It’s 2025 and there’s this feeling in the marketing industry that we are walking on shifting sands.
Google’s AI Overviews came out of nowhere, and significantly reduced click-through rates for blogs and SEO-optimized content. In some cases, publishers have reported traffic drops of up to 56% when AI Overviews appear.
TikTokers got a small taste of what a ban in the U.S. would feel like. Although the ban was lifted shortly, it reminded brands and creators just how vulnerable and volatile social platforms can be.
Meanwhile, cost-per-click continues to rise. In 2025, the average CPC on Google’s Search Network has climbed to $2.69, reflecting growing competition and tightening ad inventory across platforms.
Organic reach on Instagram and Facebook is falling fast. Instagram engagement alone has declined by 28% year-over-year. Like it or hate it, these platforms benefit more when you spend on their ad platforms to promote your stuff.
In this industry, it’s always been a case of adapt or get left behind. So how are marketers adapting to this new reality? Where are they placing their trust, time, and most importantly their budgets?
To find out, we surveyed over 1,000 marketing professionals.
Our respondents were primarily Marketing Managers (42%), Digital Marketing Managers (26%), and E-commerce Managers (33%) professionals with direct influence over budget decisions and channel strategies.
[TL;DR] Key findings summarized
Here are the key findings of our research summarized:
Confidence in social media is fading
- 1 in 4 marketers say the TikTok ban has shaken their trust in social platforms
- Over 40% say they don’t trust social media platforms to remain stable over the next 12 months
Marketers are shifting strategy
- More than 60% have already moved or plan to move away from social media
- The top channels that are gaining focus are:
- Email marketing (49%)
- Websites/blogs (43%)
- Mobile apps, SMS, SEO, and SEM follow
Email delivers control and good ROI
- #1 for return on investment over the last 6 months
- #1 for marketing channel investment over the past year
- #1 channel marketers feel they control
- Social and paid channels rank far lower for ownership and flexibility
- Marketers say email campaigns are often easier to get leadership buy-in for than paid ads
What’s holding some people back from using email?
- Fear of spamming (34%)
- No list to send to (17%)
- Content paralysis: not knowing what to send (15%)
- But: 24% say they face no barriers at all
It’s not about email vs other channels, but using both the right way
Social media still plays a key role in reaching new audiences. The most effective marketers use it to drive traffic to lead magnets, collect email addresses, and convert attention into owned contacts. An omnichannel approach works best just make sure your contacts don’t live only on rented platforms. Own the connection.
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Rented vs. Owned: Where are you really building your business?
In marketing, there’s a long-standing idea that not all channels are created equal some you own, and others you only rent. In a matter of fact, we’ve been sharing this quote on our blog for years now:
“Don’t Build Your Content House On Rented Land”
-Joe Pulizzi
While technically, nothing you own is free, and even owned channels like a website can be taken down in some cases. It is safe to say that some channels give you more control and are way less volatile than others.
Owned channels are platforms where you control the content, the audience, and the access like your email list, website, or SMS subscriber base. You decide when to show up, how to show up, and no algorithm can take that visibility away.
Rented channels, on the other hand, are platforms you don’t control. Social media channels like TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook give you reach but only on their terms. They can change the algorithm, throttle your visibility, hike your ad costs, or in extreme cases, even vanish from your strategy overnight (see: TikTok’s recent brush with a U.S. ban).
Besides the short-lived TikTok ban, creators, and businesses remember the short-lived short content platform named Vine. Not to mention shadow-bans, unjustified decreases in organic reach and so on. Your business might be living off these platforms and all of a sudden, you get evicted without a notice.
That’s why marketers are starting to ask themselves a tough but necessary question:
Am I building on land I own or land that could be taken away tomorrow?
To explore how marketing teams are thinking about this shift, we broke down our study results question by question. From social media trust levels to budget allocation and ROI, here’s what over 1,000 marketers told us about where they’re focused now and what channels they’re betting on next.
How TikTok’s ban shook marketers’ confidence
Social media has always felt fast-paced but lately, it’s starting to feel unstable.
When the U.S. government announced a potential TikTok ban in early 2025, it sent shockwaves through the marketing world. For brands that rely heavily on the platform for reach, engagement, and trend-driven campaigns, it raised an urgent question: What happens if your primary channel disappears overnight?
We’ve seen it happen before. Vine, once the star of short-form content, was shut down with little warning.
Marketers who had built huge audiences there lost everything their followers, reach, and momentum in a matter of weeks. It’s a reminder that no matter how well a platform performs, if you don’t own the audience, you’re always at risk.
So, we asked marketers directly:
Has the potential TikTok ban affected your confidence in relying on social media as a marketing channel?
