The importance of owned marketing channels has never been more apparent. With recent platform upheavals – from TikTok’s abrupt (if temporary) end in the US to Meta’s controversial fact-checking changes and X’s declining user base – businesses are rediscovering a fundamental truth: building on borrowed land is increasingly risky.
FIRST OF ALL
Why Owned Marketing Channels Matter More Than Ever
In 2025 platform volatility has become the norm, with 120.5 million+ US TikTok users losing access to the app over a weekend, and X experiencing up to a 30% user decline in the UK. Meanwhile, Meta’s shift towards community-based fact-checking has raised concerns about content reliability and brand safety.
Let’s be clear – these platforms we often rely on for marketing are outside our control (and increasingly in the control of those with their own agendas). They can also become a distraction from laying firmer marketing foundations.
GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT
Hierarchy of Marketing Efforts
1. Strategy (Foundation)
- Your fundamental business direction
- Target audience definition
- Clear objectives and goals
- Resource allocation planning
2. Messaging (Critical)
- Core value proposition
- Brand voice and tone
- Key messages and themes
- Audience-specific communications
3. Owned Channels (Important)
- Website and blog
- SEO strategy
- Email lists
- Mobile apps
- Customer databases
- Lead magnets and resources
4. External Channels (Optional)
- Social media platforms
- Third-party marketplaces
- Partner networks
- Paid advertising platforms
BUT...
What Exactly Are Owned Channels?
Owned channels are the digital assets and touchpoints over which your business has complete control.
These include:
- Your website
- Email marketing lists
- Mobile applications
- Custom data collection forms
- Downloadable resources
- Customer databases
- Blog content
- Proprietary platforms
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU
The Business Benefits of Prioritising Owned Channels
Recent data shows segmented campaigns can increase revenue by up to 760%. Alongside this, and being able to directly reach your customers without fighting algorithms (which seems like a no-brainer already), there are further benefits. These include:
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- Determine precisely who sees your content
- Control when and how messages are delivered
- Maintain brand consistency across all touchpoints
- Adjust strategies without platform limitations
- Own your customer data outright
- No dependency on third-party platform access
- Enhanced privacy compliance management
- Better long-term relationship-building
- Reduced dependency on paid advertising
- Lower customer acquisition costs over time
- Better ROI on content investments
- Sustainable growth potential
- Deep customer insights through first-party data
- Targeted communication opportunities
- Improved customer journey mapping
- Better conversion optimisations
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Role of Social Media in an Owned Channel Strategy
- Drive traffic to owned channels
- Expand content reach
- Engage with audiences
- Build initial connections
- Support customer service
Remember: 66% of marketers say social listening has increased in value for their organisation (Hootsuite’s 2022 Social Media Trends Report). You can use these insights to inform your owned channel strategy without solely relying on them for lead gen.
Measuring Success on Owned Channels
- Website traffic and engagement
- Email list growth and engagement rates
- Resource download numbers
- Conversion rates across channels
- Customer lifetime value
- Return on content investment
- Database growth and quality
THINK TWICE
Corporate Responsibility Considerations for Social Media
Platform governance and corporate responsibility are under the spotlight when it comes down to channel selection. Recent activity from social media owners makes it hard not to raise questions about platform integrity. Meta’s recent change from fact-checking to community notes, coupled with Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial comments on Joe Rogan’s podcast, alongside a reported £1m donation to Trump’s campaign, all raise serious concerns.
"Corporations, according to Zuck, have been 'neutered' and need more 'masculine energy'. He then went on to say that while 'feminine energy' is good, corporate culture had swung too far that way and should reclaim its masculinity."
Equally troubling, X – under Elon Musk’s ownership – has been marred by public confrontations with the UK Government and harmful positions on social issues. Jasmine Enberg, vice-president and principal analyst at eMarketer, has coined the phrase of this emerging phenomenon as “Trump-era social media”.
For us and many others, this shift is becoming a brand positioning and ethical consideration. While Meta has, to date, held on to its base of high-profile business users, X has experienced a significant ‘X’odus of huge names.
Disney, Paramount, and IBM have withdrawn their ad spend, with The European Federation of Journalists summing up the widespread sentiment in their statement that they could “no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda”.
The more we see a shift in platform use to align with beliefs and political leaning, I’m sure we’ll start to see skewed user psychographics. As these changes unfold, we have a responsibility to carefully evaluate our social media channels within a broader owned-channel focused strategy.
“If you don’t have an owned-first strategy - you just don’t have the luxury of making ethical decisions regarding the social platforms you operate on for fear of it tanking your business.”
Obviously many businesses really rely on these channels for sales and business development, but a broader owned strategy gives you the freedom to make bolder ethical decisions without a threat to business health.
TAKING ACTION
Next Steps For Your Business
There’s absolutely no point banging on about how important owned channels are if we aren’t going to help you take action. Follow the steps below to start making these channels work harder for you.
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- Assess existing owned assets
- Identify gaps and opportunities
- Evaluate resource allocation
- Set clear channel objectives
- Create content calendars
- Plan resource requirements
- Optimise your website
- Develop lead magnets
- Create value-driven content
- Track key metrics
- Analyse performance data
- Make data-driven improvements
Resource Alert!
Need support to build your owned channel strategy?
Book a no-obligation call with Natalie to discuss how we can help as a flexible extension of your marketing team.
