by The Computing Australia Group | What is Digital Marketing?
Explained
In today’s internet-driven world, that connection increasingly happens online. That’s where digital marketing comes in.
Digital marketing is no longer a “nice to have” or an optional extra. For most modern businesses-from local Perth tradies to national service brands and global eCommerce stores-it is the cornerstone of sustainable growth.
This guide walks you through:
- What digital marketing is (in simple, practical terms)
- Why it matters more than ever
- The main types of digital marketing channels
- How to build an effective digital marketing strategy
- What digital marketing might cost your business
- How to get started without wasting time or budget
What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is the promotion of products and services using electronic devices and the internet. In practice, it means reaching your audience through digital channels such as:
- Search engines (Google, Bing, etc.)
- Websites and blogs
- Social media platforms
- Online advertising networks
- Mobile apps and other digital touchpoints
Instead of relying solely on traditional tactics like print ads, billboards or flyers, digital marketing allows you to meet your customers where they already spend their time-online.
A strong digital marketing strategy usually blends online and sometimes offline tactics (for example, SMS campaigns or digital billboards), with each channel playing a clear role in the overall customer journey.
Why Digital Marketing Matters
Traditional marketing isn’t “dead”, but it’s no longer the only or even the primary way people discover and evaluate businesses. Customers now:
- Research online before they buy
- Compare prices, reviews and features
- Follow brands on social media
- Expect fast, personalised communication
If your business isn’t visible, helpful and credible in these digital spaces, you’re handing opportunities to your competitors.
Key Benefits of Digital Marketing
Let’s break down why digital marketing is so powerful.
1. Cost Efficiency and Better ROI
Digital marketing makes it easier to invest in what works and cut what doesn’t.
- You can start with modest budgets and scale as you see results.
- If a campaign underperforms (e.g. a low-converting Facebook ad), you can pause it instantly.
- You can test multiple messages, creatives and audiences, and shift your budget to the best performers.
Instead of paying for expensive mass media exposure with limited insight into outcomes, you’re paying to reach specific people and tracking real results-clicks, leads and sales.
2. Targeted Reach (Not Just “More Reach”)
Traditional advertising often casts a wide net and hopes the right people see your message.
Digital marketing allows you to:
- Target by location (e.g. Perth, WA or specific suburbs)
- Target by demographics (age, job title, industry, interests)
- Target by behaviour (website visitors, cart abandoners, email subscribers)
This leads to more qualified traffic-people who are actually interested, not just anyone who happens to drive past a billboard.
3. Real-Time Analytics and Measurable Results
Almost every digital activity can be tracked:
- Website visitors and their behaviour
- Conversion rates (from visit to lead, or lead to sale)
- Cost per lead and cost per acquisition
- Email open and click-through rates
- Social engagement, video views, and more
This data allows you to:
- Demonstrate ROI to stakeholders
- Make evidence-based decisions
- Improve campaigns continuously instead of relying on guesswork
4. Level Playing Field with Bigger Competitors
You don’t need a huge budget to outrank or outperform larger brands online.
- A smaller Perth business with an excellent SEO strategy can outrank national competitors on specific local keywords.
- A well-crafted Google Ads campaign can put your business at the top of search results for high-intent queries.
- High-quality content and thoughtful social media engagement can build trust faster than generic big-brand messaging.
Digital marketing rewards relevance, value and user experience-not just brand size.
5. Stronger Relationships and Brand Loyalty
Digital channels give you direct, ongoing access to your audience:
- Email newsletters
- Social media interactions
- Retargeting ads and loyalty campaigns
- Helpful blog content and resources
Instead of one-off interactions, you can create continuous touchpoints that educate, reassure and add value-turning first-time buyers into repeat customers and advocates.
Types of Digital Marketing (Core Channels Explained)
Digital marketing is an umbrella term that covers a variety of channels and tactics. Here are the major ones and what they’re best for.
1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the practice of improving your website so it appears higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant queries.
