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If you’re like most home product brands we talk to, you’re doing a lot. You’ve got paid ads running, a blog that may or may not be updated, and someone’s posting to Instagram…occasionally.
But here’s the thing: doing “a bit of everything” on a handful of digital marketing channels doesn’t guarantee results.
When the leads slow down, it’s tempting to throw more dollars at whatever’s trending. But more doesn’t always mean better. Especially when you’re not sure digital marketing campaigns are even working.
The truth? You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to show up where it really counts.
Whether you’re launching a new product line, trying to grow your market share, or looking for more qualified leads, one thing’s for sure: you need a smarter marketing mix.
And that starts by knowing the difference between Owned, Bought, and Borrowed channels.
Wait – There Are Different Types of Digital Channels?
Yep! Most marketing channels fall into 1 of these 3 buckets:
- Owned: Places you control completely.
- Bought: Places you pay to show up on.
- Borrowed: Places you show up on, but don’t own.
Each channel type has a job to do in your marketing strategy. Some build trust. Some drive conversions. Some are great for brand awareness. The trick is knowing how and when to use them – and how to make them work together.
Now let’s go through each channel in more detail.
Owned Marketing Channels
These are your home turf. You control the content, timing, and messaging – which makes these channels really powerful when built and managed well. Owned channels are ideal for creating long-term relationships with customers, nurturing leads, and reinforcing your brand identity. They may not be the fastest to gain traction, but they’re incredibly efficient over time.
Examples:
- Website
- Email List
- SMS List
- Phone List
- Address List
Website
Control over the look, feel, capabilities, and message. Your brand HQ.
Needs ongoing optimization. Can get stale if neglected.
Email List
Email marketing has high ROI. Direct access to people who opted in.
Needs a strong content strategy. Risk of annoying people if misused.
SMS List
Sky-high open rates. Great for promos and time-sensitive stuff.
Super limited space. Easy to overdo and drive unsubscribes.
Phone List
High-touch outreach. Can work well for sales follow-up.
Time-consuming. Not scalable unless you’ve got a team.
Address List
Physical mail stands out. Great for catalogs or luxe print pieces.
Expensive to execute. Harder to track ROI.
Bought Marketing Channels
Bought channels are great when you need speed. You can turn them on or off like a faucet, and they’re very useful for testing campaigns, generating demand fast, and scaling reach. Just remember: you’re paying for visibility. Once you stop paying, the exposure usually stops, too. These channels should work alongside other marketing efforts, not replace them.
Examples:
- Search Ads (Bing or Google ads)
- Social Ads (Meta, Pinterest, LinkedIn)
- OTT or CTV
- Print & Offline Ads
- Affiliate Partnerships
- Directory Listings
- Paid Influencer Marketing
Search Ads
Catches high-intent buyers while they’re searching. Fast to launch.
Costly if not optimized. Stops delivering once the budget runs out.
Social Media Marketing
Video marketing potential. Target specific audiences by interest, behavior, or job title.
Rising ad costs. Creative fatigue. Performance varies on different social media platforms.
OTT or CTV
Video ads in premium, non-skippable placements.
Higher production costs. Needs smart targeting to avoid waste.
Print & Offline Ads
Niche targeting for physical audiences. Great for premium positioning.
Difficult to track impact. Higher cost per impression.
Affiliate Partnerships
Performance-based. Tap into existing networks.
Expensive to execute. Harder to track ROI.
Directory Listings
Boosts credibility. Good for niche B2B visibility.
Limited room to tell your story. Can easily get overlooked.
Influencer Marketing
Builds trust fast through third-party endorsement.
Can be expensive or inconsistent. Requires careful vetting.
Borrowed Marketing Channels
Borrowed channels are the gray area. You don’t control the platform, but you can still build strong visibility if you play it right. These channels are usually the go-to for brand awareness, trust-building, and organic reach, particularly if you don’t yet have the scale or budget to go big with Owned or Bought.
