Digital Marketing for Small Businesses: Let’s Get Started
As a small business owner, you are the expert in your craft – whether it’s running a retail store, a restaurant, or a law firm. You know your business inside and out – and you know that you can provide the very best services to your target audience.
But how do you get them to your front door?
That’s where digital marketing comes in. And marketing for a small business doesn’t need to be hard! But it does take some time and skill to get started.
When done right, marketing levels the playing field - allowing you to compete with bigger brands and reach the customers who matter most. The good news? You don’t have to do it alone.
At AMJ Digital Marketing & Consulting, we help small businesses like yours cut through the noise and get measurable results. Whether you’re just getting started or ready to scale, this guide will walk you through the essential steps of digital marketing to start growing your business online today.
Step 1: Build a Strong Foundation with a Strategic Plan
Before running ads or posting on social media, you need a clear roadmap.
Action Steps:
Define your goals: What are you trying to achieve - brand awareness, leads, sales, foot traffic? Something else entirely?
Know your audience: Who is your ideal customer? Identify them and understand their unique demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Set your budget: Allocate resources to the channels that best support your goals.
Audit your existing presence: What’s already working? Where are the gaps?
Step 2: Create (or Refresh) Your Website
Your website is your digital storefront. If it’s outdated, slow, or hard to navigate, visitors will leave before you can make an impression.
Action Steps:
Use clear messaging: Visitors should immediately know who you are, what you offer, and how to get started.
Design for mobile: More than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Your site must be responsive (AKA, adjust automatically to fit on a mobile screen).
Include strong calls-to-action (CTAs): Make it easy to book, buy, or contact you.
Optimize for speed and SEO: A slow or unoptimized site can hurt your search rankings and conversions.
Step 3: Optimize Your Google Business Profile
For local visibility, your Google Business Profile is one of your most powerful tools.
Action Steps:
Claim and verify your profile at google.com/business
Fill out all details: Business name, hours, location, phone, website, and services.
Add photos and updates: Showcase your work, location, and team.
Ask for and respond to reviews: Customer feedback builds trust and impacts your local SEO.
Step 4: Get Active on the Right Social Channels
Social media helps you connect with customers, build community, and drive traffic - but only if it’s done with intention, and specific to each platform you’re on.
Action Steps:
Pick the right platforms: Facebook and Instagram are great for visual storytelling; LinkedIn is ideal for B2B; TikTok can work for younger or niche audiences.
Create a content calendar: Plan posts in advance with a mix of promotions, educational tips, behind-the-scenes looks, and customer stories.
Engage with your audience: Respond to comments, share local content, and use interactive features like polls and Q&A.
Track what works: Use platform insights to adjust your strategy.
Step 5: Run Targeted Paid Campaigns
While organic reach is powerful, paid media helps you get in front of the right audience faster. If done right, it will more than pay for itself.
Action Steps:
Start with clear objectives: Are you trying to get more leads, promote an event, or sell a product?
Define your audience: Use demographics, interests, and behaviors to target specific groups.
Develop a paid media strategy to meet your objectives: This might be paid search, display ads, or a social media campaign.
Track and optimize: Review campaign performance regularly and make data-driven adjustments.
Step 6: Stay Visible with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO helps your business appear when customers are actively searching for your products or services.
Action Steps:
Do keyword research: Find out what terms your customers are using to search online. Google Trends is a great place to start.
Update your website content: Use those keywords naturally in titles, headers, and body text.
Create valuable content: Blogs, FAQs, and guides help boost rankings and keep visitors engaged.
Build local citations: Make sure your business is listed on directories like Yelp, Bing, and local chambers.
Step 7: Track Everything (and Learn From It)
The beauty of digital marketing is that everything is measurable. If you don’t track performance, you can’t improve it.
Action Steps:
Use Google Analytics & Search Console: Track traffic sources, page views, and goal completions.
Review your social and ad platform insights: Look at reach, engagement, conversions, and cost-per-result.
Set up monthly reporting: Track what’s working and what needs adjusting.
Focus on ROI: Which tactics are driving actual business outcomes, not just clicks?
Let’s Recap: Your 7-Step Digital Marketing Launch Plan
Start with a strategic plan
Build or refresh your website
Optimize your Google Business Profile
Create consistent, engaging social media content
Launch targeted paid campaigns
Improve visibility through SEO
Track results and adapt your strategy
Need a Partner in Growth?
Digital marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. AMJ Digital Marketing & Consulting is here to simplify the process and create a plan tailored to your business. From strategy to execution, we partner with small businesses to drive growth, visibility, and results that matter.
Ready to get started?
Contact us today for a free consultation and let's build your marketing engine together.