Key components of SEO include:
- On-page SEO
- Optimising page titles, meta descriptions and headings
- Using relevant keywords naturally in your content
- Improving internal linking and URL structure
- Providing clear, helpful information that matches search intent
- Off-page SEO
- Earning backlinks from other reputable websites
- Building your brand mentions and authority online
- Encouraging reviews and citations, especially for local businesses
- Technical SEO
- Ensuring your site is fast, secure (HTTPS), and mobile-friendly
- Fixing crawl and indexing issues
- Using structured data (schema) to help search engines understand your content
SEO is a long-term investment, but when done well, it generates sustainable organic traffic that you don’t pay for per click.
2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM (Search Engine Marketing) typically refers to paid advertising on search engines, such as Google Ads.
With SEM, you:
- Bid on keywords your target audience is searching for
- Write ads that appear at the top (or bottom) of search results
- Pay only when someone clicks (PPC – pay-per-click)
SEM and SEO complement each other:
- SEO builds long-term organic visibility
- SEM delivers immediate visibility and data on what keywords convert
Used together, they give you both quick wins and sustainable growth.
3. Content Marketing
Content marketing is about creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your ideal customers.
Examples include:
- Blog articles and guides
- eBooks, whitepapers and checklists
- Case studies and success stories
- Infographics and visual explainers
- Videos, webinars and podcasts
Good content marketing:
- Answers your customers’ questions
- Addresses their objections and pain points
- Positions your business as a trusted expert
- Drives organic traffic and supports SEO
- Fuels email, social media and paid campaigns
Think of it as the voice and substance behind your brand.
4. Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Social media marketing uses platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X (Twitter), Pinterest and others to:
- Reach new audiences
- Build brand awareness
- Engage with existing customers
- Promote content and offers
Depending on your business:
- B2B brands often find success on LinkedIn and sometimes X (Twitter)
- B2C brands lean heavily on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest
Effective social media marketing is strategic, not random posting. It focuses on:
- Consistent branding and messaging
- Valuable and engaging content formats (posts, Reels, stories, carousels)
- Two-way interaction (responding to comments, messages and feedback)
- Using analytics and insights to refine what you post
5. Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
While SEM is one subset, PPC more broadly covers paid campaigns where you pay for each click, such as:
- Google Ads Search and Display campaigns
- YouTube ads
- Facebook and Instagram ads
- LinkedIn sponsored content
- Promoted posts or in-feed placements on other platforms
PPC is useful for:
- Driving immediate traffic for launches or special offers
- Retargeting past visitors and cart abandoners
- Testing new markets or messages quickly
6. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is performance-based. You reward partners (affiliates) for driving traffic or sales to your business through their own channels.
Common affiliates include:
- Bloggers and content creators
- Comparison or review websites
- Influencers and niche publishers
For each referred sale, the affiliate earns a commission. This model can be highly scalable because you only pay for actual results, not impressions.
7. Email Marketing
Email marketing is still one of the highest-ROI digital channels.
You can use email to:
- Nurture new leads with welcome sequences
- Share educational content and value-added resources
- Promote offers, events and product launches
- Re-engage inactive customers
- Send transactional messages and updates
Modern email marketing relies on:
- Segmentation (different messages for different groups)
- Personalisation (using names, behaviours and preferences)
- Automation (triggered workflows based on actions such as downloads, purchases or abandoned carts)
8. Marketing Automation
Marketing automation uses software to streamline repetitive tasks such as:
- Sending scheduled email campaigns and follow-ups
- Posting to social media at set times
- Scoring leads based on behaviour
- Triggering messages after specific actions (e.g. downloading a guide)
This frees your team to focus on strategy and creative work, rather than manual admin.
9. Online PR & Reputation Management
Online PR focuses on building and managing your brand’s reputation across digital channels:
- Securing coverage on reputable blogs, news sites and industry publications
- Managing and responding to online reviews
- Engaging with journalists and influencers via social media
- Handling any negative publicity or crises professionally
A strong digital PR strategy builds trust, authority and brand visibility that also supports your SEO.
