From invisible to leaders: the secret of brands that will survive the traffic collapse

1. The silent change in the digital ecosystem

How the collapse of organic traffic and the emergence of new habits are rewriting the rules of the game in media, marketing, and advertising.

For years, web traffic was the ultimate indicator of digital success. For media outlets, it represented influence; for e-commerce, it represented conversion; and for brands, it represented reach. Ranking well on Google was like having a storefront on the busiest street in a global city. Those who mastered SEO could control a large part of the digital acquisition cycle, regardless of their size or budget.

However, something has changed. And it has done so in a way that is as silent as it is decisive.

While we were all talking about artificial intelligence, blockchain, or the metaverse, a much more structural phenomenon has been gaining ground: The progressive death of organic traffic as a reliable and scalable sourceIt's not a theory. It's evidence backed by figures and trends that cut across industries, geographies, and business models.

a) The collapse of organic traffic in international media

Let's put the data on the table.

According to various digital analytics sources, between 2022 and 2024, world-renowned media outlets have lost more than half of their organic search traffic. Business Insider, a reference in technology and finance, has seen 76 % of its visits from Google disappear. HuffPost, one of the first major global digital media outlets, has been virtually invisible in the results. The Washington Post has fallen back more than 40 %, and The Wall Street Journal, considered a stronghold of paid and premium information, has lost 25% %.

This phenomenon isn't limited to the big players. It also affects regional media, specialized blogs, niche verticals, and even online stores with well-developed SEO strategies. In many cases, we're talking about business models whose backbone was precisely that constant flow of free, qualified visitors. Today, that model is shaky.

Why is this happening?

There are multiple factors that explain this. But they all converge on a common root: the change in consumption habits and in the logic of the platforms that mediate this consumptionAnd here the real transformation begins.

b) The structural transformation of information consumption

Until a few years ago, digital user behavior was linear and logical. You'd open a browser, perform a Google search, review the results, and click on a link to dig deeper. This sequence—search, evaluate, consume—defined how attention moved online.

But that model has broken down.

In 2024, the user —especially those under 35 years old— does not browse, does not search in a structured way, and does not explore content out of intellectual curiosity. Instead, receives constant stimuli, curated by algorithms who understand better than anyone their interests, emotions, consumption habits and attention spans.

Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Netflix, Amazon, Spotify or Reddit They've turned the feed into the primary means of content distribution. And it's not just about chronological or editorial feeds: it's about content flows. calculated in real time to maximize retention.

According to a report by Pew Research Center (2023), 61% of young Americans between 18 and 29 years old They prefer to discover informative content on social media rather than searching for it on Google..

From active search to passive consumption

The new consumption model requires no intention or effort. Information is provided without the user even asking for it:

• TikTok decides which videos you should watch.
  
• YouTube Shorts shows you the next clip without you choosing it.
  
• Spotify recommends songs or podcasts that match your emotional state.
  
• Netflix automatically releases trailers before you can browse the catalog.
  
• Amazon shows products before you even start searching for them.
  

Information is no longer sought: it is delivered.

And this delivery is based on data, not content. The criterion is no longer the authority of the source or the quality of the content, but its ability to keep you connected, interacting, and coming back.

According to App Annie / Data.ai (2024), mobile applications already represent the 88 % of total smartphone usage time, and more than 75 % of that time occurs within closed platforms with personalized content algorithms.

The new content: visual, immediate and emotional

Modern platforms aren't optimized for long text or complex analysis. They're designed for:

• Short and immersive videos.
  
• Visual content, with an initial hook in 2 seconds.
  
• Narratives that appeal to emotional impact, not reason.
  
• Minimum participation (like, save, follow).
  

A study of Google Insights (Think with Google, 2023) reveals that 59% of Generation Z respondents claim that Short videos are your favorite format for learning new things., compared to only 12 % who prefer long articles.

In addition, TikTok and YouTube have surpassed Google as the top search platforms for topics like recipes, tutorials, and product reviews, according to Adobe Analytics (Q1 2024).

Even Amazon beats Google in certain searches

The transformation affects not only news but also commerce. Today:

• 53% of US product searches begin on Amazon, compared to 33 % on Google, according to data from Jungle Scout (2023).
  
• In sectors such as fashion, decoration or technology, Users search first on visual platforms or marketplaces, not in search engines.
  

This makes Amazon, TikTok, and YouTube the new discovery engines. But unlike Google, they don't drive traffic to your site: They retain the user and monetize their attention directly.

From depth to attentional efficiency

The consequence of this new model is clear:

• He time spent on websites has decreased, according to Statista, which estimates that the average time per session on news sites has dropped by 23% since 2019.
  
• The CTR (Click-Through Rate) on Google AdSense has dropped dramatically. On mobile devices, More than 65% of searches end without a click, according to SparkToro (2024).
  
• In contrast, in-app content consumption has grown steadily since 2018, especially in closed formats such as Stories, Shorts, and Reels.
  

In summary:

• The news consumption model is no longer proactive, but algorithmic.
  
• The logic of “searching to find” has been replaced by the logic of “receiving what I want without asking for it.”
  
• The competition for attention is no longer fought on search engines, but in the ability to appear in each user's personalized stream.
  
• And for that, the content must no longer just exist: It must adapt, entertain, activate and retain.
  

What we are seeing it is not a transition, but a fundamental transformation. The information economy has given way to the assisted care economics.

c) End of the symbiosis model between Google and the media

For more than two decades, it was assumed that a functional balance existed between content creators (media outlets, bloggers, brands) and the great organizer of global knowledge: Google.

The former published, the latter ordered. In return, traffic was generated. A perfect symbiosis: you give me content, I give you an audience. Everyone wins.

But that implicit agreement is no longer in force.

Google is no longer a neutral intermediary. It is now positioned as direct answer providerWith the addition of generative AI (SGE), it's starting to offer not only featured snippets but also full texts generated by its models. The need to click has decreased.

At the same time, the search engine prioritizes its own services (Maps, Shopping, Discover, etc.), fragments responses, and reduces the visibility of traditional organic results. And if that weren't enough, new tools like Perplexity, Gemini, or ChatGPT integrated into browsers They are trained to provide answers without the user knowing where the information comes from.

This poses a strategic disruption:

If your traffic depends on an external platform choosing you as a source, do you really have a sustainable strategy?

The big lesson from this collapse in organic traffic isn't that Google is bad, or that SEO is dead.
The thing is Betting the future of your business on an external intermediary is a structural error.

The context has changed. Attention is distributed. Content isn't sought, it's received.
And if you don't build your own access channels, your brand will become increasingly dependent on external rules that you neither understand nor control.

2. The emergence of artificial intelligence and zero-click

Search engines no longer search: they respond. Artificial intelligence is here to reshape the way we discover content… and what that means for brands, media outlets, and creators.

If the first major digital disruption was the arrival of Google, the second is undoubtedly the emergence of generative artificial intelligence as a new player in the search ecosystem. What began as a technical revolution has now become a strategic earthquake for anyone who creates, distributes, or monetizes online content.

The entry of players like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google (Gemini), Amazon (Rufus), and Perplexity AI has changed not only user behavior but also the very architecture of the search experience. For the first time in internet history, search engines not only index, but also respond directly.

And in that response, there are no clicks, no links, no visits. Just a summary.

For many, this may seem like progress. For others, it's an existential threat. The truth is, we're entering a new era: the era of the ultimate zero-click, where information isn't consulted, it's resolved. And where visibility is no longer gained by appearing first, but by being useful to a machine that decides what to show... and what not.

