No time for marketing? Here's the minimum that actually works

Marketing advice is usually written for people with a marketing department. If you're on the tools all day, quoting at night and invoicing on Sunday, "post daily and blog weekly" is not advice, it's a reason to give up.

Do the permanent things once

Some work keeps paying out long after you've done it: a website that clearly explains your services, a complete Google Business Profile, correct listings, and a way to collect reviews. Set these up properly once and they keep working while you're on site.

A realistic monthly routine

• +Ask three recent customers for a Google review (10 minutes)
• +Add two or three photos of recent work to your Google profile (5 minutes)
• +Check enquiries actually arrived and were replied to (10 minutes)
• +Update anything that's changed, hours, pricing, services (10 minutes)

Hand over the parts that need doing weekly

Content, SEO improvements, ad management and technical fixes are the parts that eat evenings. That's the work worth handing to someone else, not because you couldn't do it, but because the hour costs you more than it costs to outsource.

Stop measuring the wrong thing

Followers and impressions don't pay wages. Enquiries, quote requests and phone calls do. If you track one number, track how many enquiries you got this month and where they came from.