Reading the news this past week convinced me that there's a (not-so)quiet revolution happening in digital marketing right now.
Publishers who once relied on Google for traffic are adapting to the so-called "Google Zero" state where questions get answered directly in search results. Microsoft executives clarified that they cannot guarantee European customers' data sovereignty under certain legal circumstances. Meanwhile, TikTok updated its Community Guidelines to prioritize on-platform commerce over external links.
What struck me wasn't the problems these changes create, but the opportunity they highlight: the businesses that will thrive are the ones with diversified customer acquisition strategies.
Think of it like investment portfolio theory. No smart investor puts all their money in a single stock, no matter how promising it looks. The same principle applies to marketing channels. The most resilient businesses I know treat platforms as one part of a broader customer acquisition portfolio — valuable for discovery and reach, but never the sole foundation of their growth strategy.
This is why the smartest marketers are doubling down on owned channels alongside their platform efforts.
They're building:
Direct customer relationships through email lists, memberships, and communities
First-party data systems that provide clearer insights than any third-party analytics
Multiple touchpoints so their growth doesn't depend on any single algorithm or policy change
When you have this kind of diversified approach, you can leverage each channel's strengths without being vulnerable to any single channel's changes. Platforms become powerful tools for discovery and initial engagement, while owned channels handle the relationship-building and long-term value creation.
The businesses doing this well are more resilient and profitable, too. They understand their customers better, communicate more effectively, and build value that compounds over time rather than starting from zero with each campaign.
Speaking of building systems that work — that's exactly the kind of practical intelligence we're diving into today. This week's newsletter includes a comprehensive 100+ item checklist for creating high-converting landing pages (because owned properties need to actually convert), our new Bot Detector tool that helps you distinguish between human and bot activities (a challenge impacting all digital marketing channels), and a breakdown of the latest email regulations you need to know about.
Plus the usual mix of marketing news and strategic insights that help you stay ahead of the curve. Because while everyone else is reacting to the latest platform drama, the smart money is on building fundamentals that compound over time.