According to a report published by eMarketer in April 2025, the implementation of Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) could lead to an estimated drop in 20 % to 60 % in organic traffic that digital media and content creators receive. This transformation isn't just speculation: it's already manifesting in active testing and progressive rollouts in key markets such as the United States, Germany, and Japan. The implications are direct: if search engines deliver AI-generated answers without requiring clicks, the role of original content as a destination is radically diluted. And with it, impressions, leads, and traditional monetization models also disappear.

In addition, the study “AI Search & Content Futures” Posted by Gartner in 2025 confirms that More than 70% of information queries no longer result in clicks. Outside the search engine environment, especially on mobile devices. This represents a strategic disruption that forces media outlets and brands to rethink their visibility architecture. Content no longer competes for ranking, but rather to be absorbed and synthesized by a generative model. Including these recent figures not only reinforces the urgency of change, but also supports the main thesis with empirical evidence: Traditional SEO is no longer sufficient and channel ownership is now the only stable refuge..

a) Generative AI as a new intermediary

Until recently, the user was the one who decided what to read. They searched, compared results, chose a source, and accessed the content. That decision relied on human perceptions of authority, interest, design, or relevance.

Today, the intermediary is no longer the user, but AI.

Models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity AI have transformed the consultation experience. They interpret complex questions, query thousands of sources in seconds, and generate natural language responses that simulate comprehension, structure, and synthesis.

But this model has profound implications:

• AI stands between the original content and the end user.
  
• He doesn't always cite sources, and when he does, he doesn't prioritize clicks.
  
• Content ceases to be a destination and becomes raw material for a synthetic response.
  

For content creators, this is devastating. It means losing:

• Visibility, because the content does not appear in the foreground.
  
• Authorship, because the origin is not always recognized.
  
• Traffic, because the fountain is no longer visited.
  
• Monetization, because there are no ads to display, forms to fill out, or readers to convert.
  

We're facing the end of SEO as we knew it. It's no longer about appearing first on Google, but rather about being useful to feed a system that will use you... without necessarily rewarding you.

In this new economy of automated attention, content is no longer a brand asset but an algorithmic commodity.

b) Zero-click search and content retuning

The logic of zero-click is not new, but it has been radically intensified.

According to a report by SparkToro and SimilarWeb, more than 60% of Google searches end without the user clicking on any results. That is, most of the time, the query is resolved within the search engine itself: with snippets, rich snippets, maps, or directly with an AI-generated answer box.

This model erodes the foundations of SEO:

• It no longer matters if you appear in the first result if that result doesn't generate any traffic.
  
• The value of the content comes down to the summary that Google or ChatGPT choose to display.
  
• The organic attraction strategy loses meaning if the majority of users do not reach the site.
  

Added to this is the proliferation of virtual assistants, such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana, which answer a huge number of questions without showing any results. The user speaks, the machine responds, and the source… is diluted.

The most worrying thing isn't that this is happening. It's that it's becoming normal.

c) The role of Generation Z in transforming search habits

If there is one population group that has accelerated this transformation, it is Generation Z.

Born between 1997 and 2012, these young people have grown up in a post-browser world. For them, searching on Google is a secondary resource. It's natural to consult TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, or YouTube to resolve questions, make decisions, or simply entertain themselves.

This generation values:

• The visual experience over the textual one.
  
• Personal recommendations over institutional authority.
  
• Immediate utility over argumentative depth.
  
• The short, emotional, and authentic format, like that offered by 30-second videos with first-person narrative.
  

Examples such as Jijantes (sports journalism), La Veu de Lleida (local news with its own voice), Romuald Fons (SEO turned showman) or even Joe Rogan (long-form podcast-video format) show how news content no longer needs a traditional header to generate influence.

For Generation Z, an influencer with a compelling narrative has more credibility than a medium with decades of history.

According to internal Google data collected by TechCrunch, more than 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds already use TikTok or Instagram as their primary search engines for topics like recipes, product reviews, or travel recommendations.

Where's the attention… and where should you be?

Content is no longer consumed where you publish it. It's consumed where the user lives.
And today's users live on closed, algorithmic, mobile platforms. They live in environments that prioritize format, emotion, and fast connection.

Therefore, the strategy of being on Google is no longer enough. Neither is having a blog, a YouTube channel, or an Instagram account. Today, brands must think of distributed ecosystems, where content adapts to the channel, the context, and the moment.

And that means understanding:

• That AI will be your first reader, before any human.
  
• The user will not search for your content, they will receive it.
  
• That if you don't appear in their feed, you don't exist.

3. The paradox of abundance and the decline of SEO

We've never had so much content. It's never been so hard to get anyone to see it. Welcome to the noise.

They promised us that content was king. That if we wrote well, if we added value, if we knew how to optimize our articles, users would come. But what they didn't tell us is that that kingdom, content, was about to collapse under its own weight.

We live in a brutal paradox: We have more tools, more platforms, more formats and more content than ever before.. But at the same time, We have less visibility, less time, and more noise than any audience can process.What was once a race to position itself is now a race to stay in the spotlight.

And in the midst of this scenario, SEO—for years the central pillar of digital strategy—is beginning to show unequivocal signs of exhaustion.

a) More content than ever, less visibility than ever

The numbers speak for themselves. Every minute on the internet, an avalanche of posts occurs:

• More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube, according to data from Statista.
  
• More than 3,000 articles are created on WordPress blogs, not counting traditional media or newsletters.
  
• LinkedIn, Instagram, X (Twitter), Reddit, TikTok…each with millions of interactions per second.
  

And yet, user attention is not multiplied. You still have 24 hours in a day. And if we take away the time spent sleeping, working, eating, and living… that's left few windows available to consume new content.

The paradox of abundance isn't just a sensation: it's a quantifiable reality. There has never been so much content as there is today, but it has never been more difficult to achieve organic visibility. According to Ahrefs data, less than 10% of indexed pages receive monthly visits from Google. That is, more than 90% of published content is never read. On social media, Instagram's algorithm barely shows 10-12% of content to followers, and on Facebook that figure drops to 5% of content. Even on TikTok, where the algorithm is more aggressive, 80% of uploaded content doesn't exceed 500 views.

This oversupply has created an attention economy in which the winner isn't the best content, but rather the content that best fits the logic of the dominant algorithm. It's no longer enough to write well, record quality content, or design a good message. You have to understand when, where, and how that message is distributed.

The result is fierce competition for visibility that pushes brands, media outlets, and creators to adopt increasingly aggressive tactics: clickbait titles, ultra-short formats, and constant posting. And yet, they often fail to break the visibility ceiling imposed by the platforms.

b) Content without context is worthless

Until a decade ago, everything revolved around "being found." Optimizing a title, improving the article structure, answering frequently asked questions. Content had to be positioned. Today, that logic has changed radically. Users no longer search: content appears to them, but within a very specific contextual environment.

TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and even Netflix and Spotify no longer simply present options: they decide for us what to watch. Not based on objective quality, but on what the algorithm interprets as something we'll stick around for. These personalized recommendations are based on millions of pieces of data about behavior, interests, micro-reactions, and consumption patterns. Thus, content ceases to have value in and of itself and acquires value solely based on the context in which it is embedded.

This has given rise to a new golden rule in content marketing: If you are not integrated into the user's consumption flow, you do not exist.Content that isn't delivered at the right time, through the right channel, and in the right format is invisible. It's like having a brilliant message in a bottle that never reaches the shore.

Therefore, content strategies now need to think first about distribution. Where is your audience? How do they consume content? What are their habits? What channels do they use during what time periods? What formats do they prefer? This contextual intelligence is more important today than any keyword.

