How much time should business owners spend on marketing?

If someone asks you, “How’s business?” A common reply that I hear all the time is “Busy.”

Now being “busy” could either be good or bad.

It depends on what you’re busy doing.

For example, if you find yourself very busy in your business but not making much progress towards your business goals, then maybe you’re doing the wrong things. Or, if you’re busy and your business is also growing rapidly, chances are you’re busy working on the right things.

So, how can you be “busy” doing the right things—the things that will grow your business?

In this article, I’m going to show you:

  • How to focus your time on the most important things in business
  • How to figure out exactly where to invest your time each week
  • How much of your time should be spent on marketing

You can see the video version of this blog post here:

YouTube player

Quick Summary

Short no time? Here’s a quick rundown of the main points:

  • If you need more clients, spend 80% of your time acquiring clients and 20% of your time doing work for clients.
  • On the other hand, if you already have clients and need to simply keep your pipeline full, then spend 50% of your time on lead generation (to keep your pipeline full) and 50% of your time on servicing clients.
  • Even if you’re busy, it’s important to always spend some time on your marketing and sales to ensure that your pipeline stays full and doesn’t dry up in 6-12 months

Focus on the most important things

The first step to using your time wisely in business is prioritizing what’s truly important.

There are so many distractions and things you could spend your time on in your business, but they often do very little to grow your business.

Because here’s the thing…

In business, there are really only two main things that matter:

  1. Getting more clients (marketing & sales)
  2. Getting great results for your clients (client delivery)

The business owners I speak to are usually really good at client delivery (helping their clients with whatever they paid them to do) but often struggle with getting more clients (marketing and sales).

Why does my marketing sometimes NOT work?

It could be a lot of different reasons, such as:

  • Not using the right strategy (psst… Here’s the strategy we use)
  • Their messaging isn’t quite right (watch the strategy free training video for tips on how to do this)
  • Not enough time being invested in marketing & sales (if you don’t invest time in growing your business, it probably won’t grow)

In this article, I’m not going to spend a lot of time going through how to get the right strategy with the right messaging for your marketing campaign to work. If you want to see the right strategy to generate leads, appointments and clients each month, be sure to click here and watch this video first.

Instead, for the rest of this article, I will focus on how to invest your time wisely in marketing and sales to grow your business.

Invest your time wisely

To invest your time wisely in marketing and sales, let’s simplify everything.

If the two most important activities in your business are:

  • Getting clients (marketing & sales)
  • Doing work for clients (Client delivery)

Logically, you would invest most of your time in these two activities.

Most of you won’t have a problem spending time on client delivery. And spending time on sales is just having sales calls with your potential clients.

But where most people struggle is getting those appointments with potential clients in the first place.

And this is ALL to do with your marketing.

So, let’s break down how much time you need to invest in marketing specifically to grow your business.

Setup your marketing campaign

When it comes to marketing, the first thing you need to do is create a strong foundation.

In other words, you need:

This free training will show you in more detail how to set all of these systems up.

Typically, to set everything up is just a one-time investment of either your time and/or money.

See also: We have done-for-you marketing packages where we can do all this for you if you prefer.

Maintain your new monthly marketing campaign

Once everything is up and running, the next step is to invest either your time and / or money in ongoing marketing activities.

Here are the marketing activities I would recommend focusing on each week:

  • LinkedIn Outreach (1-2 hours/week)
  • Create Content (2-4 hours)
  • Manage Paid Ads (2-4 hours)

Note: Paid Ads are optional and you don’t need to start this until the time is right for you. You can still get great results even without paid ads.

In other words, you need to spend 5-9 hours each week on your marketing (or, about 1 hour a day each week).

But this is where things get interesting…

Depending on your business’s current state, you need to spend more or less time on these marketing activities.

For example, if you don’t currently have many clients, spending more time on marketing would be wise.

If you already have a lot of clients taking up a lot of your time, you can spend less time on marketing. But don’t ignore it completely!

You still need to invest SOME time in your marketing each week, otherwise, you run the risk of your new business pipeline drying out at some point shortly.

See also: How to get sales appointments for your business predictably each month

So you personally will have to decide, based on how many clients you have right now and how busy you are with client delivery, how much time you can dedicate to investing in your marketing each week.

I recommend investing as much as possible in these marketing activities. Anything else that’s taking up a lot of your time and isn’t as important, either outsource it, automate it, or do a bit of both.

Schedule time for your marketing

The last thing you need to do is schedule time in your calendar to work on the marketing activities that you’ve committed to.

By scheduling the marketing activities on your calendar, you can be sure they’ll get done and as a result, you’ll start to see your business leads, appointments and clients increase over time.

Top tip: You can set up a recurring calendar events each week.

Running a successful business requires a delicate balance between various responsibilities, and marketing is a crucial component often demanding significant attention. As a business owner, determining the optimal time allocation for marketing can be challenging, as it depends on various factors unique to your organization.

Why is Marketing Time Allocation Important for Business Owners?

Marketing is the lifeblood of any successful business. It’s the bridge that connects your products or services with your target audience, driving brand awareness, lead generation, and, ultimately, sales. As a business owner, allocating the right amount of time and resources to marketing can make the difference between thriving and merely surviving.

Effective marketing helps you attract new customers and fosters loyalty and retention among your existing client base.

