Ever feel like you need to clone yourself just to get your marketing done? You’re not alone. As a one-person show, marketing might be the ball you keep dropping—even though you know it’s key to growing your business.
When you run a business solo, marketing often becomes the task that keeps getting pushed to “someday.” The numbers tell the story: 71% of small business owners handle marketing themselves, yet many spend less than an hour per day on it.
Why is marketing such a headache for solopreneurs? Three big reasons:
- You wear all the hats – From bookkeeping to customer service to actually delivering your product or service, you’re stretched thin. Marketing needs regular attention, but it’s hard to give when you’re juggling everything else.
- You might not know what you’re doing – Let’s be honest: marketing today means knowing SEO, content creation, social media, and data tracking. Unless you have a background in marketing, these skills take time to build.
- It’s easy to put off – When marketing feels too big or confusing, we tend to avoid it. But this creates a cycle where your business growth stalls because potential customers can’t find you.
The True Cost of Poor Marketing
Many solopreneurs don’t realize how much money they’re leaving on the table with inconsistent marketing. A study by Small Business Trends found that businesses with effective marketing plans grow revenue 58% faster than those without.
Let’s break down what poor marketing really costs you:
- Lost visibility: When people search for solutions you offer, they find your competitors instead
- Wasted money: Random, unfocused marketing efforts often cost more while delivering less
- Missed opportunities: Without a clear message, potential clients don’t understand your value
- Time drain: Constantly starting and stopping marketing creates extra work and frustration
As Janet, a solopreneur wellness coach, said, “I spent my first year throwing money at random Facebook ads because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. No strategy, no real message. I might as well have burned that money.”
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Before diving into tactics, successful solopreneurs make an important mental shift: they stop seeing marketing as an “extra task” and start viewing it as an essential business system.
Think about it—you wouldn’t run your business without a way to accept payments or deliver your service. Marketing deserves the same priority. It’s not just promotion; it’s how you connect your solutions with the people who need them.
This means:
- Scheduling marketing time in your calendar as non-negotiable
- Setting clear goals for what marketing should accomplish
- Treating marketing expenses as investments, not costs
Smart Ways to Solve the Problem
The good news? You don’t need to become a marketing genius or find 10 extra hours in your day. Here are practical fixes that work for real solopreneurs:
Use Tools That Work While You Sleep
Marketing automation tools save time by handling repetitive tasks. Set up systems once, then let them run on autopilot:
- Schedule a month of social posts in one sitting using tools like Hootsuite or Buffer
- Create email sequences that send automatically when someone joins your list (Mailchimp and ConvertKit make this simple)
- Use chatbots to answer common questions when you’re busy
- Set up automated follow-ups for prospects who visit your site but don’t buy
Carlos, a financial consultant, shares, “I was spending 10 hours a week on social media with barely any results. Now I spend 2 hours every other Monday scheduling everything, and my engagement has actually improved because I’m more consistent.”
Focus on What Actually Works
Not all marketing tactics are created equal. Given limited time, focus on high-impact activities that give you the biggest return:
- Make sure your website shows up when people search for what you offer
- Email marketing still works better than most other methods for getting and keeping customers
- Ask happy customers for referrals (word-of-mouth is free advertising!)
- Create valuable content that answers your ideal clients’ biggest questions
The key is tracking which activities bring in actual business. Many solopreneurs waste time on platforms where their customers don’t hang out. If LinkedIn brings you clients but TikTok doesn’t, double down on LinkedIn.
Create Simple Systems
Systems beat willpower every time. Create simple, repeatable marketing routines:
- Content calendar: Plan your content topics for the next 3 months, even if simple
- Client follow-up: Automated emails at 30, 60, and 90 days after purchase
- Testimonial collection: Standard process for requesting and sharing client success stories
- Weekly review: 30 minutes each Friday to check what worked and adjust next week’s plan
Melissa, an independent web designer, notes: “Having Friday as my ‘marketing checkup day’ changed everything. Instead of constantly worrying if I was doing enough, I know I’ll catch any issues during my weekly review.”
Get Help With the Hard Stuff
For tasks requiring specialized expertise—such as graphic design or advanced SEO—consider hiring freelancers. This doesn’t have to break the bank:
- Use platforms like Fiverr or Upwork for one-off projects
- Join forces with other solopreneurs to share costs
- Trade services with professionals who need what you offer
- Look into marketing collectives where you can access multiple experts for a monthly fee
Even with a tight budget, you can find affordable specialists. Many solopreneurs waste more money trying to DIY everything than they would spend hiring an expert for specific tasks.
Learn One Bite at a Time
You don’t need to master everything at once. Platforms like HubSpot Academy offer free resources to help you learn marketing basics. Pick one skill to focus on each month.
- Month 1: Learn basic SEO for your website
- Month 2: Master email marketing fundamentals
- Month 3: Improve your social media strategy
- Month 4: Learn the basics of paid advertising
“I stopped trying to learn everything and focused on just email marketing for three months,” says photographer Thomas. “My open rates went from 12% to 35%, and my booking rate doubled. Focusing on one thing at a time actually works.”
Time-Saving Tips Worth Trying
- Batch similar tasks together: Set aside Tuesday mornings just for social media or Thursday afternoons for writing emails.
- Use templates: Tools like Canva provide pre-designed templates for social media posts and other marketing materials. Create your own templates for common emails, proposals, and follow-ups.
- Keep measurement simple: Don’t get lost in complex metrics. Track just a few numbers that show if your marketing is working. For most solopreneurs, tracking new leads, consultation bookings, and sales by source is enough.
- Repurpose everything: Turn one piece of content into multiple formats. A blog post can become a series of social posts, an email, and talking points for a video.
- Schedule thinking time: Block 90 minutes each month just to think about your overall marketing strategy. This prevents you from getting caught in a cycle of busywork without direction.
The Confidence Factor
Many solopreneurs struggle with marketing because they lack confidence in their message. Remember:
- Perfect is the enemy of done – An imperfect marketing email that goes out beats a perfect one sitting in drafts
- Your expertise has value – Don’t downplay what you know or can do
- Clarity beats cleverness – Simple, clear messages work better than fancy marketing speak
- Consistency builds trust – Showing up regularly matters more than brilliant occasional efforts
“I used to agonize over every word in my marketing,” admits consultant Rebecca. “Now I focus on being clear, helpful, and consistent. My business has grown faster with ‘good enough’ marketing that actually happens than with perfect marketing that stayed in my head.”
The Bottom Line
Marketing doesn’t have to be the thing that keeps you up at night. With smart tools, focused effort, and occasional outside help, even the busiest solopreneur can build a marketing system that works.
Start by picking just one area to improve. Maybe it’s finally setting up that email system, creating a content calendar, or hiring help for your website SEO. Small steps, taken consistently, lead to marketing that feels manageable and actually brings in business.
Remember: You became a solopreneur to do work you love for clients who value it. Good marketing simply connects those dots. It’s not about becoming a marketing expert—it’s about creating simple systems that bring your ideal clients to your door, so you can focus on what you do best.
As a one-person show, marketing might be the ball you keep dropping—even though you know it's key to growing your business. Share on X
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