Top Marketing Channels in 2025

What worked last year won’t guarantee success this year, and agency leaders know it. 

You’ve probably seen it happen: A client swears by Facebook Ads, but their latest campaign tanks while a competitor’s YouTube Shorts go viral. 

Or maybe your team pours hours into a client’s LinkedIn thought leadership, only to realize that their audience actually responds better to a well-timed podcast appearance. 

Marketing changes quickly. The agencies that grow are the ones that spot those shifts early and adjust strategies before their clients even ask.

This guide breaks down the top marketing channels in 2025 that agencies will use to drive ROI, win client trust, and scale smarter. We’re highlighting the most impactful marketing channels in 2025, explaining why they matter right now, how they align with your client’s goals, and how to track their performance across every campaign. 

Let’s get into it! 

What Are Marketing Channels?

Marketing channels are the tools and platforms agencies use to deliver campaigns and drive results. 

They include digital options like SEO, email, and paid social, along with traditional options like events and direct mail. Agencies choose specific channels based on client goals, target audience, budget, and how each channel fits into the broader strategy.

The goal isn’t to be everywhere. It’s to be in the right places with the right message, measured by the right metrics. Each channel in your strategy needs a clear role (think brand awareness, lead generation, conversions, etc.), and you need a way to track how well it’s doing that.

For our agency, tracking and optimizing customer acquisition costs provides the means to identify the most effective marketing channels, optimize budget allocation, and target the right customers for maximum ROI.

Ken Krystofik, Head of Client Development, Intellisea

This matters because clients don’t just want to know about their marketing activity. They want to understand the performance and how it’s impacting their bottom line. Understanding which marketing channels deliver the strongest ROI is what separates a busy agency from a profitable one. It’s more important than ever to make sure you're not just executing deliverables but actively improving client outcomes.

The Best Marketing Channels to Focus on in 2025

Agencies in 2025 are no longer hopping on the latest popular trend without the data to back it up. They’re prioritizing digital marketing channels that align with specific client objectives and produce measurable results. 

They’re not focusing on chasing trends. It’s about making strategic choices based on data, performance, and scale potential.

Below are the top marketing channels agencies will use this year, along with why they matter and how they fit into a performance-driven strategy.

1. Email Marketing

Still one of the highest ROI marketing communication channels, email remains unmatched for retention, engagement, and conversion. With more advanced automation, segmentation, and personalization tools than ever, email lets agencies deliver timely, relevant messages that support the full customer journey.

Why It Matters in 2025: Privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, combined with the phaseout of third-party cookies, are making it harder to track users across platforms. That shift puts pressure on agencies to help clients build direct relationships with their audience. 

Email is one of the few marketing channels where your client owns the contact list, the data, and the entire experience. That level of control means more reliable targeting, better personalization, and a channel that won’t disappear if an algorithm changes or a platform dies out.

Use AgencyAnalytics’ email integrations to track open rates, CTRs, and conversion metrics from platforms like Mailchimp and HubSpot in one dashboard. Start your 14-day free trial today! 

2. Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel marketing connects the dots across every platform your client uses (from paid social to email to in-store promotions), creating a consistent brand experience at every touchpoint. Omnichannel marketing means showing up with purpose. It ensures every interaction feels like part of a unified brand experience, regardless of the platform.

Why It Matters in 2025: Customer journeys have become nonlinear. Someone might discover a brand on Instagram, read reviews on Google, click a retargeting ad, and convert through an abandoned cart email days later. When those touchpoints feel disconnected, visually or contextually, prospects lose confidence. Consistency drives trust, and trust drives conversions.

For agencies, omnichannel marketing is how you create that consistency. Matching brand colors or slogans is the baseline. The real value comes from aligning data, timing, and messaging so each channel reinforces the others. When campaigns are coordinated from day one, performance improves across the funnel instead of getting lost in disconnected silos.

Pull data from email, social, SEO, and more into one place. No more bouncing between tabs or exporting spreadsheets. Just a clear, visual overview that helps you spot what’s working, what’s lagging, and where to optimize. Start your 14-day free trial today. 

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of the most versatile digital marketing channels, supporting everything from lead gen and sales to customer service and community building. It’s become a powerful way to generate brand awareness while driving engagement and measurable results across the funnel.

With platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram constantly evolving their ad tools and engagement formats, social gives agencies more creative control and targeting precision than ever before.

