Modern businesses rely heavily on digital marketing, which is a fundamental tool for growth. It allows brands to reach their target audience at the best possible time.
For small businesses, startups or marketers that are new to the space, this digital marketing guide offers a clear, actionable foundation for building a strategy that works.
With so many platforms and tactics available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, digital marketing doesn’t need to be complex. By understanding the core channels, setting clear goals and using the right tools, teams can build a sustainable strategy that delivers long-term value.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing refers to any promotional effort that uses digital channels to reach and engage customers. These channels include search engines, email, social media, websites and online ads. Unlike traditional marketing, digital offers real-time data, precise targeting and the ability to test and optimise continuously.
Note: According to MarketingCharts, by the end of 2024, digital channels made up an estimated 60% of total marketing spend, highlighting a continued shift away from offline media.
It’s not just about visibility. Digital marketing helps brands build trust, generate leads and convert interest into revenue. Whether the goal is brand awareness or revenue growth, digital campaigns can be tailored to meet a wide range of business objectives.
Why digital marketing matters
A significant portion of customers begin their purchasing journey online. They research products, compare prices and read reviews, all of which play a key role in shaping their decisions.
To remain visible and competitive, brands must build and maintain a strong digital presence. Being present at these early touchpoints increases the chances of capturing interest, building trust and guiding potential customers toward conversion.
What makes digital marketing especially powerful is its measurability. Unlike billboards or print ads, digital efforts provide clear performance data. Marketers can see what’s working, adjust campaigns in real time and clearly demonstrate the return on investment for each channel.
Key digital marketing channels
Understanding the main digital marketing channels is essential to building a well-rounded strategy. Each offers different strengths, and together they create a powerful ecosystem for customer engagement.
Channel | Description |
Search engine optimisation (SEO) | Focuses on improving website visibility in organic search results. Helps drive long-term traffic by aligning content with user intent. |
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising | A paid model where ads appear in search results or on platforms like Google Ads. Ideal for targeted, time-sensitive promotions. |
Direct communication with subscribers. Great for nurturing leads, sending offers and building customer loyalty. | |
Social media marketing | Uses platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook to build brand presence and engage communities. |
Content marketing | Involves creating blogs, videos, guides or resources that educate and attract prospects. |
Affiliate marketing | Leverages third-party partners to promote products or services in exchange for a commission. |
Influencer marketing | Collaborates with individuals who have large followings to promote offerings authentically. |
Display advertising | Uses banner ads across websites to raise awareness or retarget users who’ve visited a brand site. |
How to create a digital marketing strategy
A strategy ensures that each campaign has a purpose and that every channel works in sync. It begins with a clear view of the customer journey and business goals.
Start by defining specific objectives and key results (OKRs). These might include generating leads, increasing brand visibility or growing ecommerce revenue. From there, identify which channels are most likely to reach that audience and which content formats will resonate most.
Budget and resources also shape the strategy. A smaller team may focus on one or two high-impact channels, like SEO and email, while a larger team might build an integrated multichannel approach.
Setting SMART goals
Digital campaigns work best when they focus on SMART goals. These goals keep the team on track and make results clear. Clear goals help form the plan and make sure each step leads to a specific result.
A SMART goal should be:
Specific: outline exactly what needs to be achieved
Measurable: include a way to track success or progress
Achievable: realistic based on available resources
Relevant: aligned with broader business objectives
Time-bound: tied to a clear deadline
Instead of setting broad objectives such as increasing website traffic, a SMART approach would define a quantifiable target, such as growing organic sessions within a set timeframe, providing clarity, direction and a measurable benchmark for success.
Note: Studies show that clear goals help teams do better. In a 2022 OKR impact report, 98% of companies said they had better visibility into performance after using clear goal systems. Clear goals are particularly important when working on digital marketing across different channels and teams.
