11 Best Online Marketing Platforms in Kenya (Free & Paid)

Last updated on February 14th, 2024 at 04:05 pm

Kenya is a mobile-first market and it has evolved from an agricultural society to one of the most technologically advanced nations in Africa. The internet has radically changed the way people communicate and do business with others. 

It can be confusing for first-time marketers to decide which online marketing platform is best for them in Kenya. 

To help you choose which online marketing platform is best for your needs, this article provides a brief overview of the main platforms available in Kenya.

What is online marketing in Kenya?

Online marketing in Kenya is the process of promoting a product or service to potential customers through online channels. This can include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing.

The Kenyan online market is growing rapidly, with an estimated 40 million internet users in 2023. This presents a huge opportunity for businesses to reach new customers and grow their sales.

Here are some of the most popular online marketing channels in Kenya:

• Search engine optimization (SEO): This is the process of optimizing a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: This is a form of online advertising where businesses pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad.
• Social media marketing: This involves using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote a product or service.
• Email marketing: This involves sending regular emails to subscribers with updates about a business, its products, or its services.
• Content marketing: This involves creating and sharing valuable content that attracts and engages potential customers.

The best online marketing channels for a business will depend on its specific goals and target audience.

However, all businesses can benefit from using a combination of channels to reach as many potential customers as possible.

And these channels will be most effective on certain platforms.

What are the Benefits of Using an Online Marketing Platform?

Online marketing platforms have been around for decades now. They make it easier to manage paid and organic content, connect with customers and measure the effectiveness of campaigns.

The benefits of using an online marketing platform are numerous. They include improved lead generation, targeted content, engagement, and traffic.

Like many online marketing platforms in Kenya, social media advertising is an excellent way to gain exposure for a business. It also allows the business to make use of the established authority of these popular brands and platforms.

Social media advertising can target a specific audience, providing more precise targeting opportunities. 

Using an online marketing platform like IntelliAds allows businesses to advertise their brand cost-effectively and with minimal effort.

As businesses become increasingly reliant on the benefits of online marketing, it is important to stay up-to-date with new developments. One way to do this is by utilizing an online marketing platform that features easy and effective features, like IntelliAds.

With that said, here are some of the best online marketing platforms in Kenya.

11 Best Online Marketing Platforms in Kenya You Should Try

1). Hubspot

Hubspot is a software platform that helps marketers create, manage, and optimize their marketing campaigns.

Hubspot’s software is used by over 100,000 businesses worldwide. They have helped companies like Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Walmart to increase their sales.

This online marketing platform provides marketing automation tools such as email marketing and social media management. They also provide analytics tools such as website traffic tracking and lead generation.

Here are some of the things you can do with Hubspot:

• Attracting leads and increasing brand awareness is a key business objective for many companies, and this can be achieved by creating engaging blog posts, infographics, ebooks, and videos. These can be optimized and shared on social media as well.
• Convert Leads by setting up converting landing pages and CTA buttons
• Collect information about your new customers and their buying habits in order to gain the loyalty of their buyers. This can allow you to better market yourself, increase sales, and meet your company goals.

2). Marketo

Just like Hubspot, Marketo is a marketing automation platform that helps companies to increase their revenue, improve customer satisfaction and reach more customers.

Marketo is a marketing automation platform that helps companies to increase their revenue, improve customer satisfaction and reach more customers. Marketo helps businesses manage their online marketing activities with the help of software.

This software allows businesses to set up and track campaigns across different channels like social media, email, websites, or mobile apps. It also provides data analytics on the performance of these campaigns.

3). SEMrush

Another one of the best online marketing platforms in Kenya is SEMrush.

SEMrush is one of the most popular SEO tools in the market. It helps businesses to find keywords, track their performance, and discover new opportunities.

Better part?

SEMrush comes with a free trial tool that provides various features for people looking to improve their marketing campaigns. SEMrush helps businesses improve their visibility on search engines and increase traffic by providing valuable keyword data.

In fact, SEMrush can help you perform competitive analysis, monitor backlinks, and track rankings in search engines. It also helps to generate ideas on content marketing strategies based on the data it collects.

4). MailChimp

Mailchimp is another one of the best online marketing platforms in Kenya. It is an email marketing solution that allows users to send emails and track the response rate. It has over four million subscribers and has been a leader in email marketing since 2001.

With this epic tool, you can easily send and track email campaigns.

It comes with a wide range of features to help marketers reach their target audience. It also offers templates for all types of campaigns, from the newsletter and transactional emails to webinars and social media content.

The platform includes tools for analytics, segmentation, and segmenting lists by demographics. It also offers integrations with other marketing platforms like Facebook Ads, Google AdWords, Hubspot, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

5). Google Ads

Google Ads is one of the most popular Google products. It is used by businesses to promote their products and services on the search engine and Google’s network of publishers.