Why It Matters in 2025: Social platforms have become full-funnel ecosystems. Discovery, engagement, conversion, and retention all happen within the same feed. 

Features like native checkout, live shopping, and AI-generated content recommendations mean that buyers no longer need to leave the app to complete a purchase. This shortens the path to conversion and gives your clients more control over the entire buyer journey.

This shift changes how agencies are approaching performance marketing channels. It’s not enough to run paid ads and hope for reach. You’ll need an integrated marketing strategy that combines organic content, paid promotion, community engagement, and rapid testing. 

Social is where trends start, but it’s also where gaps in messaging or value get exposed fast. So, getting the full picture from your client’s data is non-negotiable.

Social data doesn’t live in a vacuum, and your reporting shouldn’t either. Use AgencyAnalytics to track engagement metrics, ad spend, conversions, and ROI across all client accounts in one place. Try it out with a free 14-day trial. No credit card required. 

4. Video Marketing

Video remains one of the most effective marketing mediums and channels for storytelling, education, and driving conversions. In 2025, short-form video continues to dominate on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. However, long-form content on YouTube still plays a key role in search and brand authority. Agencies are using video to showcase expertise, simplify complex ideas, and build trust faster.

Why It Matters in 2025: Attention spans are short. Scrolling is fast. But high-quality video content breaks through. Picture yourself as a buyer. You don’t want walls of text. Customers want to see your client’s product or service in action. A 15-second clip does more to establish credibility than an entire landing page if it clearly communicates value.

We love using vertical videos because they work for consumers. We're all on our mobiles all the time, and social shopping is on the rise. This format provides the easiest and most detailed viewing!

Michelle van Blerck, Communications Manager, Digital Freak

Video is also a core part of the top marketing channels for SEO, paid social, and even email marketing. Search engines prioritize video content in results, and platforms like YouTube and TikTok have become discovery engines in their own right. 

This means video isn’t optional. The better your video strategy, the more visibility and engagement your clients will earn across every digital touchpoint.

Track engagement metrics like watch time, click-throughs, and conversions using YouTube and social media integrations inside AgencyAnalytics. Use that data to guide content creation and optimize future campaigns. Try it out for yourself free for 14 days! 

5. Podcast Marketing

Podcasts have become a powerful way to reach niche audiences with high intent. They’re a key alternative marketing channel for agencies working with B2B clients, service providers, and brands that rely on thought leadership. The marketing podcast format builds authority, deepens trust, and keeps your client’s voice in their audience’s ears—literally.

Why It Matters in 2025: Podcast listeners are loyal. They’re often multitasking while driving, walking, or working, but they’re choosing to spend uninterrupted time with a brand’s message. That kind of attention is rare. A strong podcast presence helps your clients stay top of mind, build deeper connections, and influence decision-making in a way that social posts and blog articles can’t replicate.

Agency owners are also tapping into podcasts as guest contributors or advertisers to promote their own agencies. Appearing on existing shows lets your agency tap into a pre-built audience, while targeted sponsorships offer measurable reach and brand alignment. 

I’ve had people listen to our podcast for over a year before reaching out to work with us. They used the free advice we shared to grow their shops, and when they finally hit the point where they could afford professional marketing, we were their first choice—because we had already helped them, just by showing up every week with valuable insights.

Brian Walker, Co-Owner, Shop Marketing Pros

With platforms now offering deeper analytics, like listener retention and conversion tracking, this digital marketing channel is easier to measure than ever before.

Running Spotify ads for clients? With AgencyAnalytics, marketers track impressions, clicks, and conversions from Spotify ad campaigns right alongside other digital marketing channels. Try it free for 14 days. 

6. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has moved beyond vanity metrics. Agencies are leveraging micro and niche influencers as part of targeted, data-driven strategies. These creators offer authentic connections with audiences that traditional ads often can’t reach. Whether your clients are in ecommerce, health, SaaS, or B2B, there’s likely an influencer in their niche who already has the audience they want.

Why It Matters in 2025: Audiences are tuning out polished brand ads and leaning into peer-driven content. Influencers bring credibility and trust because their content feels native to the platform, not intrusive. Thanks to improved tools for tracking UTM links, discount codes, and engagement metrics, agencies can measure influencer marketing analytics with the same clarity as any other performance marketing channel.

Our influencer selection is based on content alignment and consistency. We want to work with influencers who will promote our products and communicate with us in private if there are any issues or concerns. We want as much exposure as possible, so follower and engagement metrics are important, but ultimately we want positive impressions at the end of the day. We strive to create a relationship with each influencer that goes years, not just campaign-to-campaign.

