Digital marketing is essential for brands seeking growth in Nigeria today. With digital marketing, brands can reach broader audiences, establish brand awareness, and effectively engage with customers.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps to begin digital marketing for your brand in Nigeria.
Summary
The 8 steps to start digital marketing for your brand in Nigeria are;
- Clearly outline your service, Unique Selling Proposition (USPs), expectations, and available resources.
- Define your ideal target audience.
- Map out your ideal target audience’s customer journey.
- Carry out competitor research.
- Choose the proper channels.
- Build and launch campaigns on dedicated channels.
- Measure and optimise your efforts.
- Stay updated, keep testing, and continue learning.
Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Digital Marketing for Your Brand in Nigeria
Starting digital marketing for your brand can feel overwhelming, with so many channels, tools, and strategies available for you to choose from.
This guide is action-oriented, outlining the steps. For more clarity, we will use the example of a fictional EdTech platform called Promitech, which targets individuals seeking to learn tech skills.
1. Clearly Outline Your Service, Unique Selling Proposition (USPs), Expectations & Available Resources
Often overlooked, this step is the foundation for a successful digital marketing campaign. Clearly state why customers should pick your brand over others, your expectations, and the resources available (including money, personnel, relationships, etc.) for digital marketing. It’s essential to set realistic expectations against the available resources. This ensures your digital marketing has a chance to succeed before it’s even started and is not cut by management for underperforming.
Promitech Academy – Foundation Details
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Service | Online tech skills training platform offering courses in Python, Data Analysis, Web Development, Digital Marketing, and UI/UX Design |
| Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) | • 100% practical, project-based learning • Live mentorship sessions with industry experts• Job placement assistance with 80% success rate• Flexible payment plans (pay-as-you-learn)• Nigerian context and case studies • Community of 5,000+ tech professionals |
| Expectations | • Generate 500 new enrollments per month • Achieve 25% increase in brand awareness• Build email list of 10,000 subscribers • Maintain 4.8+ star rating across platforms |
| Available Resources | • Budget: ₦2,000,000 monthly • Team: 2 digital marketers, 1 content creator, 1 graphic designer• Relationships: Partnership with 15 tech companies• Tools: Existing LMS, CRM system, basic analytics setup |
2. Define Your Ideal Target Audience
After outlining the essential details of your brand, the next step is to clearly define your target audience. In-depth target audience knowledge ensures your digital marketing strategy connects with and clearly addresses your audience’s pain points. Defining your target audience can include client research, focus group sessions, and the creation of an Ideal Customer Profile.
Promitech Academy – Target Audience Profile
| Demographic | Primary Audience | Secondary Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 22-35 years | 18-45 years |
| Location | Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan | Other major Nigerian cities |
| Education | University graduates, HND holders | Secondary school leavers, professionals |
| Income Level | ₦150,000 – ₦500,000 monthly | ₦100,000 – ₦800,000 monthly |
| Employment Status | Recent graduates, career switchers, employed professionals seeking upskilling | Students, entrepreneurs, freelancers |
| Tech Savviness | Moderate to high | Basic to moderate |
| Pain Points | • Limited job opportunities in their field • Lack of practical tech skills • High cost of traditional tech education • Need for flexible learning schedules | • Fear of technology • Budget constraints • Time limitations • Lack of mentorship |
| Goals | • Land high-paying tech jobs • Start freelancing career • Transition to tech industry • Increase earning potential | • Basic digital literacy • Side income opportunities • Personal development |
| Online Behavior | Active on LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp groups, tech forums | Facebook, YouTube, Twitter |
3. Map Out Your Ideal Target Audience’s Customer Journey
The customer journey is the complete series of interactions a person has with a brand, product, or service, from initial awareness to post-purchase engagement. Mapping is the creation of a visual representation of this customer journey.
Customer journey mapping is important as it helps you gain deeper insights into your audience. This allows you to tailor all content and materials to best cater to the user’s needs at each touchpoint and stage of the journey.