And this is where tools like push notifications, personalized recommendation systems, themed newsletters, and proprietary apps come into play. They allow you to deliver content with intent, not with hope. They allow you to engage your audience, not wait for a reaction.

c) Distribution as the core of the strategy

This new paradigm requires a radical change in the approach to content marketing. In the era of SEO, the priority was to produce relevant content and wait for search engines to index and rank it. Today, that's no longer enough. The strategy must revolve around proactive delivery of content, making distribution the nerve center of any digital operation.

Active distribution means designing a channel architecture that doesn't rely on intermediaries. It involves owning the point of contact with the audience and building an ecosystem where data flows, messages are personalized, and the experience is consistent. It's not just about "publishing on more sites," but about orchestrate intelligently what content goes to which channel, at what time, in what format, and for which specific audience.

This includes:

• Create shipping routines through automations that activate content based on defined triggers (e.g., cart abandonment, category browsing, relevant industry events).
• Link content across multiple platforms, including not only social media but also marketplaces, apps, messaging channels, and virtual assistants.
• Constantly monitor KPIs not only for conversion, but also for retention and return: which channel delivers the best value per content, which format builds loyalty, and what frequency maximizes engagement.

Furthermore, it involves creating collaborative internal processes: marketing, sales, support, and technology must work together so that distribution is not an add-on, but a cross-cutting axis of the business. If content is the asset, distribution is the infrastructure that makes it profitable.

It is no longer enough to think about campaigns: we must think about continuous content systems, as if they were internal communication tools. And to achieve this, tools like Make, Zapier, n8n, Airtable, and Contentful are no longer optional, but essential.

In short, we're witnessing a fundamental shift in content marketing. SEO is still useful, but it's no longer the focus. The key is no longer being found; it's finding your audience and being where they expect to see you. Because if you're not there, someone else will fill that space. And in the digital world of 2025, that space is more valuable than ever.

d) From SEO to EAO: from Search to Engagement & Audience Ownership

In this new landscape, it's not enough to wait to be discovered: you have to build your own, engaged, and directly accessible audience. The evolution of SEO toward EAO (Engagement & Audience Ownership) reflects a complete shift in philosophy. It's no longer just about optimizing for search engines, but about generating a community with which to interact and build long-term loyalty.

Engagement is no longer just a KPI, but a strategic assetEvery comment, every reply, every opt-in is a sign that the audience has not only seen the content, but has decided to take part in the conversation. And that's infinitely more valuable than an anonymous visit from a search engine.

Audience Ownership, on the other hand, involves having your own, controlled channels: newsletters, apps, podcasts, private communities, CRMs. Channels where there are no intermediaries to filter, penalize, or alter access. Where the data is yours. Where you can segment, personalize, and build lasting relationships.

This approach allows each piece of content to be not an end, but a means to deepen the connection with the audience. Publishing an article isn't simply informing; it's opening a door to dialogue. Sending a push notification isn't interrupting; it's reinforcing a voluntary consumption habit. Launching a video isn't entertaining; it's building loyalty.

Furthermore, EAO involves designing experiences rather than messages: dynamic funnels, multi-channel journeys, and mutually reinforcing touchpoints. It's the transition from a borrowed audience (the one Instagram, Google, or Facebook gives you) to a owned audience (the one that subscribes, returns, and recommends).

The attention economy forces us to stop thinking about traffic and start thinking about community. Because one visit doesn't guarantee anything. But having your own audience is a sustainable competitive advantage.

Therefore, the priority for brands, media outlets, and creators must be clear: transform their content strategy into a relationship strategy. Move from SEO as a technique to EAO as a mindset. Because this is the only way to survive—and thrive—in an environment where being found no longer depends on you, but building an audience does.

4. Evolution of video marketing in the last decade

Over the last decade, video has gone from being a complementary resource to becoming the epicenter of any effective digital marketing strategy. This evolution has been profoundly influenced by two key factors: the transformation of user consumption habits and the exponential growth of platforms focused on audiovisual content. What was once an option is now a requirement. What was once a medium is now a priority channel.

a) From complementary format to central axis of strategy

A decade ago, including a video on a landing page was a good practice that slightly increased conversions. Today, not having video content is synonymous with being outdated. Leading brands in the digital space not only integrate video into their actions, but place it at the center of their communication and conversion strategies.

The reasons are compelling:

• Video educates more effectively than text. It explains, demonstrates, and simplifies concepts in seconds that would require minutes to read.
• Video captures user attention. According to Wistia, pages with video generate three times longer dwell time than those without.
• Video directly influences decision-making. A HubSpot study reveals that 72% of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service through video.

Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Shorts have transformed the way we consume information. By 2024, more than 75% of mobile screen time will be spent watching video. This is no coincidence. Video is fast-paced, emotional, easy to consume, and perfectly aligned with the fragmented attention spans of the digital age.

It's no longer just about producing video, but rather producing it in the right format, length, tone, and channel. A long-form YouTube video serves a different purpose than a 30-second reel or a short story. Each format addresses a different stage of the user journey and should be designed with that goal in mind.

b) Video as a search engine, engagement and decision tool

Video is no longer just a type of content. It's an infrastructure. A channel for discovery, engagement, and conversion. It has come to perform functions previously reserved for search engines, blogs, or sales calls.

Seeker: Search behavior has changed. New generations, especially Generation Z, turn to YouTube and TikTok as their primary sources of information. If they want to know how to do something, they look for a video tutorial. If they're considering a purchase, they explore audiovisual reviews. If they have questions about a product, they consult visual comparisons. Video provides context, trust, and transparency.

Engagement: Video generates higher levels of engagement than any other format. According to data from Socialinsider, Instagram Reels have an engagement rate four times higher than static posts. LinkedIn videos double the engagement compared to long texts. And on TikTok, brands that generate responses or challenges achieve unprecedented engagement.

The reason is simple: video connects emotionally. It can inspire, entertain, educate, or move people. And it does so in real time, with a viral potential that other formats can't match. A good video isn't just watched: it's commented on, shared, reinterpreted, and becomes a conversation starter.

Decision: Video also plays a decisive role in the final stretch of the funnel. According to data from Think with Google, more than 70% of buyers say video helps them make purchasing decisions. And it's not just about big-budget productions. Testimonial videos, unboxings, usage demonstrations, and home reviews are incredibly effective because they offer social proof, authenticity, and live demonstrations.

This forces brands to stop viewing video as a standalone piece and start integrating it as a cross-functional driver. From attraction to conversion, including retention and loyalty, video must be present at every stage.

And most importantly: it shouldn't depend on third-party platforms. The true potential of video marketing is realized when it's deployed from a controlled environment: your own app, your own website, your own channel. There you can capture data, personalize experiences, automate sequences, and measure results.

In a context where content is delivered, not searched for, video is the format that best adapts to the new consumption logic. It's proactive, immersive, and recurring. Therefore, it must be at the center of any modern digital strategy.

5. Content needs its own throne: its own channel.

In a world where the rules of the game are constantly changing and digital intermediaries (Google, Meta, TikTok) impose their own conditions, the only sustainable solution is to build your own channel. It's not just about having a digital presence, but also about having the infrastructure that allows you to communicate, build loyalty, and monetize without depending on third parties.

a) Why depending on Google is a structural weakness

Every algorithm change can destroy your traffic. It doesn't matter how much content you publish or how high-quality it is: if the algorithm decides to demote it, you'll disappear from your audience's radar. This situation has generated a digital economy based on uncertainty and volatility, where brands operate under the terms of third parties without the ability to respond.

Platforms prioritize their own interests. Google highlights AI-generated results, Meta prioritizes content that maximizes time on the app, and TikTok hides anything that doesn't fit its immediate engagement model. If you're not the channel owner, you're a temporary guest.