How to Build a Digital Marketing Strategy (Step by Step)
Every business is unique-your goals, resources, audience and competitive landscape all differ. There’s no perfect “template” that fits everyone, but successful strategies tend to follow a similar process.
1. Audit Your Current Digital Presence
Start by understanding where you stand today:
- How visible is your website on Google for key search terms?
- Is your site mobile-friendly, fast and easy to navigate?
- What social media profiles do you have, and how active/engaged are they?
- Do you have an email list? Are you using it effectively?
- Which channels currently generate enquiries or sales?
This digital audit helps you:
- Identify quick wins (e.g. fixing slow pages, updating key landing pages)
- Discover gaps (e.g. no tracking, no content strategy, inconsistent branding)
- Prioritise where to focus first for maximum impact
2. Define Clear, SMART Goals
Vague goals lead to vague results. Instead of “do more marketing”, aim for:
- “Increase organic website traffic by 30% in 12 months”
- “Generate 50 qualified leads per month from Google Ads at or below $X per lead”
- “Grow email list by 500 subscribers per quarter”
Use the SMART framework:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
These goals will guide your channel selection, budget and measurement.
3. Understand Your Digital Sales Funnel
The digital sales funnel is the path your customer takes from “never heard of you” to loyal advocate.
Typically, the stages look like:
1. Awareness – They discover your brand (through search, social, referrals, ads).
2. Consideration – They research you, read content, compare options.
3. Conversion – They enquire, book a call, or make a purchase.
4. Loyalty – They come back, buy again or upgrade.
5. Advocacy – They leave reviews and refer others.
Effective digital marketing ensures you have content and campaigns at each stage, not just at the moment of sale.
4. Create Detailed Buyer Personal
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on research and real data.
Include details like:
- Demographics (age, role, location, industry)
- Goals and motivations
- Pain points and challenges
- Typical objections or fears
- Preferred channels (where they hang out online)
The more clearly you understand your audience, the more precisely you can:
- Tailor content topics
- Choose the right platforms
- Use language and messaging that resonates
5. Choose the Right Channels and Tactics
Based on your goals, funnel and personas, decide where to focus:
- Local service business in Perth? Prioritise Local SEO, Google Business Profile, and Google Ads.
- B2B consultancy? Focus on SEO, LinkedIn marketing, content and email.
- eCommerce business? Use a mix of SEO, Google Shopping, social ads, email automation and retargeting.
You don’t need to be everywhere at once. It’s better to execute a few channels well than spread your budget and attention too thin.
6. Develop Your Content Blueprint
Your content blueprint should outline:
- Priority topics and themes (aligned with your keywords and personas)
- Content formats (blogs, videos, case studies, landing pages)
- Publishing cadence (weekly, fortnightly, monthly)
- Promotion plans (how you’ll distribute each piece via SEO, email, social, etc.)
Make sure to:
- Conduct keyword research so your content matches real search demand.
- Aim for depth and usefulness-answer questions thoroughly.
- Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) in each piece (e.g. “Book a strategy call”, “Download the checklist”).
7. Implement Tracking and Analytics
Before you launch, ensure you can measure outcomes.
At minimum:
- Install analytics (e.g. Google Analytics, GA4 style events).
- Set up conversion tracking for key actions (form fills, calls, purchases).
- Link your website, Google Ads, Google Search Console and other tools.
- Track campaigns by UTM tags so you know which channel drives what.
Without tracking, you’re effectively flying blind.
8. Launch, Learn and Optimise
Digital marketing is iterative, not “set and forget”.
- Start with carefully planned campaigns.
- Review performance regularly (weekly or monthly, depending on volume).
- Identify what’s working and scale it.
- Fix or retire underperforming tactics.
- Test new ideas based on data-not hunches.
Over time, this cycle of launch → measure → learn → optimise will compound your results.
How Much Will Digital Marketing Cost?
A common question is: “What will a digital marketing strategy cost my business?”