Here’s what they told us:
- 24.8% said the TikTok ban decreased their confidence in social media
- 60.6% said it had no impact
- 14.6% said it increased their confidence
At first glance, the fact that 60% of marketers reported no impact may seem reassuring. But when nearly 1 in 4 professionals say their trust in social channels has been shaken by just one regulatory event, it speaks volumes.
What’s more telling? Many marketers aren’t just watching TikTok, they’re starting to reevaluate their reliance on social platforms altogether. They’re asking: What’s my fallback if the algorithm shifts, costs spike, or a platform gets pulled from my toolbox entirely?
This question became a recurring theme in our research and it’s where the shift toward owned channels begins to take shape.
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Marketers are Losing trust in social media’s stability
Even when platforms aren’t being banned, marketers know social media can change without notice. One day your posts go viral, the next, you’re technically invisible without paid ads.
So we asked:
How much do you trust social platforms like TikTok, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), and X (formerly Twitter) to remain stable marketing partners over the next year?
Here’s what they said:
- Only 14.5% said they trust social platforms “a lot”
- 44.1% said they trust them “a little”
- 28.6% said “not much”
- 12.8% said “not at all”
That means more than 40% of marketers don’t feel they can rely on social platforms to maintain stability, and fewer than 1 in 6 say they have strong trust in them.
This matters, because social media isn’t just a place to post anymore, it’s where brands spend thousands (or millions) on ads, influencer partnerships, and audience-building strategies. If confidence in these platforms is this low, it’s a sign that many marketers are starting to consider more dependable alternatives.
And while they’re not abandoning social completely, they’re clearly thinking twice before building their entire strategy on it. Especially when performance can drop not because of bad content, but because an algorithm changed.
Next, we looked at how marketers are responding to that loss of trust. Are they shifting focus? Moving their budgets? Rethinking their channel mix?
Spoiler alert: The answer is yes, and it’s already happening.
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Marketers are already shifting focus away from social
If trust is shaky, the logical next question is: are marketers actually doing anything about it?
The answer is yes, and not just in theory. Many have already begun moving time, money, and attention toward more stable, owned channels.
When asked if concerns like the TikTok ban, privacy issues, or data leaks have influenced their marketing focus, here’s how marketers responded:
- 34.6% said they’ve already increased focus on other channels
- 27.6% said they plan to increase their focus
- 37.8% said they have not changed their approach
That means more than 60% of marketers are shifting or preparing to shift away from social media dependency. That’s not a marginal trend it’s a strategic pivot.
So what channels are they leaning into instead?
We asked marketers where they’re redirecting their attention. Their answers make it clear; it’s a rebalancing of priorities, driven by performance, ownership, and long-term viability.
That brings us to the next question: when marketers move away from social, where exactly are they going?
Where marketers are putting their budgets now
When marketers start shifting focus, their budgets follow. So we asked them directly: over the past year, which marketing channels have you invested in the most?
Here’s what they told us:
- 34.3% said email marketing
- 30.1% said their website or blog
- 24.0% chose SEO
- 19.4% invested in paid search
- 18.4% focused on social media advertising
- 13.4% prioritized influencer marketing
Email and website topped the list across the board. That’s a clear sign that marketers are trying to own their audience, and they’re funding this effort.
While paid channels like social media and search still see investment, they’re secondary to assets marketers can fully control. This reinforces a larger trend in the data: performance is no longer the only metric. Ownership, reliability and long-term ROI matter just as much.
In the next section, we look at whether those investments are actually paying off. Are owned channels just safer or are they more profitable too?
Which channels are actually delivering the best ROI
Budget is one thing. Results are another. So we asked marketers which channels have delivered the highest return on investment over the last six months.
Their answers reflect a clear pattern.
- 26.9% said email marketing
- 22.7% said website or blog
- 19.2% said SEO
- 16.1% said paid search
- 11.4% said social media ads
- 3.7% said influencer marketing
Once again, email and owned content properties lead the pack. These aren’t just safe bets. They’re performing.
The most trusted, high-performing channels are also the ones that give marketers the most control. Channels like influencer marketing and social ads may offer reach, but they lag behind when it comes to reliable returns.
This confirms what many experienced marketers already suspect. Owned channels like email and content don’t just help build long-term assets. They also drive meaningful business results right now.
In the next section, we ask marketers where they feel most in control and the answers reinforce why these channels are getting more attention.
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Where marketers feel the most in control
Results matter. But so does control. In a fast-changing landscape, marketers want to know they can execute, optimize, and scale without relying on unpredictable platforms or third-party algorithms.
So we asked: which channel gives you the greatest sense of control?
Here’s how they answered:
- 37.5% said email marketing
- 33.0% said website or blog
- 16.1% said paid search
- 5.9% said social media advertising
- 5.5% said SEO
- 2.1% said influencer marketing
This is a crucial insight. Control doesn’t just mean flexibility. It means ownership. It means being able to reach your audience without paying to play. It means knowing your channel won’t disappear with the next algorithm change or platform policy shift.
