THE ROLE OF DIGITAL MARKETING IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE STARTUP PRACTICES

Abstract

Digital marketing has emerged as a vital mechanism for startups to communicate value, build customer relationships, and scale operations with constrained resources. For sustainable startups—firms that embed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives into their business models—digital marketing plays a dual role: it is both a channel for growth and a tool for educating stakeholders about sustainable practices. This paper synthesizes theoretical perspectives and empirical trends to examine how digital marketing strategies (content marketing, social media, search engine optimization, influencer partnerships, and data-driven advertising) enable sustainable startups to raise awareness, build trust, and drive behaviour change among consumers and partners. The paper also discusses challenges such as greenwashing risk, resource limitations, and measurement issues, and offers actionable recommendations for practitioners and researchers. Findings suggest that purpose-driven storytelling, transparency-enabled digital tools, community engagement, and rigorous performance metrics are central to effective sustainable marketing for startups. The paper ends with implications for policy, managerial practice, and future research avenues.