How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses: A Guide for Beginners

shrutisawant172
May 15
4 min read

Updated: Jun 18

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence isn’t optional—it’s essential. Whether you're- a start-up, a local business, or a solo entrepreneur, a clear digital marketing strategy can help you reach more customers, increase brand awareness, and boost sales without breaking the bank.

So, If you're a small business- who’s taking a step towards their digital transformation journey. There are some things to be taken into consideration before you- “Jump-Start your Journey”.

This guide by a leading "digital marketing institute in Nerul, Navi Mumbai", walks you through the step-by-step process of - “How to build a digital marketing strategy from scratch” and help you design your own strategy accordingly — for your own small business.

Following are the steps one can follow to create a Digital Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses:

Step 1: Define Your Goals

The first step to take before even practically starting your business on websites, social media etc .i.e. putting yourself and your business out there for the world to know you & your brand. One first needs to define the proper achievable goals that aligns with their business and build strategies accordingly for the expansion of the business.

Remember- Every strategy starts with a goal.

So, Ask yourself questions first, like:

Do I want more website visitors?
Do I want to generate leads?
Am I looking to grow my Instagram or YouTube followers?
Is my focus on selling products/services online?
(Asking these questions helps to properly understand and define: what your vision & mission is for your Business.)

TIP: Be specific.

For example: “I want to get 100 new leads in 30 days.”

Step 2: Know Your Target Audience

You can’t market effectively if you don’t know who you’re talking to. Target Marketing is a core marketing concept that is very important when it comes to selling anything whether online or offline and this can be done only if you “know your Target Audience". This can be done by-

Defining your ideal customer:

Age, location, and gender
Interests and pain points
Where they spend time online (Instagram, Google, LinkedIn?)
This helps to define and understand “Your Target” and “Your Goal” well.

TIP: Create a customer persona .i.e. a composite representation of your ideal customer to guide your content and ad strategy.

Step 3: Build a Strong Online Presence

Before promoting, make sure your online foundation is ready. This refers to having the following necessities to build a strong online presence for your brand on various digital platforms.

These include:

Creating a professional website (or landing page) with clear CTAs .i.e. Call To Action
(It refers to prompts or messages that encourage users to take a specific action, like signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or visiting a website.)
Set up your Google Business Profile.
Create or optimize your social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.).

TIP: Keep branding consistent: same logo, colours, and tone.

Step 4: Choose the Right Digital Marketing Channels

Choosing the right digital marketing channel is very essential when it comes to doing digital marketing for your Small business. Innovator Sprouts Academy, Navi Mumbai being a reputed digital marketing institute teaches-"Selecting the right channels is the key".

TIP: Don’t try to be everywhere—start with 2–3 platforms where your audience spends time.

Here are the most effective channels for small businesses:

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): It helps websites gain higher rankings in search engine results, driving more organic traffic to the site. This increased visibility leads to more potential customers and can improve brand recognition.
Social Media Marketing: Great for brand awareness, engagement and trust, while also driving revenue and providing a platform for real-time customer interaction.
Google Ads or Meta Ads: Perfect for quick visibility & lead generation. It help businesses drive targeted traffic to their websites by displaying ads to users searching for related products or services. This allows businesses to reach a wider audience, increase brand visibility, and ultimately boost sales and conversions.
Email Marketing: Useful for nurturing leads and converting them to customers. It helps businesses build relationships, generate leads, and drive sales by communicating directly with their audience through emails. It also fosters brand awareness, increases customer loyalty, and can be a cost-effective way to reach a wider audience.
By- personalized messaging, segmentation, and the promotion of products and services.

TIP: Match channels with your goals.

For example: Use Instagram Reels if targeting young, visual audiences.

Step 5: Create a Simple Content Plan

You don’t need to post daily. Focus on quality over quantity.

Create a monthly calendar for blog posts, reels, carousels, or ads.
Mix up content types: tips, behind-the-scenes, product demos, testimonials, etc.
Use tools like Canva or ChatGPT to speed up content creation.

TIP: Remember the 80/20 rule.

i.e. 80% value, 20% promotion.

Step 6: Track, Analyze & Improve

Digital marketing is all about learning and improving. It helps businesses to track campaign performance using analytics tools. Then further help analyze the collected data and identify what’s working and what’s not. This helps improve strategies based on insights for the business and reach the right audience more effectively, and stay ahead in a fast-changing digital landscape.

Track key metrics like:

Website visits (via Google Analytics)
Social media engagement (likes, shares, saves)
Conversion rates (leads or sales from ads)

TIP: Use what works. Adjust what doesn’t. Keep experimenting!

Final Tips for Beginners-

Don’t get overwhelmed—start small and grow gradually.
Be consistence: As consistency matters more than perfection.
Learn as you go: With the help of online courses, YouTube, blogs, or join a digital marketing training program.
Be patient—results take time, but they will come.

So, Ready to Grow Online?

If you're a beginner and want hands-on, practical digital marketing training, join Innovator Sprouts Academy—the best digital marketing institute in Navi Mumbai & Nerul.

Learn how to run real campaigns, use AI tools, create strategy, and build your business online with confidence!