Online marketing and marketing strategy: a step-by-step guide
How a small business owner builds online marketing and a marketing strategy: channels, SMART goals, persona, the See-Think-Do-Care model, budget, KPIs and a sample 90-day plan for a riding stable.
Online marketing is the most accessible way for a small business to reach customers who do not know about it yet, but it only works when there is a well-thought-out strategy behind it. Without one it quickly turns into a series of random posts and one-off campaigns, and nobody can say what they actually achieved.
In this guide we go through what online marketing consists of, how strategy differs from tactics and a plan, and how to build your own marketing strategy step by step. Our examples come from the equestrian world (a stable, club, trainer, equestrian e-shop), but you can use the same approach for a café, a physiotherapy practice or an accounting firm. If you need an in-depth guide just for the equestrian business, you will find it in the article Equestrian marketing: a complete strategy for the equestrian business.
What online marketing is and why a small business should bother
Online marketing, often also called digital marketing, covers all marketing activities that take place on the internet: from the website through search engines to social media and email. Compared with flyers or radio, it has two advantages that small businesses appreciate most: it can be measured precisely and you can start with a small budget.
The audience is there in Slovakia. According to DataReportal Digital 2026: Slovakia, at the end of 2025 Slovakia had around 5.02 million internet users (91.8% of the population) and 3.90 million social media user identities (71.4% of the population). So the question is not whether to be online, but where exactly and with what goal.
The main channels of online marketing
| Channel | What it is for | Equestrian example |
|---|---|---|
| Website | The base that all other channels point to | Livery price list, booking a lesson |
| SEO | Unpaid traffic from Google | Article “how to start riding as an adult” |
| PPC / Google Ads | Paid visibility for a specific search | Campaign for a summer riding camp |
| Social media | Reach, community, trust | Short videos from training and behind the scenes at the stable |
| Email marketing | Relationship with prospects and clients | Monthly newsletter for owners of horses at livery |
| Content marketing | Guides, videos, answers to questions | A guide to choosing a first helmet in an e-shop |
| Influencers and ambassadors | A recommendation from someone the audience trusts | A rider tests an e-shop’s saddle pads |
| Reviews | Social proof before a decision | Ratings on the Google Business Profile |
We cover each channel separately: search engines in our SEO optimisation guide, paid social advertising in the article on Facebook advertising, and working with riders as ambassadors in the piece on rider sponsorship.
Strategy, tactics and a marketing plan: what is the difference
These three terms are commonly confused, which is why many businesses start at the end, with the question “should we be on TikTok?”. The order is the other way round, though.
- Marketing strategy answers the questions to whom, what, why and how you stand out. It changes rarely, typically when the offer or the market changes.
- Tactics are the specific tools and methods you use to carry out the strategy: local SEO, video, a newsletter, a search campaign.
- A marketing plan is the schedule: who does what, by when and for how much money.
An example from a stable: the strategy is “to become the first choice for adult beginners within 30 minutes of the city”. The tactics are local SEO, Instagram with behind-the-scenes content and a referral programme. The plan says that in March you launch a page for an introductory lesson, publish two posts every week and run the first campaign in April. An online marketing strategy is then the part of the overall strategy that concerns digital channels.
How to build a marketing strategy step by step
The following framework has eight steps. For a small business you can manage it in one or two pages of text. Clarity matters more than length: anyone who works with you should understand the strategy in five minutes.
1. Set SMART goals
The goal “we want more clients” cannot be evaluated. A SMART goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant to the business and time-bound. For example: “By the end of June, win 10 new clients for regular weekday afternoon lessons.” An e-shop can set a goal for the number of orders or the share of returning customers.
2. Define your target group and persona
A persona is a specific description of a typical customer, including their worries. For example: Zuzana, 38, office job, rode as a child and wants to go back to it, but is afraid she will be the only adult among children. From a persona like this you immediately see what to communicate (safety, groups for adults, flexible times) and where to find her.
3. Positioning and USP
Positioning defines the place you want to occupy in the customer’s mind. The USP (unique selling proposition) is the reason to choose you. A simple template helps: “For [whom] we are [what], who [benefit], unlike [alternative].” A trainer can build on a specialisation, such as young horses; a stable on its indoor arena and paddocks; an e-shop on expert advice when choosing tack.
4. Analyse the competition
Choose three to five competitors that your customer also considers. Go through their website, Google profile, reviews, social media and price list. You are not looking for what to copy, but for gaps: slow replies to messages, no prices on the website, complaints in reviews or content nobody is making.
5. Choose channels using the See-Think-Do-Care model
A useful framework is the See-Think-Do model, introduced by analyst Avinash Kaushik and later extended with a Care stage. It divides the audience by how close it is to buying:
- See: a broad audience with no purchase intent. Social media, video, ambassadors.
- Think: people who are starting to consider a purchase. SEO articles, comparisons, newsletter.
- Do: people ready to buy. Google Ads, an offer page, simple booking.