Promitech Academy – Customer Journey
| Stage | Touchpoints | Customer Actions | Emotions | Content Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | • Google search results • Social media ads• LinkedIn posts • Word-of-mouth referrals | • Searches “learn coding Nigeria” • Sees sponsored posts • Reads tech career articles | Curious, hopeful, overwhelmed | • SEO blog posts about tech careers • Social proof testimonials • Industry trend reports |
| Interest | • Website landing pages • Free webinars• YouTube tutorials • Email newsletters | • Visits website • Downloads free resources• Attends webinars • Follows social accounts | Interested, cautious, comparing options | • Free mini-courses • Detailed curriculum info• Success story videos • Comparison guides |
| Consideration | • Course catalog • Reviews and testimonials• Live chat support • Alumni network | • Compares courses • Reads reviews• Asks questions • Joins Facebook group | Evaluating, seeking validation | • Detailed course previews • Instructor profiles• ROI calculators • Free trial offers |
| Purchase | • Enrollment page • Payment gateway• WhatsApp support • Onboarding emails | • Selects course • Makes payment• Completes registration • Joins student community | Excited, committed, anxious | • Clear enrollment process • Payment plan options• Welcome sequence • Getting started guides |
| Retention | • Learning management system • Live sessions• Student forum• Progress tracking | • Attends classes • Completes assignments• Participates in forums• Tracks progress | Motivated, challenged, supported | • Engaging course content • Regular check-ins• Peer collaboration tools• Progress celebrations |
| Advocacy | • Alumni network • Referral program• LinkedIn updates • Review platforms | • Shares success stories • Refers friends• Posts achievements• Leaves reviews | Proud, accomplished, grateful | • Alumni showcase • Referral incentives•User-generated content• Case study development |
4. Competitor Research
After outlining your services and identifying your audience, the next step is conducting a competitor analysis. Competitor research helps you learn from brands competing for your potential customers.
The primary purpose of your analysis is to understand your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and to identify opportunities for your brand.
Promitech Academy – Competitor SWOT Analysis
| Category | Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities | Threats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promitech Academy | • Strong local focus • Practical, project-based curriculum• Job placement support• Flexible payment plans • Industry partnerships | • Limited brand awareness • Small marketing team• Basic infrastructure• No mobile app | • Growing youth demand for tech skills • Government tech initiatives• Remote work trends • Youth unemployment crisis | • Global competitors with large budgets • Economic instability• Poor internet access• Currency fluctuations |
| Competitor A | • Global brand recognition • Backing from major investors • Experienced mentors | • High tuition fees • Less localized content | • Expand scholarships for African students • B2B corporate training programs | • Rising competition from local platforms • Shifting remote hiring trends |
| Competitor B | • Strong alumni network • Intense immersive learning model • Job placement with partner companies | • High barrier to entry (requires loan or sponsorship) • Limited course variety | • Scale to more Nigerian cities • Partner with more international employers | • Economic barriers limit access • Competitor bootcamps with flexible schedules |
| Competitor C | • Affordable short courses • Strong corporate partnerships • Pan-African presence | • Less focus on deep technical expertise • Brand recognition still growing | • Expand local success stories • Develop deeper specialist tracks | • User churn due to light course structure • Price war from competitors |
| Competitor D | • Innovative curriculum • Backed by tech influencers • Subscription model | • Still building alumni success stories • Limited employer network | • Build recruitment partnerships • Focus on regional customization | • Similar low-cost competitors • Donor fatigue if over-reliant on funding |
| Market Gaps | • Affordable, quality tech education • Part-time and flexible learning• Nigerian case studies • Active mentorship and alumni support | • Advanced niche programs (e.g., DevOps, Blockchain) • Mobile-first learning experience • Corporate and government training models | — | — |
5. Choose the Right Channels
After identifying your audience and conducting competitor research, choosing the most effective channels is the next step. Channel selection influences your content strategy, as you’ll need to create the most effective approach for each channel. A “one-size-fits-all” approach would be ineffective, as algorithms and audiences on these platforms differ.
A few questions to guide the channel selection process are:
- Where does your target audience prefer to spend their time online?
- What is your budget, team expertise, and content creation capacity?
- Can you be consistent on the selected platforms?
Channel options include:
- Social: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube.
- Search: Google Search (SEO & Google Ads/PPC), Bing.
- Others: Email Marketing, Content Marketing (blog, articles), Digital PR, Influencer
Promitech Academy – Marketing Channels
| Channel Type | Platform | Primary Goal | Content Strategy | Budget Allocation | Success Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid Social | Facebook & Instagram | Lead generation, brand awareness | Carousel ads showcasing success stories, video testimonials, course previews | 35% (₦700,000) | CPL < ₦2,000, CTR > 2% |
| Paid Search | Google Ads | High-intent traffic capture | Search ads for “learn coding Nigeria”, “data analysis course Lagos” | 25% (₦500,000) | CPC < ₦150, Conversion rate > 8% |
| Organic Social | LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube | Thought leadership, community building | Educational content, industry insights, student spotlights | 20% (₦400,000) | 10% monthly follower growth |
| Content Marketing | Blog, SEO | Long-term organic traffic | “How to” guides, career advice, industry trends | 10% (₦200,000) | 25% organic traffic increase |
| Email Marketing | Newsletter, automation | Nurturing and retention | Course updates, success stories, exclusive offers | 5% (₦100,000) | Open rate > 25%, CTR > 5% |
| WhatsApp Marketing | Broadcast lists, groups | Direct communication | Course reminders, quick tips, community updates | 5% (₦100,000) | Response rate > 40% |
6. Build and Launch Campaigns on Dedicated Channels
Businesses often make the mistake of jumping directly to this step, going into their respective ad managers, and setting up campaigns, hoping for the best results. However, this approach often results in subpar digital marketing campaign performance. Launching campaigns should be done only after the five prior steps are completed.
