In 2025, over 95% of Australians are online, and digital ad spend has hit $15.6 billion—more than triple what it was a decade ago.

From the smallest ecommerce startup to global names like McLaren or Afterpay, the brands winning attention today are the ones showing up strategically online.

But here’s the challenge: between SEO, social media, email marketing, paid ads, and content, where do you even begin?

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to get serious about your digital presence, this guide breaks it all down.

Keep reading for clear steps, expert insight, and real-world examples—including campaigns we’ve run at Bez Agency.

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing—also called online marketing—is how businesses attract, convert, and retain customers through digital channels.

It includes:

• Search engines like Google (SEO + PPC)
• Social media platforms (organic and paid)
• Email newsletters
• Websites and landing pages
• Influencer and affiliate marketing

You can think of digital marketing as your business’s online ecosystem. It covers every touchpoint where a customer might discover, research, or buy from you online.

For example, a customer might discover you through a Google search, follow you on Instagram, sign up for your email list, and purchase after seeing a retargeting ad. All of these dots are connecting into one seamless customer journey.

Plus, unlike traditional advertising, digital marketing is trackable, scalable, and adaptable. That means you can measure what’s working, pivot what isn’t, and optimise in real-time. No more wasted ad spend on billboards people never see and flyers that get thrown away,

What are the types of digital marketing?

Not all digital marketing channels are created equal. Here’s what actually works:

Content marketing

Blog posts, case studies, videos that solve real problems for your audience.

Why it works: Content builds trust before the sale. When someone searches for answers, you want to be the brand providing them.

Example: HubSpot’s blog generates over 7 million monthly visits by consistently answering marketing questions their audience actually asks. This means that they’re targeting buyers at all levels of the funnel, from awareness right through to conversion.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO helps your site show up organically when people search for what you offer.

What to know: SEO takes time—usually 6-12 months to see serious results. But once it kicks in, it’s organic traffic that compounds month after month.

Smart move: Start with local SEO if you’re a service business. “Fine line tattoos Melbourne” gets you in front of people ready to buy.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

Paid ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn that put you in front of ready-to-buy audiences.

The advantage: Immediate visibility. You can flip a switch and start getting leads tomorrow.

What to know: Without proper strategy and tracking, PPC burns money fast. So make sure to do your research and find a PPC specialist worth paying for.

 

Social media marketing

Reaching your audience where they actually spend their time—TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram.

What to know: Social media isn’t just about posting pretty pictures anymore. It’s about community building, customer service, and authentic brand storytelling. Audiences are more demanding with businesses and brands, expecting immediate interaction and responses across social channels.

 

Email marketing

One of the highest-ROI channels with 36:1 average returns according to Litmus.

Why it still dominates: You own your email list. Social algorithms change, but your subscribers choose to hear from you directly.

The secret: Personalise your emails beyond “Hi [First Name].” Segment by behaviour, purchase history, and engagement level. Basically, treat different customers differently.

How to start digital marketing for your business

Here’s your step-by-step roadmap:

1. Clarify your business goals

Before you even touch a single marketing channel, get crystal clear on what success looks like.

Not this: “We want more customers.”

But this: “We want 50 qualified leads per month, converting 20% into $5k average deals.”

Your goal framework:

• Revenue targets (specific numbers)
• Lead generation goals
• Brand awareness metrics
• Customer retention rates

Pro tip: Work backwards from your revenue goal. If you need $500k in new business and your average deal is $10k, you need 50 new customers. If you convert 10% of leads, you need 500 qualified leads. Now you know what your marketing needs to deliver.

2. Know your audience

Create buyer personas that go deeper than just demographics. Understand your customers’ needs, channels, and habits.

Ask:

• What keeps them awake at 3am?
• Where do they go for industry news?
• What objections do they have about your product?
• Who influences their buying decisions?

Example: We worked with a B2B software company targeting CFOs. Demographics said “45-55, male, Sydney.” That is such a broad customer profile that it’s almost impossible to create targeting campaigns. With some more research, we found that these CFOs were on LinkedIn at 6am, listened to finance podcasts during commutes, and their biggest fear was implementing software that disrupts operations.

That insight changed everything. We now knew how to reach these CFOs, what their pain points were, and how to relieve them.

3. Choose your channels strategically

Don’t try everything at once. Pick 1–3 channels based on where your audience actually spends time and has buying intent.

• B2B service business? Start with LinkedIn + Google Ads + email marketing.
• Ecommerce fashion brand? Instagram + Facebook Ads + influencer partnerships.
• Local service business? Google My Business + local SEO + Facebook.

The mistake everyone makes is spreading too thin across every platform. Better to dominate two channels than be mediocre on six.

Here are a few questions to help you choose your digital marketing channels:

• Where does your audience discover solutions like yours?
• Which platforms align with your content strengths?
• What’s your realistic budget and bandwidth?

4. Build foundational assets

You’ll need these non-negotiables before any channel strategy works:

A conversion-focused website
Not just pretty, but built to convert visitors into leads and customers. Include clear value propositions, obvious next steps, mobile-optimised, and fast-loading. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out how to use a confusing website.