As an online marketing platform in Kenya, Google Ads is effective in promoting your business because they are able to target their ads based on the interest of the audience. These ads can be created using text, images, videos, and interactive maps.

You can use it anyhow you seem fit to advance your business goals. Google Ads is a powerful tool that can be used to generate traffic and sales. It can also be used to create brand awareness and drive engagement with your audience.

In short, it is the perfect way to get your business noticed. They are easy to use, cost-effective, and customizable. Google Ads also has many features that allow you to target specific audiences, measure performance, and optimize your campaign for maximum ROI (return on investment).

6). Ahrefs

If you want to rank your website on Google in Kenya, this is one of the best online marketing platforms in Kenya to consider.

Ahrefs is a powerful SEO software that helps you find the best keywords, backlink opportunities, and content ideas.

This SEO platform is useful for anyone who wants to improve their website’s SEO. It can be used to discover new keywords, find out whether a competitor is using your content without giving credit or if they are stealing your content.

Ahrefs provides helpful insights on how to improve your website’s search engine optimization and it also includes a backlink checker, keyword research tool, and traffic estimator.

7). Facebook

Then there’s Facebook.

Facebook is a social media platform that has been around for over 10 years and is one of the most popular websites in Kenya, and apparently, in the world. It has become a marketing platform for many businesses and brands.

Facebook is an effective marketing tool because it provides marketers in Kenya with the opportunity to target specific audiences. It also allows companies to create content that will be engaging to their audience.

The main difference between Facebook and other social media platforms in Kenya is that Facebook allows companies to create ads on its site, which can then be shared, liked, or commented on by users. 

This makes Facebook an effective marketing tool because it allows marketers to reach their target audiences without having to pay for advertising on other platforms such as Instagram or Twitter.

8). Hootsuite

Talking of social media platforms in Kenya, Hootsuite comes to mind.

Hootsuite is a social media management software that allows users to manage multiple social media accounts from one interface.

Hootsuite is used by professionals, small businesses, and individuals that want to manage their social media accounts. It also provides features such as analytics, notifications, and direct messages.

Hootsuite has a user-friendly interface that lets you manage your social media accounts in just minutes. It also includes features such as analytics, notifications, and direct messages.

Think of it as the ‘one stone‘ you need to kill ‘two birds’ (manage all of your business social accounts).

9). Quora

Quora is a question and answer site where people can ask questions and share their knowledge.

Quora is one of the best online marketing platforms in Kenya for finding answers to your questions. It has over 200 million monthly users and has a huge repository of knowledge. If you are looking for something specific, you can search through Quora’s database to find the answer.

You can also ask questions on Quora, which will help you to learn more about a certain topic or even start a conversation with experts in that field.

Now, as a business, what’s in it for you?

Well, you can answer questions related to your industry and establish your brand as the go-to expert in your field.

10). ShareASale

Let’s talk sales.

ShareASale is a powerful affiliate marketing platform that provides a complete solution for marketers. This website and its affiliate programs are used by millions of marketers to drive profitable partnerships, create highly targeted campaigns, and generate leads.

If you want to drive sales fast, create an affiliate program on this platform. Publishers and other marketers will do the rest for you.

11). Your blog

You didn’t expect this, but your website is another one of the best online marketing platforms in Kenya.

Yes, the internet is a place where people go to find information, products, services, and more. Websites are the most popular way for companies to get their product in front of potential customers.

In fact, with the rise of social media and online marketing, your website can also be used as a marketing platform in Kenya.

As marketers, we should make use of our website as a marketing platform to showcase our work and grow our business.

The following are some ways that you can use your website for marketing purposes:

• Promote your products and services on your site
• Offer free content to attract visitors
• Share your content with other websites
• Use social media to promote it

You can your blog to increase conversion rates and revenue. There are many ways in which a website can be used as a marketing platform and the most effective one is through content marketing.

How Online Marketing Platforms Can Help You Create a Local Growth Strategy

Online marketing platforms in Kenya are great tools for companies to use in order to create a local growth strategy.

The first step is to identify the different types of content that you would like your platform to produce. Once you have decided on the type of content, you can then decide on which channels are best suited for your business and what is required from them.

The most important task of any marketing platform is to produce content that will generate a high number of clicks, retweets, and shares. If you are unsure how to produce high-quality content, then you should hire a professional agency or search for relevant YouTube channels that do the same type of content.

It is advisable not to spend too much money on creating your own content.

The second step is to create visual content that is appealing and eye-catching. This can be done using a variety of different graphic design tools but is often the most effective with videography.