Stacey Steiner, Director of Brand Activation, Prattify

The real value lies in matching the right influencer with the right message and platform. It’s about audience alignment, content fit, and campaign structure. Agencies that systemize their influencer marketing process—discovery, outreach, briefs, tracking—will deliver stronger ROI and prove channel value without guesswork.

AgencyAnalytics helps you track every click, conversion, and custom UTM tied to your clients’ influencer partnerships. Compare performance across platforms, monitor campaign ROI in real-time, and give clients clear proof of what’s working. Start your 14-day free trial here! 

7. Content Marketing

Content marketing remains one of the most reliable B2B marketing channels for building authority, driving organic traffic, and nurturing leads over time. In 2025, it’s all about quality and specificity. Agencies are shifting from mass-producing blog posts (cough cough bulk blog posts purely from ChatGPT) to developing strategic, insight-rich content tailored to specific buyer stages and search intent.

Why It Matters in 2025: Search engines are prioritizing depth, originality, and expertise. Thin content and keyword stuffing are being replaced by content that answers real questions with real insight. This creates a clear opportunity for agencies to win in organic search by aligning content with long-tail queries, customer pain points, and product relevance.

Content marketing also feeds other channels, such as email sequences, ad copy, social posts, and even sales collateral. When the content is done well, it compounds. Agencies that treat it as a long-term asset rather than a short-term traffic play will continue to see compounding returns and stronger lead quality.

Track how your content performs across blogs, email campaigns, and social media, all from one dashboard. With AgencyAnalytics, it’s easy to see what’s driving traffic, clicks, and conversions, helping your team optimize faster. Start your 14-day free trial today.

8. Search Engine Optimization

SEO continues to be one of the most cost-effective online marketing channels for long-term visibility and lead generation. In 2025, success with an SEO budget requires more than technical fixes and keyword lists, especially with all of the recent AI changes disrupting the industry. SEO now demands topic authority, content quality, and real engagement signals more than ever.

Why It Matters in 2025: Search engines are evolving fast, integrating AI-generated summaries, predictive queries, and user behavior signals into their ranking systems. Agencies that still rely on outdated tactics will see diminishing returns. SEO now requires a holistic approach that includes content, site experience, backlink quality, and user intent alignment.

Strong SEO drives compounding traffic over time, making it one of the most scalable digital marketing channels in your toolbox. For clients with limited ad budgets or long sales cycles, it’s an important part of a sustainable growth strategy. However, the key is clear reporting—showing clients important SEO KPIs like how their rankings, traffic, and conversions connect to the strategy behind them.

Track keyword rankings, organic traffic, backlinks, and goal completions in the SEO dashboard from AgencyAnalytics. Start your 14-day free trial today.

9. Event Marketing

Live and virtual events continue to be high-impact marketing communication channels—especially for B2B and service-based businesses. Whether it’s a webinar, conference, or private client roundtable, events create moments of real connection that build trust faster than any ad campaign.

Why It Matters in 2025: Digital fatigue is real. Clients are looking for meaningful, personalized interactions, and events deliver exactly that. They also create a ripple effect across other marketing channels, from email invitations to post-event content, social engagement, and sales follow-ups. When done well, a single event often fuels weeks of marketing momentum.

Agencies that integrate event strategy with their broader campaign planning will help clients maximize their impact and measure real ROI. With the right data in place, you can track registrations, attendance, engagement, and pipeline influence—all of which show up clearly in reporting.

When we decided to go all in on the dental sleep medicine industry, we knew we needed to build trust and brand awareness with our audience quickly. The best way was to reach out to other vendors currently serving the industry that complimented or benefited from our work, and seeing if we could partner or even sponsor their events, webinars, etc. By having our names and logos and even us as people seen together, we could piggyback on the trust they had already built, AKA, if you can trust this coaching organization, you can trust us too.

Lane Rizzardini, Co-Owner, Sleep Apnea Leads

Track key metrics like signups, form submissions, and more by creating custom goals in a client’s marketing dashboard. Get started with your 14-day free trial. 

10. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing has evolved into one of the most efficient performance marketing channels for agencies working with ecommerce and SaaS clients. It turns third-party partners into a distributed sales force, incentivizing them to drive traffic and conversions in exchange for a commission. Done right, it’s a win-win: your client pays for actual results, not potential reach.