- Care: existing customers. Email, community, asking for a review, loyalty benefits.
A small business does not have to cover all four stages at once. If you get few enquiries, start with Do and Care, where the money is closest. If you have enquiries but lack awareness, strengthen See and Think.
6. Set the budget
Split the budget into three parts: the foundation (website, tools), content creation (photos, video, copy, your time) and media (paid advertising). For advertising, start with a test amount you are willing to invest in getting data, and only increase spending where you see results. Do not forget that the hours spent creating posts are a cost too.
7. Prepare a content calendar
Choose three or four content pillars, for example behind the scenes, education, people and horses, the offer. Plan topics a month ahead in the calendar and take the season into account: spring start, summer camps, autumn competitions, Christmas gift vouchers. Set a frequency you can keep up even in your busiest week.
8. Define KPIs and measure
Assign one or two indicators to each goal: the number of enquiries, bookings, orders, the cost per client won, the newsletter open rate. The foundation is a correctly set up Google Analytics and a regular monthly overview. What measurement looks like in practice is shown in our case study on community building and acquisition through Meta Ads.
A sample 90-day online marketing plan for a riding stable
A model situation: a smaller stable near a city has free capacity on weekday afternoons and wants to fill it with adult beginners. The owner spends a few hours a week on marketing.
| Period | Tasks | What to measure |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30: foundations | Persona and USP, website audit, price list and booking on the website, Google Business Profile, analytics, asking current clients for reviews | Working tracking, number of reviews |
| Days 31–60: content and reach | Two to three posts a week according to the pillars, two articles for the website, the first newsletter, a small local social media campaign | Local reach, website traffic, newsletter sign-ups |
| Days 61–90: enquiries and evaluation | A page for an introductory lesson, a search campaign for local queries, a referral programme for clients, evaluation and adjustment of the plan | Enquiries, bookings, cost per client |
Other types of business can adapt the same skeleton. A trainer shifts the emphasis to personal brand and referrals, an e-shop to product content, email sequences and reviews. More detailed approaches for stables can be found in the article Marketing a riding stable: how to win and keep clients.
The most common online marketing mistakes of small businesses
- Tactics without a goal. Setting up a profile on a new network just because you “need to be there”.
- Everywhere at once. Five channels done half-heartedly bring less than two done properly.
- Measuring likes instead of enquiries. Likes do not pay the hay bills.
- A website as a business card. No prices, no contact details at first glance and no clear next step.
- Irregularity. A month of intensity, then six months of silence.
- Forgotten regular clients. Keeping a client is usually cheaper than winning a new one, and satisfied clients are the best source of referrals.
- Giving up too early. SEO and community need months, not weeks.
Doing online marketing yourself or with an agency?
Many small businesses can handle the basics themselves, especially if the owner has a clear strategy and a little time every week. External help is worth considering for building a website, setting up tracking and paid campaigns, or when marketing stalls because nobody has the capacity for it.
What to expect from a collaboration and what to look at is discussed in the article on how an online marketing agency works. At EQUILABZ we specialise in the equestrian world, and an overview of what we can help with is on our services page.
Frequently asked questions
What is online marketing in simple terms?
It is promoting a business, products or services on the internet: website, search engines, social media, email, content and paid advertising. Its advantage is precise targeting and measurable results.
Is digital marketing the same as online marketing?
In everyday speech the terms are used as synonyms. Digital marketing is somewhat broader, because it also includes digital channels outside the internet, such as SMS or digital screens.
What is the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan?
The strategy defines whom you address, with what offer, and how you stand out. The marketing plan turns it into specific tasks, deadlines, responsibilities and a budget.
How much does online marketing cost for a small business?
It depends on your goals, the competition and how much of the work you do yourself. It makes sense to start with a small test budget for advertising, measure the cost per customer won and only increase investment in proven channels.
How soon will I see results?
Paid advertising brings the first data within days to weeks. SEO, content and community building usually need several months, but their effect lasts longer.
Which channel is best for a small business to start with?
For local services it is usually a working website together with a Google Business Profile and reviews. For an e-shop, add SEO for product categories and email marketing.
Conclusion
Good online marketing does not start with choosing a social network, but with a clear goal, knowing your customer and a reason why they should choose you. Once you have these answers on paper, the choice of channels, the budget and the 90-day plan fall into place. Start with fewer channels, measure enquiries instead of likes and adjust the strategy once a quarter according to what the numbers show.
Sources
- DataReportal: Digital 2026: Slovakia (Kepios / We Are Social / Meltwater, 2026), datareportal.com
- Avinash Kaushik: See-Think-Do: A Content, Marketing, Measurement Business Framework (Occam's Razor, 2013), kaushik.net
- Google Analytics Help: Nastavenie služby Google Analytics, support.google.com
- Pomocník pre Firemný profil na Googli: Vytvorenie a overenie Firemného profilu na Googli, support.google.com
Dealing with a similar topic in your brand?
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