What Marketing Should a Business Owner Actually Be Doing?

Let’s be honest — most business owners didn’t start their company because they wanted to become a full-time marketer.

They wanted to build something. Solve a problem. Make a living doing what they’re good at. But here we are, spending evenings Googling “how often should I post on Instagram” or “is email marketing still a thing?”

The truth? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. And anyone who tells you otherwise is probably selling something.

But there is a way to think about marketing that feels a bit less overwhelming.

Start with your customer. Not the algorithm. Not the trends. Who are they? What do they care about? How do they spend time online? If you know those three things, you already have a better starting point than most.

Choose 1–2 core channels. If you're a visual brand, Instagram or Pinterest might work. B2B? Maybe it's LinkedIn or email. Local service? Focus on Google and reviews. Trying to be everywhere will burn you out faster than you think.

Build a weekly habit. Marketing doesn’t have to be 10 hours a week. It could be 30 minutes of writing, 20 minutes of scheduling, 10 minutes of replying to comments. The trick is doing it regularly — not perfectly.

Track what matters (and ignore the rest). Not every like or follower counts. What counts is engagement that leads to something a sale, a conversation, a referral. Track those. Let vanity metrics stay in the vanity drawer.

And finally... allow yourself to experiment. Marketing’s not a science experiment with fixed rules. Try something. Test a message. See what happens. The best marketing plans are built on real-world feedback, not guesses.

So, what marketing should you be doing?

The kind that aligns with your customer, your strengths, and your time. Not more. Not less. Just yours.