Furthermore, these platforms prevent you from having a complete view of your audience. You receive fragmented, anonymized, or filtered data, which makes it difficult to design personalized strategies and make informed decisions. You lack complete control over the user experience or the conversion funnel. And, if that weren't enough, you must submit to third-party monetization models, paying commissions or accepting unfavorable terms.

None of this is a one-time failure of the system: it's a structural weakness of the model. It means that every euro invested in SEO, content, advertising, or social media, every piece of content created, and every follower gained, isn't really yours. You're investing in rented land. You're building your business on shaky sands.

Relying on Google, Meta, or any other Big Tech company to reach your audience is like building your empire on borrowed time that can disappear with an algorithm update, a policy change, or an unexpected drop in traffic. The only way to ensure stability, scalability, and profitability is to build your own digital ecosystem.

b) 360º Vision: the new competitive advantage is to build your own digital ecosystem

The competitive paradigm shift is no longer based on who has the most traffic, but on who has the most direct connection with their audience. We're moving from external content to a controlled environment; from massive reach to personalization and loyalty.

What does “audience ownership” really mean?

• Have access to your users' data (email, behavior, preferences).
• Being able to activate your audience directly, without algorithmic filters.
• Eliminate dependence on external platforms to communicate, sell, or inform.

The app as a pillar, but not as the only channel A modern app acts as a centralized mobile touchpoint, but having an app isn't enough if it's not integrated into an ecosystem. An effective strategy requires an interconnected digital architecture that ensures efficiency, scalability, and control.

Components of the 360º digital ecosystem

• Web CMS: To manage online content on your main site.
• CMS App (like King of App): To deploy native and custom content on mobile devices.
• CRM: To manage relationships, leads and customer follow-up.
• ERP: To integrate internal processes such as inventories, billing or logistics.
• Automation tools (Make, Pabbly, n8n…): To connect systems and automate repetitive tasks.
• Communication channels (chat, forums, support): To maintain continuous and efficient contact.
• Applied AI: To personalize content, automate processes, and generate actionable insights.

Advantages of an interconnected system

• Efficient data flow between tools and platforms.
• Orchestration of the customer experience, from first contact to loyalty.
• Decision optimization thanks to centralized data and automated processes.

The strategic role of the app within the ecosystem

• It is the most powerful direct mobile channel to activate, retain and monetize.
• It works as your own platform where you can offer services, exclusive content, and a community.
• Facilitates data collection and real-time interaction.

The advantage no longer lies in having a specific tool, but in having a complete, proprietary system. A digital ecosystem that allows you to control the user experience, reduce dependence on external platforms, and generate long-term value.

A 360-degree view is the new competitive advantage. It allows you to scale without losing control, build loyalty without intermediaries, and monetize efficiently. Because in an environment where everything changes, your own channel is the only truly safe haven.

6. Building our own channels: from borrowed traffic to a controlled ecosystem

In the digital economy, traffic is ephemeral, algorithms are unstable, and visibility is for rent. The rules change without warning. Today, you can reach thousands of people with a single post; tomorrow, that same post won't even reach 5 % of your followers. In this context, Betting on own channels is not an option: it is a strategic priority.

Because the future of your relationship with your audience isn't built on borrowed clicks, but on spaces where you hold the keys. Channels where you define the rules, collect the data, automate the relationship, and generate sustained value.

a) Beyond traffic: build the channel, not the dependency

For years, traffic was the digital gold. The key metrics were "visits," "reach," "impressions." But that model has outdated. Today we understand that Not all traffic is the same and that, in reality, much of that traffic it's not ours.

Organic traffic from Google, views on TikTok, or impressions on Instagram are valuable, yes, but they are not real assets. They are loans. And like any loan, can be withdrawn at any time: an algorithm change, a drop in rankings, a penalized account, a new privacy policy.

The big risk isn't losing visibility, it's losing the connection. Because if you have to pay again to talk to the same person who already knows you, then you don't have an audience: you have a debt.

The real strategic question isn't "how much traffic do I generate?" but rather "how much audience can I activate without intermediaries?"That is: How many users do I have registered? How many open my emails? How many receive my push notifications? How many participate in my community? That's the metric that matters.

b) What is an own channel?

A dedicated channel is not just a communication tool. It is a digital environment under your control, where you can build, maintain, and scale a direct relationship with your audience, without filters or third-party algorithms.

The 3 conditions for a channel to be truly your own:

1. Direct user permission: The user has subscribed, registered, or agreed to receive your messages. You're not "interrupting," you're engaging in a conversation.
   
2. Environmental controlYou define what is seen, how it is seen, when it is seen, and with what logic. There are no algorithms deciding for you.
   
3. Data management: You can learn who the user is, what they do, how they interact, what they're interested in, and use that information to improve their experience.
   

Examples of own channels:

• You mobile app, with notifications, private areas and specific functionalities.
  
• You newsletter, where the database is yours and the conversation happens in your inbox.
  
• You gated community, whether it's a forum, a Discord group, or a self-managed social network.
  
• You training platform, membership or premium content, with subscription access.
  
• You CRM connected to automations, which allows for frictionless segmentation, communication and loyalty.
  

Each of these channels has something in common: the relationship is yours and the value accumulatesBecause when you directly manage your audience, you can build relationship flows that don't depend on trends or volatile metrics.

c) Where to start building?

Building your own channels doesn't mean doing everything at once. It means Start well, grow solidly, and scale meaningfully.

Step by step:

1. Choose a main channelWhat's most feasible for you today? Launching a simple app? Creating a newsletter? Starting a digital community? Choose based on your audience and resources.
   
2. Integrate a CRM from the startDon't wait until you have thousands of users to structure your database. Start with the first registration.
   
3. Automate key flowsWelcome, activation, follow-up, re-engagement. Every user should feel supported without you having to manually monitor them.
   
4. Design engaging experiences: Add features like points, achievements, custom content, or rewards to encourage active participation.
   
5. Measure and optimize for retention, not just reachHow many come back? How much time do they spend with you? What content do they value most?
   

An own channel is a long-term investment. You don't need massive volume, you need significant connection. 1,000 active users on your channel are worth more than 100,000 followers you can't activate.

d) The app as a hub for the proprietary channel

In this new paradigm, the app is positioned as the center of gravity of the digital ecosystem. Not because it replaces the rest of the channels, but because articulates them, amplifies them and turns them into integrated mobile experiences.

Why is the app so powerful?

• It's in the user's pocket, available at all times.
  
• Allows you to centralize services, content, community and notifications in one place.
  
• Easily integrates with your CRM, CMS, ERP and automation tools.
  
• It is the most stable channel against algorithmic fluctuations from Google, Meta or TikTok.
  

A well-designed app is more than just a mobile extension of your website: is your proprietary channel par excellence, your own “Netflix,” “Duolingo,” or “Spotify,” albeit on a smaller scale. It’s where you can truly create personalized experiences, recurring relationships, and a vibrant community.

Moving from borrowed traffic to a controlled ecosystem is not a fad, it's a necessary evolution. In a world saturated with stimuli and governed by foreign algorithms, building your own channels allows you to recover what is most valuable: the direct relationship with your audience.

And that relationship isn't measured in clicks, views, or likes. It's measured in trust, repeat business, feedback, recommendations, and repeat sales. Because your own channels are relational assets that do not lose value over time, but rather accumulate it..

Building an app, launching a newsletter, creating a community, automating a CRM… are all steps toward the same goal: own your narrative, your relationship, and your business.

7. The new strategic imperative: How much traffic do I control?

In the era of programmatic marketing, hyper-segmentation, and real-time data, one question has become essential. A question that should open every management, content strategy, performance, or brand meeting:

What part of my traffic do I directly control?

We don't talk about how many people see us. Not even how many people click. We talk about how many people belong to us as a relational audiencePeople with whom we can communicate directly, without going through filters, auctions, or external algorithms.

