How to’s for “a six-figure business in six months” and “10k followers in a month” is flashy, but for most business owners, it isn’t a realistic way to run your business because it can lead to burnout, overwhelm, or even misaligned audiences and offers.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by everything you think you “should” be doing for your marketing or feeling as if you’re missing a step, let’s talk about the power of small steps and consistency over time.

First, let’s get one thing out of the way: You don’t need to have everything perfectly planned out to start marketing your business. No matter how long you’ve been in business, it can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling as if everything has to be planned before you can promote your business or be more visible.

It’s easy to feel like you need a full content calendar, perfectly designed graphics, or a year’s worth of email ideas before you can take any kind of action.

But here’s the truth - perfection isn’t required. In fact, it’s often what holds people back. You don’t need to have all the answers or a flawless small business marketing strategy to begin. All you need is to take the first step.

Think about it this way:

“The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is today.”
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Your small actions today will build the foundation for your marketing success tomorrow, and the best time to start is now.

Image of open laptop on a wooden desk. A woman business owner is planning her marketing strategy.

Why Small Steps are Powerful

When you’re running a small business, your time and energy are limited. You’re juggling a dozen different roles, from customer service to operations, and, unless you are hiring support, “marketing manager” also has to be one of the roles you juggle.

Here’s where small steps can pay off over time because they are more sustainable, and effective, than trying to do everything at once.

Creating three months of social media posts is overwhelming and there are too many moving parts for most businesses to be able to do that reliably, consistently, and accurately. This kind of rigid planning can also lead to headaches if you want to go in a new direction, something changes in your business, or bigger world events impact your business.

Beyond that, the time you spend planning, writing, and scheduling content pulls you away from other important tasks in your business.
This can put you behind in other areas and adds to the cycle of feeling as if you’ll never catch up.

Instead of planning and writing a three-month content calendar, create a general social media marketing plan you’ll follow for a month. Then create two to five posts at a time. That is enough to keep you ahead, take social media off your plate a bit, and allow you to juggle your marketing more effectively.

You can apply this to creating blogs, short form social media videos (for TikTok, Reels, LinkedIn, and YouTube Shorts), and your email marketing.

Small, consistent actions are more sustainable, and more effective, than trying to do everything all at once. Focusing on small steps, and feeling the thrill of accomplishment, helps you avoid burnout, build momentum, and make progress without feeling overwhelmed.

Here’s a non-marketing example:

Every holiday season, my kids and I bake and decorate sugar cookies together and share with friends. It’s a tradition that we all love, but it’s also a time-consuming process. If you’ve ever made sugar cookies, you know they’re not something you can just throw together in an hour.

One year, I was struggling to find a completely free afternoon to do it before the deadline. Then I realized I could break the process into smaller steps over a few days:

Day 1: Mix the dough and refrigerate it.

Day 2: Roll out and bake the cookies.

Day 3: Decorate.

The result? Delicious cookies and a reminder that big tasks become manageable when you break them down into smaller steps.

The same principle applies to your marketing. You don’t need to tackle everything at once. Small, consistent actions will get you where you want to go.

Building Your Sustainable Small Business Marketing Strategy

Let’s talk about some practical ways to use small steps to build a strong and sustainable integrated marketing strategy

Social Media Marketing

Social media can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re managing multiple platforms with different requirements. Here’s how to make it easier:

Batch When You Can: If you’re in a creative mood, write a few extra posts and schedule them ahead of time.
Bank ideas:: Create a list of ideas you might turn into social media posts or videos. You aren’t obligated to use them, and you can pull from them when you’re short on inspiration.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience, but many small business owners avoid it because they think it has to be perfect.

Keep It Simple: Your first email, especially if you haven’t emailed your list in a while, doesn’t need to be fancy. A friendly “hello” and a quick update are more than enough.
Build Consistency: Instead of sending one long email every few months, try to send shorter emails more frequently. This keeps your audience engaged, you don’t overwhelm them with a long email, and makes the process less stressful for you.
Reuse What You Have: If you’ve already written a social media post or blog post, turn it into an email.

SEO and Website Updates

Search engine optimization (SEO) might sound complicated, but small steps can make a big difference:

Tackle One Page at a Time: Pick one page on your website to optimize. Update the headlines, add a call-to-action, or rewrite the copy to make it clearer.
Add Alt Text to Images: This small action improves your site’s accessibility and SEO.
Track Progress: Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to see how your small updates are improving your site’s performance.

Content Creation

Content across all platforms is incredibly important, but creating it doesn’t have to be a headache.

Brainstorm Ideas: Spend a few minutes jotting down content ideas for your blog, social media, or email.
Work in Sections: Instead of writing a full blog post in one sitting, write one section at a time.
Repurpose Content: Use the same piece of content across multiple platforms. For example, turn a blog post into a video, or break it into smaller social media posts. This will help you stay on message while also reducing your overall workload.

Making Marketing Fit Your Life

Not every day will be equally productive, and that’s okay. Every business owner deals with their own unique challenges - whether that is raising kids, juggling elder care, dealing with illness (both short term and chronic), your own energy levels, or some combination (or more) of those.

The key to a sustainable small business marketing strategy is working in a way that fits your energy, schedule, and strengths.

Plan Around Your Energy Levels

Some days, you’ll have the energy to tackle big projects. Other days, you might only have time for a few small tasks.

On high-energy days, focus on larger tasks like creating content or planning campaigns.
On low-energy days, handle smaller actions like responding to comments, scheduling posts, or brainstorming ideas.

Schedule Smartly

Block out uninterrupted time for tasks that require focus.
Save simpler tasks for busier or more fragmented parts of your day.

Play to Your Strengths

If you’re a strong writer, start with copy for emails or blogs.
If you’re more visual, focus on creating graphics or videos first.

The key is to find a system that works for you and stick with it.

Avoiding Burnout

One of the biggest risks for small business owners is burnout, especially when it comes to marketing. The pressure to “do it all” can quickly become overwhelming.

Here’s how to avoid it:

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Remember, small steps are enough. You don’t have to tackle everything at once.
Give Yourself Grace: If you miss a day or fall behind, don’t be hard on yourself. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.
Celebrate Wins: Every small success, whether it’s posting on social media or sending an email, is worth celebrating.

Seeing the Results

Small, consistent steps add up over time. You might not see immediate results, but if you stick with it, you’ll see a change!

Increased engagement on social media.
A more connected and engaged email list.
Higher website traffic and better SEO rankings.
Greater confidence in your ability to handle your marketing.

These small wins are proof that your efforts are paying off.

Easy Marketing Strategies: Consistency and Small Steps Drive Success