when they want, for less than the cost of a traditional cable subscription.

What is CTV?

In this rapidly shifting landscape, digital marketing is experiencing major change, with Connected TV—or CTV—emerging as a pivotal player, transforming how audiences engage with content. CTV is any television set that connects to the internet and streams digital video content through built-in smart TV functionality or external devices like streaming sticks like Roku, set-top boxes, or gaming consoles.

With this technology, viewers can access a wide range of content that goes far beyond traditional broadcast channels, like streaming services, on-demand video, and internet applications. All of this is causing major shifts in how brands advertise to their audiences, with CTV advertising in ascendancy and changing the TV advertising game. Let’s dig in.

The What and the Why of CTV Advertising

CTV advertising refers to video ads delivered through a streaming service while a viewer watches a TV show, movie, or other video content on an actual TV set via a connected device like Firestick or Roku or directly from a smart TV. For most streaming services, CTV represents over 80% of all viewing, the remainder occurring on other internet-connected devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

Unlike traditional television advertising, CTV advertising leverages viewer data like demographics, viewing habits, and interests, allowing for a more targeted and personalized ad experience. Advertisers gain improved measurement and tracking abilities, allowing for smarter and more efficient ad spending — and the ability to reach more niche audiences with greater precisions.

Evolution of TV Advertising

Traditional or linear TV advertising lets advertisers reach millions of viewers all at the same time. Linear TV advertising is what you see when you watch broadcast or cable TV — the traditional, old-school TV advertising that’s been around for decades. Linear TV ads reach everyone watching a particular program rather than just their intended audience. And measuring the success of a linear TV ad campaign is more nebulous — it’s hard to know if anyone went to go buy something after watching the ad.

With changing viewer behavior as cable and satellite TV use continue to drop, advertisers are instead following their viewers over to CTV, lured by more measurable ad performance metrics and better-optimized campaign management overall. As linear advertising spend declines, CTV ad spend is fast on the rise.

Ad spending for CTV is expected to reach $21.45 billion in 2024, an increase of 16.2% from 2023. In 2025, it is forecast to hit $24.4 billion, growing year over year by 13.9%.

CTV Advertising vs OTT Advertising

OTT means “Over-the-Top,” referring to content that goes “over” your cable box, providing access to TV content via an internet connection instead of with a cable cord or satellite. While OTT and CTV are often used interchangeably, and can refer to the same thing, it’s important to note that OTT is how video content is delivered to viewers — it can stream content across all devices, like mobile and desktop. CTV only streams content onto smart TV screens, which is why it is often referred to as streaming TV advertising.

OTT ad inventory tends to differ from CTV, which typically has premium network content similar to what you would find on traditional TV. In contrast, OTT offers a much wider range of inventory.

So, Why Use CTV ads?

If you want your ads to help you find users who actually want your products or services, CTV ads are the way to go. As streaming services like Hulu and Netflix adjust their pricing models to an ad-supported tiered system that displays more ads to folks on less expensive plans and fewer or no ads to those on higher plans, marketers can now zero in on their demographic with far more precision.

Here are a few other perks that come with CTV ads:

  1. Multiple precision targeting methods

With linear TV, targeting is limited to finding shows that best index against ratings — the system network television uses to make programming decisions and to price advertisements. But Nielsens’ typically can only offer broad age and gender demographic metrics, like women 25 – 54 and men 18 – 49. But CTV advertisers can leverage similar digital targeting to Google and Facebook, which means audience segments can be based on everything from income or education level to personal interests and more.

Some of the top CTV targeting options to get familiar with include:

  • Geolocation targeting
  • Contextual targeting
  • Retargeting
  • Time-of-day targeting
  • Lookalike targeting

  1. Hyper-local targeting

With CTV ads, it’s far easier to pinpoint consumers based on their IP address, which means ads can be hyper-localized and served to viewers in far smaller geographic areas than with linear ads. Messaging can be highly customized based on where the viewer is located. For example, a spa with four locations can send the right commercial to the right viewers closest to each location.

  1. High Video completion rates

Superior targeting means that CTV ads are far more likely to be truly relevant to those viewing them—which means they are more likely to be interested in the ad and engage with it until completion. Using automatic content recognition technology, or ACR, CTV providers can provide real-time, second-by-second completion rate data, which helps advertisers hone the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.

  1. Detailed attribution measurement and accuracy

CTV ads allow advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their brand campaigns more accurately via conversions — they can see who came to the brand’s website and completed a purchase after viewing an ad. With time and increased data, advertisers can learn what creative worked best and which publishers, dates, times, and other factors had the greatest impact on conversions.

 

BOTTOM LINE
Marketers, if you want to lead your company’s CTV marketing innovation charge but need help figuring out where to start, Creative Circle can provide the talent and build the teams to help you perfectly craft and precisely target your brand to shine on the TV screen. The media landscape is fast evolving — to succeed, it’s important to prime your business to be in step with the times.