How to Start Digital Marketing Business in India

Are you interested in starting a digital marketing business in India but overwhelmed by where to begin? You may be wondering whether you need to look for clients first or should you set up your team beforehand. Will you offer specialization or a broad range of services? Starting a digital marketing business can be like exploring a maze. You can follow this blog for those first steps towards a successful online marketing business confidently.

What is a digital marketing business?

A digital marketing business is essentially a company or agency which provides its clients a range of online marketing services intended to help clients businesses promote their products , services and increase their visibility, reach and conversion rates. Online marketing business is cost-effective for brand building and generating leads thereby increasing sales. Digital marketing business helps in keeping up with the latest trends for businesses and stay ahead of competition. 

What services does a digital marketing business provide?

A digital marketing business provides several tools and services to clients and is the force behind a company’s success. So before you know how to start a digital marketing company, let us explore what services they provide:

Strategy development

A successful digital marketing company's core strength is its ability to draft a robust strategy for its client. With expertise in this craft of customizing plans that aligns with clients' marketing goals, digital marketing companies help businesses analyze market trends , target market behavior , increase brand visibility and drive sustainable growth across several online platforms. The strategy defines how to start a digital marketing agency in India effectively.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

For online visibility, achieving a high ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) is important. Digital marketing businesses employ SEO techniques to optimize a website’s search ranking effectively and this includes on-page optimisation , content creation and backlink building.

Content marketing

A company’s online success is shaped by its content quality and plays a vital role in strategizing a client’s communication. Digital Marketing businesses effectively create content marketing strategies and distribute quality content across several platforms including blog posts, articles, explainer videos, e-books, infographics etc. to drive traffic to customer websites and engage target audience. Here are some types of content marketing channels :

• Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC) – Paid advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads, to drive immediate traffic to websites.
• Email Marketing – Sending targeted email campaigns to nurture customer relationships and drive sales.
• Affiliate Marketing – Partnering with affiliates to promote products or services for a commission.
• Influencer Marketing – Collaborating with influencers to boost brand credibility and reach.

Social Media Management

Customers engage digital marketing agencies to manage their business effectively by creating and curating content which includes social media profile management, engaging followers and also running paid advertising campaigns to improve brand awareness.

Insights and reporting

While this service is essentially for analysts in a company to curate the analytics mapping etc, digital marketing agency also monitors client campaigns , analyzes performance metrics and provides in-depth reports to clients. This data driven report helps companies take informed decisions in their future endeavors.

How to start a digital marketing agency in a few steps?

You have now a fair idea what all you can offer in your digital marketing agency, let us go through the essential steps to embark on this journey that needs careful planning, strategic thinking and utmost dedication.

1. Conduct market research

It is wise to understand the digital marketing business to head on how to start a digital marketing business in India. Market research can be conducted through surveys and this makes the next steps a lot more easier. This guides you to discover your niche vis a vis your competitors.

Conducting market research is a very tedious task but the benefits are unparalleled. You can effectively differentiate your company , develop unique selling points and strategy wisely to outperform your competitors. You can understand market trends and devise plans for your potential clients by streamlining your operations.

2. Develop a business plan

A very important step of your business to define how to start a digital marketing company must build upon a well thought out business plan. You can outline your objectives, mission, vision and core values in your business plan and also set your niche or industry you intend to focus on and how different you are from competitors. A rock solid team for your digital marketing company is very essential as they would be responsible for delivering exceptional client servicing and creating good client relationships. Your digital marketing company can consider the following when creating the marketing team :

• SEO Specialist
• SEO Copywriter
• Content Creator
• Social Media Manager
• Analytics and Data Analyst
• Client Relations Manager

3. Identify your niche

You might think that casting a wide net and offering digital marketing services to every type of business and targeting a broader audience would be the quickest path to success.

Deciding on a niche for your digital marketing agency helps you develop expertise and identify the challenges in your industry. With a tailored niche, you can strategize effectively with your target audience. 

4. Specify your service

Your understanding of your digital marketing business strikes a chord with potential customers and they can see that you are the industry expert. You will be equipped with knowledge to answer all your client’s queries with confidence and clients would like to believe such experts for best services. 

By answering client’s queries correctly you set client expectations and thus when your digital marketing company is hired, clear communications will prevent any misunderstanding and conflicts later on.

5. Build your portfolio

A portfolio takes time for creation. As a newbie, it might be difficult to put together a portfolio because one needs some projects to start with. When you begin as a digital marketer and clients want to see your past work and experience, you can market your own digital marketing campaigns to start with like personal projects or blogs. Clients would get some idea about your skills and ability to drive results.

Some simple ways you can showcase your works are:

•  Start a blog and optimize it for SEO,
•  Promote your blog on social media and record the website traffic and engagement growth in a case-study-like content.
• Outline the challenges, your strategies, the execution process, and the measurable outcomes
•  Include before-and-after data and charts.

6. Brand image and Persona

Branding for your digital marketing agency is the essence of your business that you bring to the client. It's beyond your company logo, color scheme etc. Your brand should reflect your business mission and core values besides a differentiator. The brand’s personality needs to be established and you need to ensure what kind of emotions the brand should evoke .

Once your brand is established, the name of your company would allow you to invest in a well thought out website and create good quality content.

7. Advertising and networking

Your digital marketing business needs a robust marketing and networking plan to grow. While it helps other businesses achieve their goals, it's very important to ensure its own brand building .

For networking, it is important to attend digital marketing conferences , seminars or webinars. Consider working with businesses from different areas of the industry like PPC agencies, content agencies and more. By collaborating with other industries, you can get better ideas of expanding your network.

8. Decide on a pricing plan

Pricing a service when you start a digital marketing business can get challenging. There are some agency pricing models that can be followed for an idea. 

• Hourly rate: In this, clients are charged based on the number of hours you worked on their project. This is a very transparent way to charge for a service. However, working faster in a project will mean you actually earn less. 
• Project-based pricing: Here, clients are charged a specific amount per project. This pricing model works best with projects that have clear goals and timelines. 
• Retainer-based pricing: clients pay a recurring fee for ongoing services. This is a great way to have a steady income and continuous work. Works well for repetitive services, like link building or social media management. 

Conclusion

Starting a digital marketing business in India with the right approach can be highly rewarding. The steps in the above are to be followed for a successful venture. If the correct price model is selected and your business is well defined, your digital market agency can thrive in this competitive space. As a successful digital marketer being adaptable to trends , enhancing your skills , planning well shall go a long way in ensuring your agency remains competitive , meets client needs and drives sustainable growth.

FAQs

Q1. Is starting a digital marketing agency worth it?

Ans. Yes, starting a digital marketing agency is worth it. While it will require a lot of work, you can turn your venture into a successful business. The potential earnings are high and scalable, the work is interesting and constantly keeps evolving. If you want to put your digital marketing skills to the test, there is no better way than running your own digital marketing agency. 

Q2. Can you start a digital marketing agency with no money or experience?

Ans. Yes, you can start a digital marketing business without any money or experience. There are many free online digital marketing courses you can use to get the skills you need.

While the learning curve will be steep., it’s far from impossible. You will also need to start by charging less for your services, but as you gain more experience, your digital marketing agency will grow too. 

Q3. How much investment is required to open a digital marketing agency?

Ans. The minimum investment required to start a digital marketing agency in India is a minimum of Rs.10 Lacs.

Q4. Who is responsible for digital marketing?

Ans. A digital marketer is a marketing professional responsible for leveraging digital channels to promote products, services or brands. The scope of a digital marketer's role encompasses a wide range of digital media, including social media, search engines, email, content creation and online advertising