Creating content that delivers value
The foundation of digital marketing lies in its content. Whether it be in the form of a tutorial video, a written article or a downloadable manual, content is responsible for attracting visitors, establishing credibility and facilitating conversions.
The key is to create content tailored to the audience’s needs at each stage of the funnel. Top-of-funnel content might include educational blog posts, while bottom-of-funnel assets could focus on product comparisons or customer case studies.
Effective content not only provides information but also encourages action. To drive engagement, each piece should include a precise call to action (CTA), such as “download the guide”, “schedule a demo”, or “continue reading”.
Tools to support digital marketing
Choosing the right tools can simplify campaign execution and provide deeper performance insights. Below are examples of widely used, non-competitive tools that support different aspects of a digital marketing strategy:
Tool category | Examples and primary features |
Email marketing | Tools like Pipedrive or Sender offer automation, templates and analytics for running campaigns. |
CRM platforms | Pipedrive and similar tools help manage contacts, track campaign touchpoints and support targeted communication. |
SEO and analytics | Platforms such as Semrush or Google Analytics help track traffic and identify opportunities for improvement. |
Social scheduling | Buffer and Later allow content planning and scheduling across multiple social channels. |
Content creation | Tools like Canva and Grammarly assist with designing assets and improving content clarity. |
AI and automation | Tools like ChatGPT or WRITER support enterprise AI agents, content generation, email drafting and automation. |
Common mistakes to avoid
Many digital marketing campaigns fall short because of avoidable missteps. Overposting on social media, neglecting SEO basics or ignoring mobile optimization can all reduce campaign effectiveness.
It’s also important to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. What works on LinkedIn might not translate to Instagram. Tailoring messaging by channel and audience segment is essential for engagement.
Another frequent issue is focusing too heavily on vanity metrics, such as impressions or likes, without considering conversion or return on investment (ROI). True success lies in aligning metrics with business goals.
How to measure success
Digital marketing offers detailed analytics, but knowing which metrics to track is key. For SEO, this might mean monitoring organic traffic and keyword rankings. For email, it includes open rates, click-through rates and conversions.
Performance dashboards can be used to monitor progress over time. Many marketing platforms now offer convenient reporting features that streamline this task.
Success isn’t just about numbers – it’s about outcomes. Did the campaign increase qualified leads? Did it lower customer acquisition costs? Focusing on business impact ensures that marketing efforts drive real value.
Personalisation and audience targeting
To be effective in digital marketing, it’s crucial to provide relevant content to audiences. Hence, the significance of personalization is growing more and more. As a result, personalization is becoming increasingly important.
Businesses can enhance engagement and achieve better results by personalizing emails with the recipient’s name or using their online behavior to guide ad placement.
Customer segmentation plays a crucial role in this procedure. It involves categorizing audiences according to their interests, previous actions or buying patterns, which leads to the creation of more fitting content and more effective campaign results.
Why Pipedrive fits into the digital marketing stack
In addition to being a CRM platform, Pipedrive serves as a central hub that connects marketing and sales efforts. By incorporating tools for email campaigns, lead monitoring and automated workflows, it enables teams to stay on task and effectively turn interest into action.
Pipedrive seamlessly connects every step of the customer journey, whether it’s nurturing leads, tracking outreach or creating data-driven campaigns. Monitoring touchpoints, evaluating lead involvement and automating follow-ups allows teams to efficiently guide customers from initial awareness to generating revenue.
Pipedrive’s visual dashboards and automation tools help businesses scale digital marketing while maintaining personalization and timing. Campaigns can be triggered by real-time activity to reach the right audience at the right moment. With insights across email, sales and lead management, teams can refine strategies and drive consistent, measurable results.
Final thoughts
A well-executed digital marketing strategy doesn’t just promote a product – it builds relationships, solves problems and supports business growth.
Whether starting from scratch or refining an existing setup, this digital marketing quickstart guide offers the clarity and structure needed to move forward with confidence. Focus on channels that align with business goals, measure what matters and use the right tools to scale effectively.