Effective digital marketing campaigns undergo three basic phases: planning, execution, and continuous monitoring and optimisation. A few key areas to consider for your campaign execution are:
- Paid Search (PPC – e.g., Google Ads): Campaigns targeting keywords like “learn coding in Nigeria” or “best data analysis course.”
- Paid Social (e.g., Facebook/Instagram Ads): Targeted ads based on demographics and interests (e.g., “tech enthusiasts,” “career changers”).
- Organic Search (SEO): Optimising website content for search engines, with blog posts on “Benefits of learning Python” or “Top tech careers in Nigeria.”
- Organic Social: Consistent posting valuable content, engaging with followers, sharing success stories, and hosting live Q&A sessions.
7. Measure and Optimise
Digital marketing is iterative; activities don’t end at launching the campaign. A “set and forget” approach will lead to failed campaigns or, at best, below-average results. After setting up each campaign, it’s essential to identify key performance indicators (KPIs), benchmarks, and thresholds and to have an optimisation plan and audit routine.
Essential KPIs for you to track include:
- Reach: The number of unique users who see your content/ads over time. It provides an estimate of the potential size of your campaign.
- Impressions: The total number of times your content was displayed on a user’s screen. You can use this to track your brand’s visibility on digital channels.
- Engagement Rate: This measures how actively your audience interacts with a piece of content or an ad. It is your (Total Likes + Comments + Shares) / Followers x 100.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): A CTR measures the percentage of users who click on an online ad or link when they see it. It is calculated by (Clicks / Impressions) x 100.
- Conversion Rate: This refers to the number of site visitors or users who complete a desired action on your site (e.g., course enrollments, lead form submissions). It is measured by (Conversions / Clicks) x 100.
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): This represents the company’s total cost to acquire a new customer. It is measured by dividing total marketing spend by the number of new customers acquired.
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): This metric measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It is calculated by dividing the revenue generated from ads by ad spend.
- Website Traffic is a key metric for checking how popular your website is with users and understanding areas that need improvement. It’s simply the number of visitors who visit your website.
Promitech Academy – KPI Targets and Benchmarks
| Metric | Current Baseline | 3-Month Target | 6-Month Target | Industry Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 50,000 monthly | 150,000 monthly | 300,000 monthly | 100,000+ (EdTech Nigeria) |
| Impressions | 200,000 monthly | 600,000 monthly | 1,200,000 monthly | 500,000+ average |
| Engagement Rate | 2.5% | 4.5% | 6.0% | 3-5% (education sector) |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 1.2% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 2-3% (Facebook ads) |
| Conversion Rate | 3% | 6% | 10% | 5-8% (online courses) |
| Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) | ₦15,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦8,000 | ₦8,000–12,000 average |
| Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) | 2.5:1 | 4:1 | 6:1 | 4:1 minimum target |
| Website Traffic | 10,000 monthly | 25,000 monthly | 50,000 monthly | 20,000+ (competitors) |
| Email List Growth | 500 monthly | 1,500 monthly | 3,000 monthly | 10% monthly growth |
| Course Enrollments | 150 monthly | 500 monthly | 800 monthly | 300–600 (similar platforms) |
Tools to track these metrics include Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Facebook/Instagram Insights, LinkedIn Analytics, CRM systems, and native ad platform dashboards.
8. Stay Updated, Keep Testing & Learning
Trends in digital marketing and technology tend to move fast. With the introduction of AI into marketing, emerging platforms, and constant algorithm changes, ongoing education is essential.
Prompt information ensures you can adapt your strategies to stay relevant. Marketing is like riding a bike; you have to keep optimising, iterating, and learning to drive growth and outperform competitors.
Conclusion
In this article, we have reviewed a step-by-step guide for successful digital marketing for your brand in Nigeria. This process includes clearly outlining key details, defining your target audience, mapping out their customer journey, conducting competitor research, choosing the right channels, launching campaigns on dedicated channels, measuring and optimising key metrics, and staying updated to test and learn.
At Krestel Digital, we are a team of professionals focused on helping brands in Nigeria succeed in digital marketing. Contact us today for the best tips and tricks to help you get started.