Because impressions are not influence, and followers are not active if they can't be activated. What really matters is:

• How many users receive my emails?
  
• How many people have my app installed and enabled notifications?
  
• How many are registered in my community or CRM?
  
• How many consume content within my own environments?
  

The answer to this question determines something much more important than the ROI of a campaign. It determines the level of resilience of your business. Because The more control you have over your channel, the more stable and sustainable your growth will be.And the more you rely on external platforms to exist, the greater the risk of disappearing without warning.

a) What “controlling traffic” really means

Controlling traffic isn't about controlling volume. It's about controlling the connection. It means you can decide when, how, and with what message you impact your audience. You can personalize, automate, scale, and monetize without asking permission from an external platform.

Controlling traffic involves:

• Have direct contact permission (opt-in).
  
• Manage the platform where contact occurs (app, web, community).
  
• Control the user data (interests, history, behavior).
  
• Direct the complete experience: from the first impact to conversion and loyalty.
  

It's not about shutting down your social channels or giving up on SEO. It's about stopping seeing them as final channels and start treating them like gateways to your proprietary ecosystem.

b) Success stories: Spotify, Netflix, Tesla and the power of your own channel

The great digital leaders of the 21st century share the same philosophy: They don't depend on you discovering them, they make sure you come back.They have understood that the real asset is not traffic, it is the habit of use within one's own channel.

Spotify

• You don't need SEO to rank artists: create daily routines with personalized playlists and recommendation algorithms.
  
• The user is not searching for content, the content finds him within a closed, mobile, personalized and recurring environment.
  

Netflix

• It doesn't invest in SEM for each release: it builds loyalty through its own app and original content that lives exclusively within its platform.
  
• Your data allows you to anticipate tastes, make accurate recommendations and generate community effect without leaving the channel.
  

Tesla

• It doesn't invest in traditional advertising: it relies on its customer base, user community, and direct presence.
  
• Its owners are also its ambassadors, and its digital ecosystem of apps, services, and updates It is the main channel of relationship.
  

These examples have something in common:

They don't expect to be found on Google. They don't compete for clicks. They've built environments where value isn't sought—it's delivered.

And most importantly: This is replicableYou don't need to be a multinational to implement this approach. What you need is:

• A clear channel ownership strategy.
  
• A system that collects, interprets and activates data.
  
• An environment where the user stays, not just passes by.
  

c) From impact marketing to link marketing

Old marketing was obsessed with impact: how to reach more people, faster, more cheaply. But that model is becoming exhausted. It costs more and more, lasts less, and leaves less of an impact.

The new marketing—the one that builds lasting brands and communities— is based on the link. In creating experiences that turn users into members. Traffic into relationships. Visitors into a community.

And that bond can only be sustained within channels that you control.

Controlling traffic is the new strategic imperative of any company that wants to grow with stability.
It is not about eliminating the external, but about take advantage of it to feed the internal. Of converting each click into a user of your own.
Because when you control the relationship, you control the narrative. And when you control the narrative, you control the value.

In 2025, the most valuable brands won't be the most visible. They'll be the ones that have built the most connections of their own. They'll be the ones with an audience that doesn't rely on anyone else to activate it.
Because in a world where everything changes, Your channel is your refuge. And your future is yours.

8. Mobile apps as a strategic solution

In a context where channel ownership and direct relationship with the audience are essential to ensure the sustainability and scalability of any brand, The mobile app becomes a key strategic piece. It is not just a technical tool or a design whim. It is the The only platform capable of integrating content, communication, analytics and monetization in a single environment, completely independent of algorithms or intermediaries.

In an increasingly competitive and saturated market, brands that are committed to developing their own closed digital environment —with features designed for the user's everyday life—achieve a structural advantage that doesn't depend on endless advertising budgets or constant changes in the external rules of the game.

a) Key benefits of having your own app

When a brand has its own app, it is building the equivalent of your store, your media outlet, your community, and your support channel, all in oneThese are the most important benefits from a strategic perspective:

✅ Direct channel with the user, without algorithms or commissions

Social networks and search engines decide whether you appear, when, and to whom. An app, on the other hand, connects you directly to your userThere are no filters or shifting priorities. You decide what, when, and how you communicate.

✅ Segmented and personalized push notifications

Unlike email, where the average open rate is around 20%, Push notifications can reach rates of 60% or more If used correctly, they allow you to reactivate users, launch offers, or deliver content contextually, at just the right moment.

✅ Integration with CRM, e-commerce, video, community, AI

A modern app doesn't exist in isolation. It can integrate with your CRM to personalize the experience, with your online store to facilitate conversions, with your analytics or automation systems, or even with artificial intelligence engines that improve recommendations and customer service.

✅ Structured loyalty: challenges, achievements, levels, rewards

Apps allow you to implement systems of gamification with a real impact on retention. A system of points, badges, progress, or challenges encourages user return, makes the experience fun, and strengthens the emotional bond with the brand.

✅ Offline access, immersive experience, recurring use

Unlike a website, the app does not depend on constant connectionIt can offer offline features and content, which is key in sectors such as education, tourism, retail, and wellness. Plus, the app lives on the device, visible, available, and ready to use every day.

✅ Integrated monetization: subscriptions, premium content, sales

From the app itself, you can sell physical products, services, access to premium content, or memberships. This allows generate direct income, without intermediaries or third-party commissions (except for store commissions, which can also be avoided with alternative strategies).

Together, these benefits make the app the most complete, controlled and scalable digital environment for any content project, personal brand, business or community.

b) Comparison: borrowed channel vs own channel

To clearly understand the differential value offered by an app, it is enough to compare its advantages point by point compared to the channels provided:

Feature	Borrowed Channel (SEO, social media)	Own Channel (Mobile App)
Scope	Unstable, subject to algorithms	Direct, controlled by the brand
Acquisition cost	High, advertising dependent	Low, once the installation is acquired
Loyalty	Weak	Strong through native functionalities
Retention	Poor	High (notifications, gamification)
Analytics	Partial, third party	Own, in real time and in depth
Monetization	Limited, third-party commissions	Direct, without intermediaries
Branding	Dispersed and shared with other brands	Totally personalized, professional and unique

This table leaves no room for doubt: Betting on your own app means betting on control of your brand's digital ecosystem., for the quality of the relationship with your users and for future profitability.

c) Key capabilities of a modern app

Not all apps are created equal. An app designed with a strategic vision and designed to grow alongside your project must meet a series of key capabilities that transcend the technical and touch on the experiential, relational, and commercial aspects.

✅ Smart and predictive push

Thanks to artificial intelligence and behavioral analysis, a modern app can send automatic notifications. at the optimal time for each user, increasing conversion and reducing abandonment.

✅ Advanced analytics: funnels, cohorts, LTV

Apps allow you to implement top-level analytics systems, which are not limited to the number of downloads. You can find out the life cycle of each user, their points of friction, the content that works best, or the abandonment patterns.

✅ Gamification and dynamic loyalty

With tools like achievements, levels, missions, rewards, or rankings, an app can become a game. This logic builds loyalty and retains through motivation, progress and community.

✅ Integration with AI, automation, e-commerce, education, or events

A modern app doesn't just deliver content. Acts as a service hub: You can integrate a booking system, a course catalog, an e-commerce site with a shopping cart, an AI-powered virtual assistant, or an interactive event calendar.

✅ Integrated community and real-time support

By integrating a native community within the app (forum, chat, comments, surveys), you are closing the relationship cycleFrom content to feedback, from questions to answers. You can also offer support with tickets, chat, or integrated bots.