By investing the appropriate time and effort into marketing, you can:

  • Increase brand visibility and recognition
  • Generate a steady stream of qualified leads
  • Differentiate your business from competitors
  • Enhance customer engagement and loyalty
  • Measure the impact of your marketing efforts
  • Continuously optimize and refine your marketing strategies

Factors to Consider When Allocating Time for Marketing

The amount of time business owners should dedicate to marketing can vary greatly depending on several factors. Understanding these factors can help you make informed decisions and allocate your time and resources more effectively.

The size and stage of your business are crucial considerations. Startups and small businesses often need to invest more time in marketing to establish their presence and attract their initial customer base. On the other hand, established businesses may require less time for marketing as they focus on maintaining and growing their existing customer relationships.

Your industry and target market also play a significant role. Highly competitive industries or niche markets may demand more marketing attention to stand out and reach your ideal customers. Conversely, businesses in less competitive spaces may be able to allocate less time to marketing while still achieving their growth objectives.

The marketing channels you choose to utilize can also impact the time required. Traditional marketing methods, such as print advertising or direct mail, maybe more time-intensive than digital marketing strategies like social media, email campaigns, or search engine optimization (SEO).

Understanding different marketing channels’ time and resource requirements can help you optimize your efforts.

Finally, the complexity and sophistication of your marketing strategy can also influence the time allocation. Businesses with a comprehensive marketing plan may need to dedicate more time to planning, execution, and analysis than those with a more straightforward approach.

Strategies to Maximize Marketing Efficiency

As a business owner, finding the right balance between marketing and other essential business activities is essential. Here are some strategies to help you maximize the efficiency of your marketing efforts:

Prioritize and Streamline Your Marketing Activities: Identify the marketing tactics that impact your business most and focus your time and resources on those. Eliminate or automate less effective activities to free up time for more impactful initiatives.

Leverage Automation and Technology: Utilize lead generation automation tools and software to streamline repetitive tasks, such as email campaigns, social media posting, and lead nurturing. This can help you save time while ensuring consistency and efficiency in your marketing efforts.

Outsource or Delegate Marketing Tasks: Consider outsourcing specialized marketing functions, such as lead generation, content creation, graphic design, or digital advertising, to experts or agencies. This can allow you to focus on the strategic aspects of marketing while ensuring high-quality execution.

Continuously Measure and Optimize: Regularly track and analyze the performance of your marketing activities. Use data-driven insights to identify areas for improvement, make informed decisions, and refine your marketing strategies over time.

Tracking and Measuring the Impact of Your Marketing Efforts

Measuring the impact of your marketing efforts is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of your strategies and making informed decisions about future resource allocation. Here are some key metrics and methods to consider:

Website Analytics: Track metrics such as website traffic, bounce rate, time on site, and conversion rates to gauge the effectiveness of your digital marketing initiatives. Tools like Google Analytics can provide valuable insights into your audience’s behavior and the performance of your online presence.

Lead Generation and Sales: Monitor the number of qualified leads generated through your marketing activities and the conversion rate of those leads into paying customers. This can help you understand the direct impact of your marketing efforts on your business’s bottom line.

Brand Awareness and Engagement: Measure the reach and engagement of your marketing content across various channels, such as social media, email, and content marketing. Metrics like follower growth, post engagement, and email open and click-through rates can provide insights into your brand’s visibility and audience interaction.

Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate the ROI of your marketing campaigns to determine the financial impact and justify the time and resources invested. This can involve tracking the cost of your marketing efforts and the revenue or other tangible benefits generated.

Conclusion

As a business owner, striking the right balance between marketing and other essential business activities is crucial for long-term success. By understanding the factors that influence marketing time allocation, implementing strategies to maximize efficiency, and consistently tracking and measuring the impact of your efforts, you can develop a marketing approach that supports your business goals and drives sustainable growth.

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to marketing time allocation. It’s a dynamic process that requires ongoing evaluation and adjustment based on your unique business needs and market conditions.

By staying adaptable and data-driven, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are aligned with your overall business strategy and contribute to your continued success.

FAQs

How much time should a small business owner spend on marketing?

The amount of time a small business owner should spend on marketing can vary greatly depending on factors such as the business’s stage, industry, target market, and marketing strategy. As a general guideline, small business owners should aim to dedicate between 5-20% of their total working hours to marketing activities. This can include tasks like developing a marketing plan, creating content, managing social media, and analyzing marketing performance.

What are the most important marketing activities for a business owner to focus on?

The most important marketing activities for a business owner to focus on will depend on the specific needs and goals of their business. However, some key activities that should be prioritized include:

  • Developing a comprehensive marketing strategy
  • Creating high-quality, engaging content (e.g., blog posts, videos, social media posts)
  • Optimizing the business’s online presence (e.g., website, SEO, social media)
  • Implementing effective lead generation and nurturing tactics
  • Measuring and analyzing marketing performance to inform future decisions

How can a business owner balance marketing with other responsibilities?

Balancing marketing with other business responsibilities can be challenging, but there are several strategies business owners can use to optimize their time:

  • Prioritize and streamline marketing activities
  • Leverage automation and technology to save time
  • Outsource or delegate specific marketing tasks
  • Schedule dedicated marketing time in your calendar
  • Integrate marketing into your daily workflow
  • Continuously review and adjust your marketing efforts based on performance