Examples:
- Search Engine Visibility (SEO)
- Organic Social Media
- Local Search (Maps, Apps)
- Streaming Platforms
- Guest Content (Blogs, Podcasts)
- Industry Events
- Referrals & Word-of-Mouth
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Brings in steady, high-quality traffic. Pays off long-term.
Algorithm updates. Takes time to rank. Requires consistent content and technical know-how.
Organic Social Media
Free visibility on social media channels. Builds community and brand affinity.
Organic reach is shrinking. Needs regular engagement to stay visible.
Local Search (Maps, Apps)
Shows up when people are looking nearby. Great for retail locations.
Limited real estate. Needs strong reviews and updates.
Streaming Platforms
Niche audiences. Can double as content marketing.
High production effort. Harder to measure ROI unless well-integrated.
Guest Spots (Blog, Podcast)
Reach new, relevant potential customers. Build authority fast.
Depends on timing and host platform. Not always repeatable.
Industry Events & Networking
Great for high-touch brand visibility. Can build real relationships.
Expensive and time-intensive. ROI can be fuzzy without follow-up.
Referrals & Word-of-Mouth
Most trusted source of leads. Extremely high conversion potential.
Can’t be forced. Relies on customer experience and timing.
Matching Digital Marketing Channels to Buyer Behavior
If you want to build a channel mix that works well, you’ve got to understand your audience first.
Start by mapping your target audience segments to their behaviors:
- Where do they go for home product research?
- What platforms do they use daily?
- How urgent is their need for your product?
- What kind of content do they respond to?
Then, pair those insights with channel types:
- High-intent buyers (e.g., trade pros searching for specs): Focus on search ads, SEO, and directories.
- Inspiration-driven buyers (e.g., homeowners browsing ideas): Lean into organic social media, video, and influencer content.
- Repeat buyers or loyalists: Email, SMS, and even direct mail can be powerful for re-engagement.
Finally, consider the buyer journey:
- Awareness stage = Bought and Borrowed channels
- Consideration stage = SEO, blogs, influencer recommendations
- Decision stage = Product pages, retargeting ads, reviews
Your mix should reflect where your buyer is mentally, not just where they are physically.
Signs You’re Using the Wrong Marketing Channels
When your marketing isn’t connecting, your channels might be to blame. If you’re seeing signs of misalignment, it’s worth a closer look at how and where you’re showing up.
- Lots of traffic, but no conversions: You’re reaching people, but they’re not ready to buy – or you’re saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
- Low engagement on social posts: Your audience isn’t hanging out on that platform, or your content isn’t personalized enough to stop them in their scroll.
- High ad spend with poor ROI: Your targeting might be off, or you’re pushing paid channels without supporting content.
- Sales and marketing teams aren’t aligned: If marketing is generating leads that sales can’t close, the channels may not be attracting the right kind of buyer.
All of these are signals to pause, review, and realign.
Smarter Digital Marketing = Smarter Channel Mix
Building a better strategy starts with understanding the unique role each channel plays. Then, it’s about building a mix that’s balanced, intentional, and strategic.
Tips to dial in your mix:
- Review performance quarterly: Don’t wait a year to find out something flopped. Check what’s moving things in the right direction every 90 days.
- Reallocate budget strategically: Stop burning your budget on underperforming channels. Shift that spend to what’s working, and document why it is.
- Pair tactics to support each other: Use blog content to fuel emails. Follow up print ads with retargeting. Make your efforts stack, not silo.
- Integrate your systems: Your CRM, email platform, ad tools, and analytics should work together. When they do, you get clearer insights and better results.
Smart digital marketers treat their channel mix like a portfolio – diversified, measured, and constantly optimized.
Your next step…
You don’t need to be everywhere, all the time.
You just need a plan that matches your goals and budget to reach and connect with your audience.
Still not sure what the most effective digital marketing channels are for your home product manufacturing company? Partner with us.
Our Audience Insights service shows you where your customers spend time, what channels they trust, and how to build the right mix to get the best results.