✅ Personalization of the user journey

Every user is unique. Therefore, a well-designed app allows you to personalize navigation, content, and recommendations based on your needs. profile, behavior and usage historyThis improves the experience and increases engagement.

In short, the mobile app It is no longer a luxury or an accessory, but the core of the modern digital ecosystemIt's the only environment that combines visibility, recurrence, personalization, monetization, and proprietary data.

In a world where attention is scarce, channel control is fragile and loyalty is the new battlefield, the app represents the last bastion of independence, control and scalability for any brand, creator or company.

If the website was your showcase, the app is your store, your club, your loudspeaker, and your point of contact.
And when you get the user to carry your app in their pocket, you no longer need to search for it: you are with him, every day.

9. Strategic alternatives: own channel models beyond the mobile app

Although the mobile app represents the most powerful channel today, it is not the only one. A solid digital strategy must consider a proprietary multichannel architecture, where every touchpoint is under your control, aligned with your business objectives, and coordinated from a common core of data.

One of the classic and still highly effective pillars is the smart email marketingSegmented newsletters continue to be one of the channels with the highest ROI (up to $36 for every $1 invested, according to Litmus). Their effectiveness skyrockets when integrated with behavior recorded on the app or website, allowing for automated sequences and the delivery of relevant content at the right time.

The private communities (on Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, or your own forums) offer spaces where interaction between users and the brand becomes continuous, authentic, and deep. This format is ideal for training programs, peer-to-peer technical support, loyalty programs, or access to exclusive content.

He own podcast It's another strategic tool: it allows you to build authority and an emotional relationship with your audience. Even if it's distributed on open platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, its value increases when it's linked to a dedicated channel—such as an app or website—where data is captured and the experience is expanded.

As for the video, although platforms like YouTube offer visibility, it is key to redirect attention towards a controlled channel, where premium or exclusive content is hosted: from documentaries, classes, to recorded events.

In B2B environments, private or verticalized websites with closed content (requires login or payment) allow you to consolidate high-value relationships without depending on algorithms.

All this must be centralized in one Structured CRM, which collects, analyzes, and activates information from all channels, enabling personalized journeys and operational efficiency.

The key is not only to have your own channels, but that they work interconnected, coordinated and under a single relationship strategyThat's the real digital competitive advantage.

a) Segmented newsletter (smart email marketing)

Email marketing remains one of the channels with the highest return on investment (ROI). According to studies like Litmus, every dollar invested in email marketing generates an average return of $36. Without algorithms and with advanced segmentation tools, a well-crafted newsletter can become a driving force for loyalty, remarketing, and repeat sales. Furthermore, when linked to app or CRM usage data, it allows for the design of highly personalized, automated, and result-oriented campaigns.

b) Private or semi-private community

Creating a digital community outside of traditional networks is a way to escape algorithmic volatility. Platforms like Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and self-managed forums allow for ongoing, organized, and valuable conversations among members. Communities are also ideal for co-creating, validating ideas, launching products, generating peer support, and increasing a sense of belonging to the brand. Well-managed, they become a space of high relational and emotional value.

c) Own podcasts

Podcasts are the most intimate and personal consumption channel. They accompany their audience in unique moments: when they're walking, exercising, or driving. This creates a deep emotional connection. A podcast allows you to build authority on a topic, generate evergreen content, attract long-term audiences, and redirect traffic to proprietary channels. Ideally, it's used as a lead into an app or closed community, where the conversation and monetization can continue.

d) Own video channel

Publishing on platforms like YouTube offers visibility advantages, but true control and monetization are achieved when a closed environment is created for the most valuable content. Platforms like Vimeo OTT, LMS systems, or proprietary apps allow you to offer exclusive content—classes, documentaries, courses, events—with restricted access via subscription or a one-time payment. This strengthens brand authority and increases monetization opportunities.

e) Verticalized and private websites

They are digital spaces specifically designed for a niche audience, product, or service. Vertical websites allow you to speak directly to a segmented audience and offer tailored content. When this content is protected by access (login or subscription), it becomes a highly valuable relational asset. Ideal for B2B brands, professional services, or specialized content.

f) CRM and structured database

Although not a communication channel in itself, a CRM is the backbone of any owned channel strategy. It connects data from email, the app, the website, events, and more. It allows for precise segmentation, automation, personalization, and measurement. Without a solid CRM, owned channels lose efficiency and scalability. A good CRM system, connected to your app and marketing tools, is the key to moving from generic content to intelligent engagement. 

g) Interactive websites with product logic

The smart microsites Vertical websites have become key entry and conversion points. These pages are designed with product logic: they don't just inform, they activate. They allow users to register, launch challenges, connect with communities, or direct them to app installation. They are fundamental in acquisition strategies.

h) Hybrid channels: WhatsApp, Telegram and direct messaging

Although not always considered their own channels, platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram allow you to establish one-to-one or one-to-many conversations, with very high opening rates and the ability to be automated using bots. Although they depend on external platforms, they offer a direct, immediate and non-algorithmic relationship, as long as the database is yours and the conversation is integrated into your overall strategy.

i) Training platforms or digital academies

If your business model includes training or consulting, a proprietary learning environment (LMS, closed learning platform, virtual campus) not only strengthens loyalty but also turns your knowledge into a scalable asset. These spaces allow for the integration of on-demand content, community, tracking, and sales of digital products.

j) Connected physical environments

We mustn't forget the physical channel. A store, showroom, event, or point of sale can be part of your own channel if it's digitally connected: QR code scans, companion apps, check-ins, interactive screens, or gamified experiences. The goal is to Collect data, generate interaction and extend the relationship outside the physical space.

An app is the ideal core of your own channel, but it can't—and shouldn't—work in isolation. The winning strategy this decade is to build a network of interconnected canals, in which each contact with the user has continuity, purpose and value.

Each channel must:

• Capture data ethically.
  
• Be aligned with the customer journey.
  
• Deliver real, personalized value.
  
• Contribute to a unified user vision.
  

In a world where attention is scarce and trust is hard to come by, Coordination between own channels is the new marketing.

10. The future of search engines in the age of AI: what about advertising?

We are witnessing the biggest change in the history of search engines since their invention. Generative artificial intelligence is not only transforming the way we search, but also the monetization model that has sustained the digital economy for decades. In this new paradigm, the rules of visibility, traffic, and advertising are being rewritten at a rapid pace.

a) From the link model to the response model

For more than two decades, the search engine functioned as an intermediary: it responded to user queries with a list of links. The model was simple but effective: the higher you appeared, the more traffic you received. And Google built an empire around that logic.

Today, all that is changing.

With the arrival of models such as SGE (Search Generative Experience) From Google, Perplexity AI, ChatGPT with navigation or Claude, search engines stop being “traffic directors” to become content-response generatorsThey no longer take you to a website: they answer you directly.

This shift drastically reduces the volume of clicks toward niche media, blogs, or websites, especially on informational queries, tutorials, comparisons, or early transactional searches. Organic referral traffic, as we knew it, is in structural decline.

b) What will happen to Google Ads and monetization networks like AdSense?

If searches no longer generate clicks, Classic ads are losing groundGoogle Ads, as designed, is based on impressions and clicks within the search engine. But if answers are displayed without links, the ad space is also reduced.

We are already seeing it:

• The CTR of banner and text ads is falling year after year.
  
• AdSense shows increasingly lower returns, especially in small and medium-sized media.
  
• Advertisers are migrating towards channels with direct measurement, closed attribution and greater segmentation capacity.
  

In this context, Relying solely on AdSense as a source of advertising revenue is a strategic mistakeIn the new model, brands and media must:

1. Building your own sales force, which directly sells premium spaces to advertisers interested in niche or local audiences.
   
2. Explore more sophisticated advertising networks, as Taboola, Outbrain, Andro or other sponsored and native content platforms.
   