Why It Matters in 2025: With rising ad costs and tightening budgets, clients are looking for scalable ways to drive growth without overspending on media. Affiliate marketing offers a flexible, low-risk model that’s easy to scale when supported by the right tools and partner network. It also delivers high-intent traffic as users often convert faster when referred by a trusted source.

Agencies are stepping in to professionalize this channel, helping clients identify strategic partners, manage campaigns, and track performance accurately. As part of a broader mix of digital marketing channels, affiliate marketing adds revenue without overextending the budget.

Connect your client’s Shopify or WooCommerce store to AgencyAnalytics and start tracking affiliate-driven sales in real-time. Get instant visibility into revenue, orders, and partner performance in one streamlined dashboard. Start your 14-day free trial today.

How To Choose the Best Marketing Channel For Your Client Goals and Budget

Even with a clear list of marketing channels, the hardest part is choosing which ones to prioritize. There will always be different client marketing goals, budgets, and buyer behaviors. 

The right marketing channels will depend on where your client’s audience spends time, what action you’re driving, and how success is being measured (perhaps this is predetermined by using a KPI development roadmap). 

Here’s how to break this decision-making process into actionable steps:

Don’t Always Follow the Competition

Just because a competitor is investing heavily in TikTok or podcasting doesn’t mean it’s the right move for your client. Chasing digital marketing trends without strategy burns budget fast. What matters is aligning each marketing channel with your client’s audience and goals.

Look at what the competition is doing, but ask better questions: Is their audience the same as your client’s? Are they getting results or just making noise? Use competitor insights as a data point, not a playbook.

Use the Insights feature to benchmark your client’s performance against their competitors. Identify gaps, spot opportunities, and back your strategy with real data so you’re always one step ahead. Try this feature exclusive to AgencyAnalytics, free for 14 days. 

Work Backwards From Your Budget

Start with the budget, then build the channel mix. Different marketing mediums and channels have different cost structures. Paid social and PPC require upfront spend. SEO and content require time and consistency. Email and affiliate programs may be low-cost but need strong systems to scale.

Anchoring your strategy to the available budget helps you focus resources where they’ll have the most impact. It also sets clearer client expectations upfront around timelines, deliverables, and ROI.

How To Track Marketing Channel Performance Using AgencyAnalytics

Knowing which marketing channels to invest in is only part of the equation. Agencies also need a clear, efficient way to track performance across every platform their clients use. 

That’s where AgencyAnalytics makes the difference. 

With 80+ integrations, customizable dashboards, and real-time reporting, you’ll get full visibility into what's working, what’s underperforming, and what needs to be optimized.

1. Centralized Reporting for Every Channel

AgencyAnalytics brings all your client’s data from SEO and PPC to email, social, and ecommerce into one clean dashboard. 

You’ll no longer need to bounce between Google Analytics, Meta Ads, WooCommerce, or Mailchimp just to build a client report. This kind of centralization saves time and gives agencies the clarity to spot cross-channel trends and track true ROI. It also helps communicate value to clients more effectively—especially when every dollar in the budget demands justification.

Try this exact ecommerce report template by signing up for your free 14-day trial of AgencyAnalytics! 

2. Dashboards Clients Actually Understand

You don’t have to be a data analyst to create client-friendly reports. With pre-built templates and fully customizable widgets, agencies can highlight the metrics that matter most while keeping the data clear and focused.

AgencyAnalytics makes it easy to turn performance data into clear, visual, and actionable insights across digital, traditional, or any mix of marketing channels your clients use.

3. Performance Monitoring in Real Time

Your clients want more than monthly updates. They want answers when things change. AgencyAnalytics allows you to monitor campaign performance daily, spot issues early, and adjust strategies before results slip. From UTM tracking to keyword rankings and ad performance, everything updates in real-time so your agency stays proactive, not reactive.

Conclusion

The top marketing channels in 2025 are the ones that deliver results. Agencies are prioritizing tools and platforms that align with client goals, fit within real-world budgets, and make it easy to measure impact. From email and SEO to influencer and affiliate programs, the most effective strategies are backed by data and built for performance.

To execute at that level, agencies need more than raw data. They need clarity. That’s why over 7,000 marketing agencies rely on AgencyAnalytics. It’s the reporting platform built to help agencies track performance across every channel, streamline reporting, and clearly communicate their value to clients.

Start your 14-day free trial and see how AgencyAnalytics helps turn insights into outcomes your clients will care about.