How To Do Online Marketing In Kenya (+Jobs)

Last updated on June 13th, 2023 at 09:57 am

In this article, we will discuss the basics of online marketing in Kenya. 

For those that are just getting started with their business venture and have a limited budget for advertising, then it’s important to make sure you get the most out of your money by using an efficient way to promote your product or service. 

This is done through three primary methods: social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click (PPC) ads on Google AdWords.

Online Marketing Methods in Kenya

Social Media Marketing

First up in our discussion about internet marketing tips is Social Media Marketing (SMM). 

It sounds pretty straightforward, but actually, there is quite a bit of strategy involved here.

Some people think all social media marketing consists of posting photos or videos on Facebook with links back to their website.

But the truth is that this approach only works for a certain type of business. 

You need to take advantage of tools like Twitter and Pinterest as well if you want to be successful in reaching your target audience through these platforms.

This can sometimes require more time than it does on Facebook because you have less control over what people are seeing when they scroll down their newsfeeds. 

For example, post an update about one thing, then post another update about a totally different topic, and Facebook will show both posts to your followers. 

On social networks like Twitter or Pinterest, however, you can only post one thing at a time – so if you want people to see the second article that they may not have gotten around to reading yet, then it has to be posted separately from the first post.

Content Marketing

If you want to be found by people who are actively looking for your services, there is no better approach than Content Marketing. 

It starts with keyword research and then the creation of quality content that will satisfy readers’ needs.

It can come in any form: blog posts, videos, infographics; basically anything except banner ads or sponsored links at this point.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Once the content is ready, you need to promote it; that’s where Search Engine Optimisation comes in. It will help your website rank higher on search engine pages and bring more visitors to your site in a cost-effective way – basically through changes made at meta tags level which are very inexpensive. 

The goal here is to make sure that your website appears high on the list when people search Google for keywords related to your business niches – such as real estate agents or online stores. 

Ensuring that you have a site map will help increase visibility.

But it’s important not just depending on this technique alone.

Also use keyword research tools like Moz Pro Planner, Ahrefs Site Explorer, SEMrush Free Trial, and others so you know what your competitors are doing and can plan ahead.

Pay Per Click Ads (PPC)

The next technique is to use Pay per Click ads. 

These are advertising options that you can choose from on the search engine websites like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. 

The advantage of this tool is that it only appears when someone searches for your keywords – not when they’re browsing other pages, as in a banner ad. 

You set budget limits, so if an advert does not perform well then you won’t be spending any more money on it either – which saves time and resources too!

With so many options available, it’s important to consider which avenue will produce the best return on investment before investing heavily in any particular strategy. 

Email Marketing

The other pillar of online marketing in Kenya is Email Marketing. 

It’s the process of sending emails to customers or potential customers using email addresses they have given you, with a view to encouraging them to make purchases. 

It is not the spamming of email addresses, but a targeted communications strategy.

Mobile Marketing

Another online marketing strategy is mobile marketing. 

It’s the process of reaching customers who use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to get information about your products or services, make purchases, play games, etc.  

The aim of this marketing strategy is not just to sell something online but also to develop a relationship with them that will help in future sales.

For example through regular updates on new innovations developed by the company.

Which Online Marketing Methods Should I Choose? 

There are several online marketing methods in Kenya. And to pick the right one for you, consider these tips:

• If you have no budget, then SEO and social media marketing are your best bets for free or at low cost.
• If you want to see an immediate impact on sales, PPC is the way to go. 
• If you’re looking for ways to get more people ‘in the door’, try inbound marketing.
• Email campaigns that promote a content offer so readers can sign up via form submission (like this blog post) or by clicking through from another website link etc.

Here are some questions to consider when choosing an online marketing method:

• What is my budget?
• Would I like results in less than 30 days or more long-term (six months)? 
• What kind of traffic would I find most valuable – local or global? 
• Am I targeting buyers from mobile devices? 
• Do we offer any products that generate recurring revenue on their own such as membership sites, subscriptions, etc.? 
• Which methods will allow me to communicate directly with my target audience about these offers via email blasts or social media posts?