Email and websites, both owned, direct, and data-rich are top the list. Marketers trust them because they’re predictable, testable, and independent of external volatility.
The bottom of the list, once again, is filled with rented real estate: influencer marketing and social ads. They may have their place in a broader mix, but marketers clearly don’t see them as dependable foundations.
Next, we’ll look at just how much attention marketers are giving to email marketing today. It turns out, most are aware of its value and already leaning into it.
Email marketing is already a top priority
We’ve seen that email leads in ROI and control. But is that just theory, or are marketers actually focusing on it in practice?
We asked how much attention email marketing is getting in their current strategies.
Here’s what they said:
- 27.9% said they place a lot of focus on email
- 39.6% said a bit of focus
- 23.4% said a little focus
- 9.1% said none at all
More than two-thirds of marketers are actively investing their time and attention into email marketing today. And only a small fraction, just over 9 percent, aren’t using it at all.
That’s a strong signal that email is far from dead. In fact, it’s one of the most consistently used and supported channels in the modern marketing toolkit.
In the next section, we’ll look at what’s holding back the minority who aren’t investing in email yet, and why those barriers might be easier to overcome than they think.
What’s holding some marketers back from email
If email is reliable, high-ROI, and widely adopted, why isn’t every marketer fully invested in it?
We asked respondents who aren’t currently focusing on email marketing to share their reasons. Their answers highlight common concerns, but also show that most of these barriers are solvable.
Here’s what they said:
- 34.4% said they’re afraid of spamming their audience
- 17.5% said they don’t have a list to send to
- 14.8% said they’re not sure what kind of content to send
- 14.7% said they don’t have time
- 10.7% said they lack design or technical skills
- 7.9% had other reasons
The most common hesitation is a fear of coming across as spammy. With modern deliverability tools, clear opt-ins, and segmentation, it’s easier than ever to send valuable emails that your audience actually wants to receive.
Other concerns, like not having a list or not knowing what to send, are tactical problems with clear solutions. And platforms like GetResponse are built specifically to make those parts easier, from list building and automation to templates and AI-powered content assistance.
Most of these blockers aren’t permanent. They’re gaps in time, tools, or confidence. And as the rest of this data shows, the payoff of overcoming them is well worth it.
Next, we’ll explore how email marketing compares to other channels when it comes to getting leadership support and budget approval. The results might surprise you.
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It is easier to secure a budget for email compared to other paid channels
Even if a channel performs well, it won’t get far without leadership support. So we asked marketers how easy it is to secure a budget for email marketing compared to paid channels like social media ads and search campaigns.
Here’s what they told us:
- 34.3% said email marketing is easier to get support for
- 38.5% said it’s about the same
- 27.2% said it’s harder
This is a key insight. Despite all the hype around newer and flashier channels, email still holds strong credibility within marketing leadership teams.
One in three marketers say it’s actually easier to get buy-in for email than for paid media, and the majority say it’s at least on par.
That makes email not only effective and controllable, but also politically viable. When you’re presenting channel strategies to your CMO or budget approver, email is more likely to get a nod than a raise of the eyebrows.
This piece rounds out the bigger picture: marketers trust email not just for performance, but because it makes sense across every layer of strategy, from execution to executive alignment.
Why it’s time to build where you have control
This research makes one thing clear: marketers are thinking long term. They’re tired of volatility, tired of chasing reach across platforms they don’t control, and tired of rebuilding every time the rules change.
Email marketing, along with other owned channels like websites and blogs, stands out not just because it’s familiar but because it performs. It’s where marketers feel the most in control. It delivers the best ROI. And often, it’s easier to get leadership buy-in compared to paid media.
But this doesn’t mean social media should be abandoned. Far from it. Channels like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook still play a powerful role in reaching new audiences. The key is using them with purpose. Marketers should treat social platforms as discovery engines, channels for engagement, visibility, and prospecting. The goal is to guide those audiences into an environment you own, like your email list or CRM.
As Gary Vee puts it, “Once you start focusing on the “and”, not the “or”, things get real good.”
A strong marketing strategy isn’t about choosing one channel over another. It’s about integrating them into a cohesive system. Social platforms can amplify your reach. Email can secure your relationship with that audience.
If you’re investing in social, make sure you’re also capturing contacts through lead magnets like ebooks, webinars, exclusive offers, or newsletter sign-ups. Once that contact is in your ecosystem, you can nurture, retarget, and build long-term engagement without relying on third-party algorithms or ad spend.
If you’re ready to get started, we’ve put together a list of the best email marketing tools to help you build and grow your list with confidence.
Because in marketing, what you own is what gives you leverage. And what you integrate is what drives growth.
