Digital marketing

Digital marketing is the promotion of products, services, causes and ideas through digital channels, such as search engines, websites, social media, email, apps and online advertising. For small organisations it has an important advantage over traditional media: you can start with little money, reach a precise audience and measure what works. The downside is that there is a huge amount of noise, jargon and conflicting advice.

This section explains the core channels in plain English, with a focus on what lasts and what the rules require in Australia.

Guides in this section

• SEO basics: how search engines find, understand and rank pages, and how to make your site helpful and easy to find.
• Social media marketing: choosing platforms, planning content, building community and following disclosure rules.
• Email marketing and the Spam Act: building a list with consent, writing emails people want, and the three rules of the Spam Act.
• Online advertising: search and social ads, budgets, targeting, measurement and advertising law.

Owned, earned and paid media

Marketers often divide channels into three groups.

Owned media is the channels you control: your website, blog, email list, app and, to a degree, your social media accounts. You decide what goes on them, and they build value over time.

Earned media is attention you don't pay for directly: organic search rankings, shares, word of mouth, reviews, media coverage and mentions by others. It is the most credible form of attention but the hardest to control.

Paid media is attention you buy: search ads, social ads, display advertising, sponsorships and paid partnerships with creators. It is fast and scalable but stops when you stop paying.

Most effective strategies combine all three. Paid ads can kick-start awareness, owned channels capture interest, and good products and service earn recommendations.

Planning your digital marketing

Before choosing tools, answer a few questions. Who are your customers or supporters? What problems do they have, and how do they look for solutions? Where do they spend time online? What do you want them to do: call, book, buy, donate, sign up or visit? How will you know whether your marketing is working?

From there, set a small number of measurable goals, such as enquiries per month or newsletter sign-ups. Pick the channels most likely to reach your audience, and commit to doing a few things well rather than everything badly. Review results regularly and adjust.

Your website as the hub

Your website is usually the centre of your digital marketing. Search engines send people to it, social posts and emails link to it, and ads point to it. A good small business website loads quickly, works well on phones, says clearly what you do and where, makes it easy to get in touch, and answers the questions customers commonly ask. It doesn't need to be large or expensive.

Local businesses should also set up and maintain a Google Business Profile and other relevant listings, keeping the business name, address, phone number and opening hours consistent everywhere.

Measuring results

Digital marketing is measurable, but it's easy to measure the wrong things. Likes, followers and impressions are vanity metrics unless they lead somewhere. Focus on outcomes such as enquiries, bookings, sales, donations and sign-ups, and on the cost of getting them. Free tools such as website analytics and search console reports show where visitors come from and what they do. Tag links in emails and ads so you can see which campaigns bring results.

The rules

Digital marketing in Australia is regulated. The Spam Act 2003 covers commercial email, SMS and instant messages. The Privacy Act 1988 covers how many organisations collect and use personal information. The Australian Consumer Law prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct and false or misleading representations, including fake reviews and undisclosed paid endorsements. Industry codes such as the AANA Code of Ethics, administered through Ad Standards, also apply to digital ads. Each of our guides explains the rules relevant to that channel.

Doing it yourself or hiring help

Many small businesses do their own marketing, at least at first. If you hire an agency or freelancer, ask for clear deliverables, reporting on outcomes rather than activity, and ownership of your website, accounts, data and ad accounts. Be wary of anyone guaranteeing first-place rankings in Google or a set number of followers.

Budgeting your time and money

Digital marketing costs either money or time, and usually both. Before spending on ads or providers, consider how much time you can realistically commit each week. A small business owner with two hours a week might maintain a Google Business Profile, post twice on one social platform and send a monthly email. That consistent effort often achieves more than a burst of activity followed by silence.

If you spend money, start small, set a firm limit and measure the cost per enquiry or sale. Put more behind what works and stop what doesn't. Remember to count software subscriptions, design and photography, and the value of your own time.

Building skills

Free courses from platforms, government small business programmes, TAFEs and community colleges can help you build skills. Business.gov.au has guidance on digital marketing and online business, and state small business agencies often run workshops. Learn the basics yourself even if you plan to outsource, so you can brief providers well and judge their work.

Key points

Start with your audience and goals, build owned channels such as a website and email list, combine owned, earned and paid media, measure outcomes rather than vanity metrics, and follow the Spam Act, Privacy Act and Australian Consumer Law.