With over 25 million internet users in Australia and people spending an average of six hours online each day, digital marketing is more crucial than ever for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Consumers are increasingly jumping online to search for products, make purchasing decisions, and engage with brands, making a strong digital presence essential for business growth.
While the opportunities are vast, standing out in the crowded digital marketplace is no easy feat.
Read on as Liam Kearns, Senior Strategist at at+m marketing, provides tried-and-true tips to help your growing business cut through the noise, increase website traffic, and achieve meaningful results.
How to start digital marketing
Liam’s first piece of advice is to know where your marketing money is going and what it’s achieving.
“Have marketing goals that you want to achieve and set up analytics so that you can measure the results,” he says. “That way, you can tell if it’s working.”
Without clear goals and tracking mechanisms, you run the risk of spending money without understanding the return on investment (ROI). Make your goals SMART by ensuring they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
To track your efforts effectively, start with powerful, free tools like Google Analytics and Meta Business Suite Insights. These platforms provide a wealth of data, enabling you to continuously refine your strategy and maximise your impact. When it’s time to report your marketing data from across platforms, DashThis is a time-saving and user-friendly option.

Optimise your website
A well-designed, optimised website is essential for effective digital marketing.
“If you spend thousands of dollars on ads that perform really well, but you send people to a 404, then you’re not going to make any sales,” Liam says. “You need to have a good website to make sure that if you’re driving people somewhere from your ads, there’s somewhere they can go where they can buy from you or take that next step that you need.”
Three key website optimisation actions to maximise conversions include:
- Ensure fast load times
- Create a good user experience (UX)
- Make it mobile-friendly

Leverage the benefits of Google rankings
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the most impactful digital strategies out there. By optimising web content for search engines, you increase the likelihood of appearing at the top of search results when your customers turn to Google with a query.
“If you rank well in Google, you can get website traffic and inquiries from unpaid searches,” Liam explains.
In other words, SEO helps to boost business without the constant need for paid advertising.
However, the Google ranks are very competitive, and claiming the top spot doesn’t happen overnight. It can take time, even for well-established websites – but especially for new ones. To give your site the best chance of ranking well, it’s important to establish a solid SEO strategy from the outset.
“If you optimise your website for Google when it’s built it, this helps as it grows,” Liam says. “It should be something that is measured frequently and updated as well.”

Trade faceless digital marketing for human-centric content
Faceless digital marketing refers to the promotion of products or services without using human faces, personal identities, or individuals to represent the brand. It’s an approach that’s trending out, with brands increasingly using human-centric content to drive engagement.
“On social media especially, it’s almost always more engaging when you have real people in your ad,” Liam says. “Organic content on TikTok or from influencers works really well, whereas a dull shot of a product might not achieve the same results.
“People are on social media to see people – they’re not on there to see products.”
Research tells us that human characteristics in advertising campaigns result in more customer interactions, with images showing faces shared over 80% more often than those without.
So if your goal is to boost engagement while cultivating brand trust and relatability, consider highlighting the human side of your brand.
“People are on social media to see people – they’re not on there to see products.”
– Liam Kearns, Senior Strategist
Can faceless digital marketing work?
Given the rise of influencer digital marketing, can a faceless digital marketing strategy still be successful? Potentially. It comes down to what your product is and what your target audience are looking for.
According to Liam, the business-to-business space is one area where human-centric content may not be needed.
“People are looking for the results that you can achieve for them, and if you can communicate that in your advertising without showing the people, then it might work,” he says. “But even in business-to-business, it ends up being people working with people, so I think it always helps to show people.”
Partner with Tamanian digital marketing specialists
SMEs in Australia are increasingly opting to engage external specialists over in-house digital marketing managers. For businesses seeking scalability, expertise and innovation, a locally based full-service agency can offer valuable benefits on the path to growth.
The Launceston-based team at at+m marketing provide powerful advertising and marketing solutions to drive sustainable growth for your business. Let’s talk.