3. Develop closed environments such as apps or private areas where advertising is less intrusive and more integrated (e.g. sponsored push, product placement, branded content).
   

c) From search engine to own channel: an inevitable migration

As AI turns search engines into answer tools rather than discovery platforms, Brand autonomy is more valuable than ever.The alternative is not to compete with AI, but move the relationship with the user to a controlled environment.

• The app itself.
  
• The gated community.
  
• CRM and push.
  
• Exclusive content subject to login or subscription.
  

There are no algorithms limiting reach, no commissions, and no sudden drops due to changes in platform policies. Here the brand regains control of its traffic, its relationship, and its monetization.

The future of search engines in the age of AI is clear: fewer clicks, more responsesLess visibility for those without their own brand or channel. Mass advertising based on banners and links is slowly but surely declining.

The good news: We still have time to adaptAnd the first to do so will be those who lead the new digital model based on direct relationships and sustained trust.

11. The era of Marketing Engagement: loyalty and experience as the axis of growth

Marketing has ceased to be a matter of volume and has become a matter of connection. In a digital ecosystem saturated with advertising messages, stimuli, and promises, the most competitive brands no longer fight just to capture attention: they fight to maintain it. And that difference changes everything.

Because Attracting users is expensive, but losing them is ruinous.And because the real return—sustained, scalable, profitable—is not in the first click, but in the second, the third, and those that come after.

Therefore, we are already talking about a new era: the era of Marketing Engagement. Where the priority is not to increase traffic, but cultivate the relationship.

a) From mass acquisition to smart loyalty

For a long time, marketing teams worked with a simple logic: the more leads, the better. The more traffic, the more conversions. The more users, the more sales.

But the indicators have changed:

• He cost per acquisition (CPA) has skyrocketed in recent years. Acquiring a new user in some sectors can cost between €5 and €50, or more.
  
• He organic traffic has lost reliabilityBetween changing algorithms and generative AI, search engine traffic is increasingly volatile.
  
• He loyal user is much more profitable: spends more, recommends more and costs less to maintain.
  

This evolution forces us to redefine key marketing metricsIt is no longer just about how many arrive, but about how many remainHow many return. How many participate. How many become a community.

Engagement is not just a KPI: it is the new lever for real growth.

b) What is Marketing Engagement really?

Engagement is not a point metric. It's a relationship. It's the degree of bond, interaction and loyalty that a user develops with a brand.

Engagement isn't someone following you. It's:

• ✅ You remember.
  
• ✅ You visit frequently.
  
• ✅ Interact with you, whether by commenting, sharing, completing tasks, or responding to messages.
  
• ✅ If feel part of your ecosystem.
  
• ✅ Talk about you with others, recommend you and defend you.
  

That is to say: engagement is a combination of emotional, functional and routine factors. And it can only be built if consciously design an ecosystem that facilitates constant and meaningful interaction.

c) The app as the center of the engagement strategy

Of all the available channels, the mobile app is the most powerful environment for managing and scaling an engagement strategy. Because it resides on the user's device, because it allows for advanced personalization, and because it integrates community, communication, content, and conversion features.

Here's how a well-structured app can activate all the key drivers of engagement:

Engagement Element	How does a mobile app allow this?
Personalization	Dynamic content based on profile, interests and usage
Continuous interaction	Push notifications, comments, challenges and reminders
Gamification	Points, achievements, rankings, levels, missions
Community	Forums, chat, internal events, social feedback
Exclusive content	Access blocked by membership or rewards
Added value	Tests, utilities, training, calculators, tools
Agile support	In-app customer service, FAQs, tickets

On a single platform, the user can Discover, interact, learn, buy, participate and resolve doubts, without leaving the ecosystem. And each action fuels that user's brand awareness, improving each new interaction.

d) Engagement as a sustainable competitive advantage

Engagement is not just a way to retain users. It's a structural competitive advantageBrands with high engagement:

• They invest less in advertising, because they have an active and committed base.
  
• They have ambassador clients, which they spontaneously recommend and defend.
  
• They have valuable data of their own, allowing them to personalize offers, anticipate needs, and optimize resources.
  

These brands no longer depend on buying traffic. They reap what they have cultivated.

Key engagement metrics to measure in your app or proprietary channel:

• Daily, weekly and monthly retention: How many users return?
  
• Frequency of use: How often do they interact?
  
• Interactions per session: How actively do they participate?
  
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV): How much value does a loyal user generate?
  
• Reactivation rate: How many people come back after a push or notification campaign?
  

The more engagement, higher profitability per user, lower churn and more long-term stability.

e) From the funnel to the flywheel

For decades, marketing was based on the funnel: Attract, convert, close. But that linear model no longer represents current user behavior or the real lifecycle of the relationship with the brand.

Today, the most successful brands operate with a new logic: flywheel, a wheel that accelerates thanks to engagement.

You attract a user → you turn them into a customer → you turn them into a fan → that fan attracts other users → the system feeds itself.

At the center of that system is not the product. There is the experienceAnd that experience can only be well orchestrated if you have your own environment where you control every touchpoint. That environment, for most brands, is their app.

Engagement is no longer optional. It's the the only profitable and sustainable way to grow in a saturated, skeptical, and changing market. And the best way to cultivate it is to create your own ecosystem that puts the user experience at its center.

In the future, brands will not be measured by how many followers they have, but by how many of them engage, recommend, and return.

And that's the true value of engagement marketing.

12. Conclusion: Don't compete for clicks, build community

For decades, the digital marketing industry has revolved around a guiding principle: traffic. The star metric, the omnipresent KPI, the indicator that justified budgets and strategies. However, that paradigm is entering an accelerated decline.

In 2025, it's no longer about accumulating visits. It's about building relationships.

The rules of the game have changed. And anyone who continues to compete for clicks is playing on an outdated board.

a) A saturated, skeptical and autonomous user

The attention economy has exploded. The average consumer is exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 advertising impacts per day. On social media, in search engines, on banners, in newsletters, in apps. The result is predictable: fatigue, indifference, rejection.

Trust in advertising is at an all-time low. Ad effectiveness is declining year after year. Platforms are raising prices while reducing organic reach. And users have learned to filter, block, and ignore.

But all is not lost. This new consumer hasn't stopped interacting. He's stopped interacting with those who don't provide anything.

What is rewarded now is:

• Real utility, not empty claims.
  
• The emotional connection, not the forced impact.
  
• Contextual personalization, not invasive targeting.
  
• The constant experience, not the one-off campaign.

b) The decline of traditional SEO as an exclusive engine

Search is no longer the only entry point to information. Younger generations search on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram more than on Google. AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity offer click-free answers. And Google's new algorithms (SGE) prioritize generative summaries over lists of links.

This has a direct impact: referral traffic from search engines plummets.

Technical SEO is still relevant, but as part of a broader strategy. It's no longer the only way. It's no longer the only path.

Visibility without relationship is worthless.

c) From visibility to habit

In this context, the fundamental question is no longer “how do I get more visitors?”, but “how do I get them to remember me and return?”

It's the transition from SEO to EAO: Engagement & Audience Ownership. A model where what matters isn't being found once, but being chosen repeatedly.

Building a habit is building a sustainable business:

• Let the user open your app out of routine, not as a reminder.
  
• Let them consume your content because they enjoy it, not because you push it on them.
  
• Let them participate in your community because they feel part of it, not because you give them an incentive.
  

This is the most profound paradigm shift in the last 20 years.

d) The app as a strategic core

In all the points developed in this article, there is a common element that emerges as a key solution: the proprietary mobile app.

A well-designed and strategically managed app is:

• Your direct communication channel, without algorithms or commissions.
  