Answer these and pick the best online marketing method in Kenya.

Steps To Creating A Profitable Online Marketing Campaign

Step One: Determining Objectives

The first step when considering an online marketing campaign is determining what one wants their company to achieve with the said campaign. 

Do they want more customers? An increase in brand awareness? What about better customer retention rates? Once these goals have been set, marketers should decide whether they would like those goals achieved through SEO, social media campaigns, PPC, or a combination of all three.

Step Two: Understand Target Customer 

The next step in online marketing is to define the target audience. 

Marketers must identify their customers or a group of customers that they are trying to reach with their campaign. 

This can be done by conducting research on different groups and communities within an industry. 

A company may want to focus on youth because it has high disposable income.

This would allow for a variety of more expensive products/services into the advertising mix. 

For example, Jamba Juice could advertise new smoothies as being perfect for teens who need healthy snacks before the big game!

Understanding your market is not just understanding demographics like age, gender, location…etc., but also psychographics – which refer to the attitudes, values, and lifestyles of a group. 

A company might also want to target families with children in college because they are typically willing to spend money on tuition.

Step Three: Know your competition

Know who you’re up against. 

What are the strengths and weaknesses of these competitors? 

This will not only help in determining what tactics to use but also how much time and resources should be allocated for each marketing strategy. 

One company might have a lot of money available so they can afford TV ads.

Another may invest more heavily in print media because it’s cheaper.

Know where you fit into this equation!

Step Four: Budget

It’s important to know how much money is available for marketing. 

This will help decide what strategies are most feasible and which ones should be avoided based on the budget. 

A good rule of thumb is to allocate 20% of total investment in online marketing for expenses and overhead, 40% on content creation and management (which includes video production) while the remaining 40% should be spent on customer acquisition.

There are six areas that need to be considered when estimating the cost:

• Content marketing or social media campaigns
• Paid advertising  (either through search engine optimization, social media advertising, display ads, or retargeting)
• Email marketing
• Creative and design services such as logo design, web development, graphic design, etc.
• Software Licenses like CRM’s or email services; online analytic tools can also add up quickly in costs – especially if they’re only used part-time by an employee with other duties on top of content creation/management. Lastly comes customer support which includes answering questions over chat apps like Zoom and Facebook Messenger along with handling emails.

Additional marketing services such as copywriting, video production, or photography can also be an additional cost for companies that want to increase the quality of their content and/or need it for marketing campaigns.

Step Five: Tracking and Monitoring

The next step is to track and monitor your progress. 

You need to know where you are right now so that you can see what needs improvement and how well the plan is working. 

It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on competitors, as they may offer opportunities for marketing innovation.

Tracking means keeping records of data points like profits versus costs or sales revenue; monitoring entails tracking traffic trends, customer behavior, fluctuations in prices – anything that might affect success going forward.

Best places to find online marketing jobs in Kenya

There are various online platforms where you can find marketing jobs in Kenya. Here are some of the best places to start your search:

1. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that is widely used in Kenya. Many companies and recruiters post job openings on LinkedIn, and you can also search for jobs by location, industry, or job title.
2. BrighterMonday: BrighterMonday is a popular job search platform in Kenya that features a wide range of job postings across different industries, including marketing.
3. Fuzu: Fuzu is another job search platform that lists job openings across Kenya. You can create a profile and set up job alerts to receive notifications of relevant job opportunities.
4. Upwork: Upwork is a freelancing platform where you can find marketing jobs that allow you to work remotely. You can create a profile and bid on job postings that match your skills and experience.
5. PeoplePerHour: PeoplePerHour is another freelancing platform that connects businesses with marketing professionals. You can create a profile and bid on job postings that match your skills and experience.
6. Indeed: Indeed is a global job search platform that also has a presence in Kenya. You can search for marketing jobs by location, salary, and job title.

Remember to tailor your resume and cover letter to each job application to increase your chances of getting hired. Good luck with your job search!