Top 5 Best Marketing Channels of 2025

Spoiler alert: Social media is not on my list

Author

Angela Hollowell
January 16, 2025

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Hey honeys and hustlers,

We don’t need social media platforms. Social media platforms need us. The reach of social media platforms is alluring, and it’s certainly the easiest way to talk to our friends (read = share funny videos and memes). But if you’re looking to grow a creative business using social media, there may be other platforms that are more valuable and useful for that specific purpose. Even for people who want to be online creators (people who grow sizeable audiences online and leverage their audience size and affinity to gain brand deals, sell products, or sell memberships), I still think social media is far from your only option. Let alone your best option. I remember watching an episode of A Marketing Podcast from my friend Kayla Dawn Gladney, founder of Dawn & Co., where she and her co-host ranked their top 5 marketing channels. Here’s my stab at that for 2025, from lowest to highest:

  1. Podcast. Podcast discovery is still unclear and unequal for many, but the return on creating a quality podcast and marketing that podcast successfully are enormous. 55% of podcast listeners report making a purchase after hearing a host-read ad on a podcast. Podcasts are deep community-building channels that host evergreen audio files that can sometimes benefit from being search-friendly. Podcast audiences and communities are slower to build, but very valuable when you do, and often pay dividends even if you decide to take a break from posting.

  1. Referral programs. Your most valuable marketing channel will often come from people who recommend you personally. You can incorporate referral programs into your newsletter like I have below, just as you can incorporate a referral program into your creative business. Want more great clients and customers? Do such a great job for your current clients and customers that they recommend you to other people. Client experience > camera gear and the number of social media followers you have. Crafting an incredible client experience will also be a major determining factor in your ability to regularly raise your rates. No one cares that you just bought a camera you couldn’t afford on credit because it shoots in some format you’ll rarely ever use. They care that you provide them with a quality service and that they like the process of working with you. To go the extra mile, you could offer clients and customers who refer you to others a discount or a freebie that compliments their service or purchase (i.e. free photo prints, a complimentary social media reel, a free social media strategy session, 15% off their next booking, etc.).

  1. YouTube. The platform is set to enhance channel profiles with a similar UX/UI design as the Netflix homepage, which will surely enhance the viewer experience. YouTube is the king of video discovery, with or without TikTok. Its videos appear in Google search as well as platform search. Community can be found both in the community tab and the comments section. YouTube allows you to have upload defaults for your video descriptions, allowing you to easily add links without forgetting. You can direct viewers to other videos on your channel through cards and end screens. You can also create playlists that allow people to binge all of your videos on a certain topic. There are so many ways to leverage videos for monetization and conversations on this platform, it will always have a place in my heart (just not at the top of the list, for now).

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  1. Email newsletter w/ blog page. I feel that this distinction is important. There are plenty of email newsletter hosting platforms, but not many platforms that provide you with a website that hosts all of your previous issues with ease. I believe there was a time when an email newsletter by itself was enough. Now, I think an email newsletter must serve two purposes: to build community by reaching your audience directly in their inbox AND to serve as an evergreen marketing platform where past issues can be linked directly to reach new audiences. Having a website connected to your email newsletter also allows for articles to become searchable, another method of discovery. Substack is the wave for many, as it’s free forever and comes with its own social media feed. beehiiv (free plan option with competitive paid plans), Ghost (paid plans only, but lower starting cost), and Kajabi (most expensive option upfront, but an all-encompassing platform) are also great options. Kit and Mailchimp technically have a landing page for past issues but they’re not as reader-friendly or customizable as the competition.

  1. In-person events. When I first moved to the Triangle and wanted to get myself established here, I didn’t run to social media – I ran (well, drove) to networking events. So. Many. Networking. Events. And it worked. I met a ton of people, had a ton of 1-on-1s, and got a ton of personalized warm intros and referrals. The return-to-work wave didn’t skip over the creator economy; many industry events are back in person, and many people are craving them over online connections and virtual events. Sometimes, in-person events are the best place to ask a person to be a guest on your podcast, meet new potential clients, or ask a brand about collaborating on a paid campaign. Nothing beats making a great impression face to face, and I think the people who move from behind the screen to build their community and business more often than not are going to be leaps ahead of most.

The Social Media Caveat

This list is not my way of saying social media is irrelevant. I’m not discounting that social media is an incredible discovery and reach tool. Or at least it can be. But it is exactly that. The likelihood of someone buying from you or supporting you just because they follow you on social media, especially if you’re not showing up every day, is very low. I think 2024 helped us put the role of social media in perspective better than ever. I’ve never listened to the folks crying wolf about starting an email list because social media platforms could go away at any time, but it appears that some of those crying wolves may have been trying to save you the heartache of having to jump from platform to platform without having a real connection to your audience. And that’s ultimately the true value of a marketing channel; its ability to connect you with your target market in a meaningful way.

I’ll likely still be posting regularly on Linkedin as it feels like the most stable of the larger social media platforms currently, and their new video feed seems to be sticking around. Substack Notes also feels like a relatively safe space. I think all platforms can be valid depending on the time you’re willing to spend investing in them. But time is a limited resource, and it might be better spent in other areas. Much to my dismay, gone are the days of boundless rewards for posting regularly on a platform. Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, you name it. Posting regularly won’t directly result in growth – you’ll need to engage to make the platforms work for you. I’ve felt the sting of both Instagram and Twitter changing their algorithms and catering to different types of users in the blink of an eye, and I know the value of investing time and energy into more evergreen platforms.

When it comes to paid social ads, I haven’t done one in so long, I’m the wrong person to ask. People are using paid social ads to grow their newsletters and podcasts with incredible success. The reality of paid ads is that in order for them to be effective, you must first know exactly who your audience is. And that can only happen organically. I’ll be sharing alternatives to paid ads next week, so stay tuned!

I hope this list and perspective is helpful. Is there anything you would change? Is there anything you would substitute on this list? Is there any platform on this list that you’ll be trying this year?

If you made it this far and found this article helpful, consider sharing it! It’s free to read, and your genuine recommendation means the world to me!

Please Hustle Responsibly,

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