The honest answer: it depends on your goals, industry, and how aggressively you want to grow.
Here’s a useful way to think about it.
1. Entry-Level / Basic Digital Presence
Ideal for: new startups, micro businesses, solo operators.
Typical activities:
- Basic website (or upgrade to a more modern, mobile-friendly one)
- Foundational SEO (on-page optimisation, local listing setup)
- Initial content (a few key service pages and blog posts)
- Simple email capture (newsletter signup)
- Light social media setup and basic posting
Investment:
- Usually lower monthly costs, or one-off project fees plus a modest ongoing retainer.
- Focus is on getting the fundamentals right so you can build from a solid base.
2. Growth-Focused Digital Marketing
Ideal for: small to medium businesses ready to scale sales and leads.
Typical activities:
- Ongoing SEO and content marketing
- Google Ads and/or social media advertising
- Email marketing and simple automation sequences
- Regular reporting and optimisation
- Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) for key landing pages
Investment:
- Moderate to higher monthly budget, split between ad spend and agency/consultant fees.
- Expect structured campaigns, frequent optimisation and measurable results.
3. Advanced / Multi-Channel Strategy
Ideal for: established brands, competitive industries, or aggressive growth targets.
Typical activities:
- Comprehensive SEO, content and PR strategy
- Multi-channel PPC (search, display, shopping, social, video)
- Marketing automation and CRM integration
- Sophisticated segmentation and personalisation
- Detailed attribution modelling and advanced reporting
- Regular strategy workshops and experimentation
Investment:
- Significant monthly investment, but aimed at driving meaningful revenue growth and market share.
Regardless of your size, digital marketing should be treated as an investment, not just an expense. The key is to:
- Match your spend to clear, measurable goals
- Track the return on that investment
- Adjust your budget as you learn what drives real results
Always ask your digital marketing provider:
- What’s included in your plan?
- How will success be measured?
- Can the strategy be customised to my business and goals?
Digital marketing is a rapidly evolving field that can help your business achieve the heights you wish for it. The impact of traditional media is slowly declining, but you can still use them as tools in your digital ventures. However, as the Internet is becoming the bloodline of commerce, it is important to understand digital marketing to keep your business competitive. For assistance on digital marketing for your business, reach out to us at sales@computingaustralia.group. Our experienced team at Perth will be happy to guide you.
Jargon Buster
Buyer personal: It is a detailed depiction of your target audience.
Technical SEO: The technique used to improve the technical aspects of a website to increase its visibility in the search engines is called technical SEO.
Traditional marketing: Traditional marketing refers to offline marketing techniques that include print, broadcast, direct mail, phone, and outdoor advertising.
FAQ
What is digital marketing in simple terms?
Digital marketing is the promotion of your products or services using the internet and electronic devices. It includes activities like improving your website’s visibility on Google, running paid ads, posting on social media, sending email campaigns and creating helpful content to attract and convert customers online.
Why is digital marketing important for my business?
Digital marketing is important because your customers are online. They search for solutions, compare providers and read reviews before they contact you. A strong digital presence helps you get found, builds trust and consistently generates leads and sales-often at a lower cost and with better tracking than traditional advertising.
What is the difference between SEO and SEM?
SEO focuses on improving your website so it ranks higher in the organic (unpaid) search results.
SEM usually refers to paid search advertising, such as Google Ads, where you bid on keywords and pay when someone clicks your ad.
Is digital marketing suitable for small businesses?
Yes. Digital marketing is especially powerful for small and local businesses because you can start with a modest budget, target specific locations and audiences, and track every result. Even basic tactics-like improving your Google Business Profile, optimising your website and running small ad campaigns-can significantly increase enquiries.
How much does digital marketing cost?
There is no fixed price. Your investment depends on your goals, industry, competition and how aggressively you want to grow. Some businesses start with a basic package focused on SEO and content, while others invest in multi-channel campaigns with SEO, PPC, social media, email and automation. The key is to set clear goals and measure the return on your spend.