Social media platforms are great for distributing the videos that you have created so they can be shared and seen by the public.

The third step is to use paid advertising in order to generate high-targeted traffic. It is vital that you understand what your target audience wants to view on your website.

If you are a farmer’s market, then it would be wise to incorporate content around farm-fresh food and life in the country. If you are a restaurant, then it would be worthwhile creating content that focuses on how the food was created and how good the experience is.

If you create content that a target audience wants, your website will be seen as more relevant and valuable.

Digital marketing company in Kenya

If you are looking to dominate these platforms, you will need some help.

Here are some of the best digital marketing companies in Kenya that can help put you on the map:

• Growthpad Digital Consulting is a leading digital marketing agency in Kenya with over 10 years of experience. They specialize in a wide range of digital marketing services, including SEO, SEM, social media marketing, web design, and content marketing.
• Global DesArts Media is a full-service digital marketing agency that offers a wide range of services, including website design, SEO, SEM, social media marketing, and content marketing. They have a team of experienced professionals who can help you achieve your digital marketing goals.
• OraDMA is a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses grow their online presence. They offer a wide range of services, including SEO, SEM, social media marketing, and web design. They have a team of experienced professionals who can help you reach your target audience and achieve your business goals.
• Digilab Marketing Agency is a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses grow their online presence. They offer a wide range of services, including SEO, SEM, social media marketing, and web design. They have a team of experienced professionals who can help you reach your target audience and achieve your business goals.
• Empex Digital is a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses grow their online presence. They offer a wide range of services, including SEO, SEM, social media marketing, and web design. They have a team of experienced professionals who can help you reach your target audience and achieve your business goals.

These are just a few of the many great digital marketing companies in Kenya. When choosing a digital marketing company, it is important to consider your specific needs and budget.

You should also make sure that the company has a team of experienced professionals who can help you achieve your business goals.

And as you can see, there are ton of them.

The question is, how can you pick the best?

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a digital marketing company in Kenya:

• The company’s experience: How long has the company been in business? Do they have experience working with businesses in your industry?
• The company’s services: What services does the company offer? Do they offer the services you need to achieve your business goals?
• The company’s team: What kind of team does the company have? Are the team members experienced and knowledgeable in digital marketing?
• The company’s pricing: How much does the company charge for its services? Is the pricing within your budget?

Once you have considered these factors, you can start narrowing down your choices and find the best digital marketing company for your business.

Website marketing services in Kenya

Getting more traffic to your website is crucial for any business looking to grow its online presence in Kenya.

As the owner of Marketing.ke, I have extensive experience helping companies improve their search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing efforts to drive qualified visitors to their sites.

With over a decade of working with Kenyan businesses small and large, I have developed proven strategies for ranking higher in Google and reaching potential customers searching for products and services online.

The first step I always take is conducting keyword research to identify high-volume, low-competition terms that relate to your offerings.

Understanding user intent and search behavior is key to creating content and optimizing pages in a way that search engines will reward.

My team and I perform technical SEO audits looking for site architecture issues, errors, broken links, page speed problems, and more that may be holding your rankings back.

I then make recommendations for fixes that can significantly improve how search engines crawl and index your content.

I also advocate for switching to fast, mobile-friendly page designs as more than 80% of searches in Kenya now happen on phones.

An important component of higher rankings is building high-quality backlinks from other websites to signal importance and authority to Google.

My outreach and guest posting services have helped clients land feature pieces on leading publications in their industry along with other impactful links that greatly benefited their website traffic.

Finally, I offer monthly analytics reviews and recommendations to make sure any changes are improving key metrics like your keyword positions, organic traffic, lead conversions, and return on investment.

I won’t be satisfied until my solutions effectively get your brand visible to your ideal customers.

With the internet continuing to grow rapidly across Africa, now is the perfect time to leverage my website marketing services to grow your Kenyan business and gain an edge over local competitors still relying on traditional advertising alone.

I invite you to contact Marketing.ke today to schedule a free website traffic analysis and discuss a custom solution tailored for your brand and budget.

With my assistance, you can finally achieve the web presence needed to thrive in Kenya’s expanding online marketplace for years to come.

Conclusion: Start Using an Online Marketing Platform Today to Grow Your Business

The future of marketing is digital and it is important for businesses to start using an online marketing platform today. 

It is better to use your time and resources to use an online marketing platform today, rather than waiting for the future.

After reading this article, you should better understand why it is important for businesses to use an online marketing platform.

Recommended readings:

• How To Use Tiktok for Business in Kenya
• Social Media Marketing in Kenya: Ultimate Guide
• How Content Marketing Works in Kenya: A Guide for Beginners
• 10 Reasons To Hire Content Writer in Kenya