• Your content platform, free from lateral competition and distractions.
  
• Your monetization tool, without intermediaries or dependency.
  
• Your own data environment, where every click, scroll, or interaction belongs to you.
  
• Your engagement operating system, where you personalize, automate, and build loyalty.
  

It's not just about having an app. It's about making that app the heart of your digital ecosystem.

e) From traffic provided to the proprietary ecosystem

The smartest brands are stopping investing millions in renting traffic. They're investing in building assets. Because a follower on Instagram isn't yours. A visitor from Google isn't yours. But a registered user in your app, an active subscription in your community, a member in your CRM... is.

This isn't a fad. It's a strategic necessity.

Relying on external platforms is like building on sand. Creating your own ecosystem is like building on rock.

And within that ecosystem, the app is the strongest, most profitable, and most scalable pillar.

f) Engagement as master KPI

All the metrics that used to define success (impressions, clicks, followers, visits) are giving way to new KPIs:

• Retention rate.
  
• Frequency of use.
  
• Time Value Spent (TTV).
  
• Active participation.
  
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV).
  
• Recommendation rate.
  

These KPIs aren't built from a campaign. They're built from a relationship.

And a proprietary app, combined with CRM, automation, and artificial intelligence, allows you to manage that relationship in a sophisticated, personalized, and continuous way.

g) Community: the great competitive advantage of the future

In an increasingly automated world, the human element is once again valuable. Brands that manage to create a community—real, active, participatory—will have an insurmountable advantage over the rest.

Because a community:

• It is not bought.
  
• It is not copied.
  
• It is not stolen.
  

It's built. Day by day. With courage, listening, and consistency.

A connected community doesn't just consume: it collaborates, shares, recommends, and advocates. It becomes a brand ambassador. And it drastically reduces acquisition, retention, and support costs.

h) King of App: technology, strategy and support

In this new paradigm, powerful technology isn't enough. A strategic vision is required. That's why at King of App, we don't just develop apps. We create growth structures.

We help you to:

• Build your own channel from scratch.
  
• Integrate your app with your CRM, your e-commerce, your content, and your community.
  
• Automate your engagement, onboarding, and monetization flows.
  
• Design an experience that turns users into fans.
  
• Measure what matters: recurrence, loyalty, community.
  

We work with you not only to be on your audience's mobile devices, but to stay there. So that your app isn't just another app, but the epicenter of your digital strategy.

i) Don't compete for clicks. Build assets.

We are entering a new era. An era where algorithm dependence is a threat, not a strategy. Where users demand experiences, not interruptions. And where value lies not in attracting attention, but in retaining hearts.

Your app is your refuge. Your safety net. Your growth platform.

You don't need to fight for visibility on Google if your users open your app every day of their own free will.

You don't need to pay for ads if you have a base that responds to every push.

You don't need to beg for attention if you offer consistent value.

Building community is building freedom. And that freedom begins with a strategic decision: stop chasing traffic and start building relationships.

Glossary of key terms (expanded version)

SGE (Search Generative Experience):
Google's feature is based on generative artificial intelligence. Instead of displaying a list of traditional links, SGE offers comprehensive, AI-written answers directly on the results page. This reduces the need to click through to external websites, impacting the organic traffic received by media outlets and brands.

Zero-click:
A term that describes a search where the user gets the information they need without clicking on any external results. Google responds directly with featured snippets, maps, tables, or AI-generated content. On mobile, more than 60% of searches are already zero-click.

CLTV (Customer Lifetime Value):
The total value a customer is expected to generate throughout their relationship with a brand or business. This is a critical metric for evaluating how much can be profitably invested in customer acquisition or retention.

CTR (Click Through Rate):
Percentage of users who click on a link relative to the number of times it is displayed. In the context of search engines or digital advertising, a decrease in CTR is one of the symptoms of the model. zero-click.

Push Notification:
A pop-up message that an app or website sends directly to a user's device. It can be used to remind, trigger, or inform. Its open rate is much higher than traditional email if used with relevance and personalization.

Engagement:
The degree of engagement, interaction, and emotional connection an audience has with a brand. It goes beyond the number of visits: it includes frequency of use, active participation, retention, and recommendation.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management):
Customer relationship management system. It allows you to store data, segment audiences, automate communications, and personalize experiences to improve long-term relationships with each user.

CMS (Content Management System):
Content management system. Allows you to create, edit, and publish digital content (web or app) without programming. WordPress is an example of a CMS for the web; King of App is one for apps.

Proprietary digital ecosystem:
A set of digital channels controlled directly by the brand (such as an app, its own website, a CRM, a private community, or an email channel). Unlike borrowed channels (Google, social media), they allow for maintaining control over data, user experience, and monetization.

Gamification:
Application of game mechanics (such as points, levels, rewards, or rankings) in non-game environments. In apps or websites, it is used to increase user engagement, retention, and loyalty.

Funnel (Conversion Funnel):
Traditional marketing model that represents the stages a user goes through: attract → convert → close → retain. Its main criticism is that it is linear and transaction-centric.

Flywheel (Growth Wheel):
A circular model that puts the customer at the center. Growth is driven by engagement, recommendations, and repeat business, generating a self-reinforcing effect between attraction, experience, and loyalty.

LTV:CAC Ratio:
Long-term customer value (LTV) to cost of acquisition (CAC) ratio. This is a key metric for assessing the sustainability of a marketing or sales strategy. A good practice is to maintain a minimum ratio of 3:1.

Algorithmic content:
Content that is not displayed in chronological or editorial order, but is delivered to the user based on what algorithms predict will maximize their attention (e.g., TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts).

Gated community:
A digital space where users interact with each other and with the brand in a limited and controlled environment. This can be an app, a private Discord group, an internal network, or a training platform.

Audience Ownership:
A brand's ability to communicate with its users directly, without relying on algorithms, filters, or intermediaries. Having its own channel (such as an app or newsletter) means own audience in front of the audience provided of social networks.

Contextual Personalization:
The ability to adapt content, messages, or digital experiences to the moment, channel, and user profile. This is the foundation of modern engagement strategies: showing the right thing, to the right person, at the right time.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
A set of techniques and strategies to improve a website's visibility in search engines, primarily Google. The goal is to appear in the top organic results to attract relevant, free traffic. Traditional SEO was based on the use of keywords, inbound links, and content structure, but today it is being displaced by changes in user behavior and the emergence of artificial intelligence.

EAO (Engagement & Audience Ownership):
A new paradigm that replaces SEO as a strategic axis. Instead of optimizing only for search engines, the EAO approach focuses on create sustained relationships with the audience and own the communication channelsThe goal is to increase engagement (real and emotional interaction with the brand) and have direct access to users (email, app, CRM), without relying on external platforms. It's an evolution of a strategy based on links, not on borrowed visibility.

Strategic asset:
A key element of a company that generates sustainable value and competitive advantage. In the context of digital marketing, a strategic asset can be a proprietary database, an app with active users, a loyal community, or a series of exclusive content. Unlike a tactical resource (such as a paid campaign), a strategic asset accumulates value over time, strengthens positioning and reduces dependence on intermediaries.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator):
A specific metric used to measure the performance of an action, campaign, or strategy against a specific objective. In digital marketing, examples of KPIs include email open rate, cost per acquisition (CPA), retention rate, CLTV, among others. Choosing the right KPIs allows you to assess whether your actions are generating real results and make data-driven decisions.Organic traffic:
Visits that come to a website without having to pay for advertising. It comes primarily from search engines like Google, when a user clicks on a non-sponsored result. Organic traffic was for years the basis of digital success thanks to SEO, but it is currently in decline due to the rise of closed platforms, generative AI, and the phenomenon zero-click.