What is digital marketing?
Kahu team·Updated 2 Oct 2026·6 min read
Digital marketing is any marketing that reaches people online: your website, search engines, social media, email and online ads. For a small business the aim is simple: be easy to find, give people a reason to choose you, and make it easy to get in touch.
Digital marketing in one sentence
It is everything you do online to get the right people to notice you, trust you and contact you. Printed flyers and radio are traditional marketing. Your Google listing, your Instagram account, your website and the email you send past customers are digital marketing.
The main channels
| Channel | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Your website | Explains what you do and takes enquiries | Every business: it is where other channels send people |
| Search (SEO) | Shows you when people search for what you offer | Steady, free traffic over time |
| Google Business Profile | Puts you on Google Maps and local results | Any business with local customers |
| Social media | Keeps you visible and builds trust | Visual businesses and repeat customers |
| Brings past customers back | Rebookings, offers and news | |
| Paid ads | Buys attention on Google, Facebook or Instagram | Fast results when you have a clear offer |
How the pieces fit
The channels are not separate jobs. Ads and social posts bring people to your website, the website turns them into enquiries, fast replies turn enquiries into customers, and email brings them back. A weak link anywhere wastes the effort spent everywhere else.
Where Kahu fits
Where to start on a small budget
- 1Claim your Google Business ProfileIt is free, and it is often the first thing local customers see.
- 2Fix your website’s first screenWhat you do, where, roughly what it costs, and one clear way to get in touch.
- 3Post regularly on one social channelPick the one your customers use and keep to a pace you can sustain.
- 4Email past customersA short, useful message every month or two is the cheapest marketing there is.
- 5Then try adsOnce the rest converts, a small, focused campaign shows quickly what works.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small business spend on digital marketing?
Start with the free channels, then add a small test ad budget you can afford to learn from. Increase it only for what brings real enquiries.
How long does digital marketing take to work?
Ads can bring enquiries within days. Search and social build over months.
Do I need to be on every platform?
No. Doing two channels well beats doing six badly.