A lead magnet or compelling offer

 

Give people a reason to share their contact details. This could be industry reports, free consultations, exclusive discounts—whatever provides genuine value.

Email workflows and funnels
Automated sequences that nurture leads from first contact to purchase. Welcome series, educational content, social proof, and clear calls-to-action.

Example: PCO Bookkeepers, a 20-year-old accounting firm specialising in pest management and lawn care industries, used targeted lead magnets and nurturing campaigns to generate 300 marketing qualified leads per month within 18 months. By focusing on their niche audience’s specific needs, they doubled their sales growth two years in a row.

A content calendar

 

Being consistent is more important than being perfect. Plan 30-60 days ahead with topics that serve your audience’s needs, not just promote your products. Customers don’t like to be sold to, so give value before asking for it by sharing advice, experiences, and tips.

5. Set your budget and KPIs

How much can you invest in paid vs organic channels?

Here’s how most businesses allocate their marketing budget:

• 60% on proven channels (what’s already delivering ROI)
• 30% on scaling existing success
• 10% on testing new opportunities

Once the budget is in place, it is important to track what matters:

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
• Lifetime Value (LTV)
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
• Lead-to-customer conversion rates

If you’re spending $5k to acquire a customer worth $3k, you’re not marketing—you’re donating to Google and Facebook.

Why hire a digital marketing agency instead of going DIY?

Sure, you can try to do your own digital marketing. But if you have two social media channels, an email marketing campaign, SEO and paid ads, you will spend more time on marketing than actually running your business.

Here’s the honest truth about what you get when you hire a digital marketing agency:

You get expert execution across every channel

Digital marketing isn’t just posting on social media. It’s technical SEO, conversion rate optimisation, audience targeting, creative testing, attribution modelling, and more. It is a lot to learn, but agencies live and breathe this stuff daily.

Plus, Google releases a core update 2-4 times a year. These core updates are significant, broad changes to the way Google’s search algorithms and ranking. On top of that, social platforms are always making changes to their algorithms. Staying on top of all of these as one person is not possible, unless you dedicate a lot of time to it.

They connect the dots across SEO, content, ads, and email

The magic happens when channels work together. Your SEO content feeds your email marketing. Your social proof powers your paid ads. Your email list retargets through Facebook. Most businesses treat these as separate activities. Agencies orchestrate them as one system.

You avoid rookie mistakes and wasted budget

Have you ever seen an ad and thought ‘who signed off on this?’. We’ve seen businesses blow $100k+ learning what agencies know from day one. Wrong targeting, poor creative, broken tracking, compliance issues—mistakes that agencies spot instantly.

You get results faster through data-driven, repeatable systems

While you’re Googling “Facebook Ads best practices,” agencies are running split tests across hundreds of campaigns, using enterprise tools, and applying insights from similar businesses.

If an agency delivers 3x better results in half the time, they’ve paid for themselves—and then some.

Why Bez Agency is the perfect digital marketing partner

Bez isn’t just another agency. We’re your creative growth partner.

We’ve helped global names like McLaren, GUESS, and Lamborghini turn digital marketing into serious momentum.

What makes us different:

Cinematic content creation
We don’t just make ads. We create visual stories that stop scrolls and build desire. For example, our work with Rolls-Royce didn’t just showcase cars; it crafted aspirational narratives that buyers wanted to be part of.

Paid media that converts
We know that pretty ads don’t pay bills—conversions do. That’s why we don’t stop at the visuals. We combine compelling creative with laser-focused targeting and relentless optimisation.

Social campaigns that actually engage
Beyond follower counts, we build communities around your brand. Real engagement from people who matter—your future customers.

Industry expertise matters
Luxury brands need different strategies than B2B software companies. Local services require different approaches than ecommerce stores. We’ve been there, done that, and have the case studies to prove it.

Let’s build something great together. Book your free discovery session and let’s map out your digital growth roadmap.

 

Digital marketing FAQs

How much should I budget for digital marketing?

Most businesses should allocate 7-12% of revenue to marketing, with 50-70% of that going digital. For new businesses, expect to invest more upfront—sometimes 15-20%—to build momentum.

How long does digital marketing take to work?

Paid ads can generate leads within days. SEO typically takes 6-12 months. Social media and content marketing build momentum over 3-6 months. The key is starting with quick wins while building long-term assets.

What’s the most important digital marketing channel?

It depends on your business, but Google Ads often delivers the fastest ROI because you’re reaching people actively searching for solutions. Email marketing has the highest lifetime ROI at 36:1.

Should I hire an agency or do it in-house?

If you’re spending less than $10k/month on digital marketing, start with a specialist agency. If you’re larger, consider hybrid—agency for strategy and specialised execution, in-house for day-to-day content and community management.

How do I know if my digital marketing is working?

Track revenue metrics, not vanity metrics. Customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend, lead-to-customer conversion rates, and lifetime value tell the real story. If these aren’t improving, neither is your marketing.