DIY Marketing

DIY Marketing is truly a skill you can learn on your own. Before I earned my MS in Marketing Analytics, I taught myself through podcasts, YouTube videos, free articles, and trial and error. If you’re running a small business or startup, you might be in the same place. Your marketing budget is limited, but your ambition isn’t.

This is your complete guide to DIY marketing. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to sharpen your current efforts, this guide will help you:

Build your online presence
Reach the right audience
Attract and convert leads
Make sense of analytics

And if, after all this, you feel like you need a hand? Reach out. I offer affordable consults, and my book, Digital Marketing in a Day, dives even deeper into everything we cover here.

The Ultimate DIY Marketing Guide for Small Businesses

Start with Strategy

DIY marketing without strategy is like driving blindfolded. You might be putting in time, effort, and even money—but without a roadmap, you won’t know where you’re headed or how to measure progress.

This is where your strategy begins.

Define Your Audience

Before you choose your social media platform, write a blog, or run your first ad, ask yourself:

Who exactly am I trying to reach?
What are their biggest pain points or goals?
What type of content do they like to consume?
Where do they spend their time online?
What phrases or questions are they typing into Google when they’re looking for help?

Use this information to create a buyer persona—a fictional but detailed profile of your ideal customer. Give them a name, a background, and motivations. Are they a 35-year-old operations manager looking for efficiency tools? A local parent looking for affordable after-school programs?

When you write content, plan your site, or run ads, picture this person. Speak to them, not to “everyone.”

Set SMART Goals

DIY Marketing feels aimless without clear goals. That’s why SMART goals are so useful. They give your strategy direction and provide benchmarks to measure your progress against.

Your goals should be:

Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve (e.g. “Get 100 new email subscribers in 60 days”)
Measurable: You need a number to track
Achievable: Set a goal that’s ambitious but realistic
Relevant: Make sure it ties into your business objectives
Time-bound: Attach a deadline

For example:

“Grow my Instagram followers by 500 in 3 months”
“Generate 10 new leads from the contact form by the end of the quarter”
“Increase email open rate to 35% in 30 days”

Without a strategy that connects your goals to your audience and your message, marketing becomes guesswork. A strong strategic foundation makes everything that follows—from content creation to ad placement—more effective, more efficient, and far less stressful.

Build a Website That Works

Even if your business runs mostly offline, people will still search for you online. Your website is your digital storefront—often the first impression potential customers will have. If it looks outdated, takes too long to load, or doesn’t clearly explain what you do, you risk losing business before they even reach out.

A great website doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be clear, trustworthy, and built for conversion.

Use DIY-Friendly Platforms

You don’t need a developer to build a great site. Today’s platforms make it easy for non-tech users to launch something professional and polished:

Wix or Squarespace: User-friendly drag-and-drop builders ideal for small businesses, local services, and solopreneurs.
WordPress: More customizable, better for blogs or businesses that need scalable features. Slightly steeper learning curve but highly flexible with themes and plugins.

Must-Have Pages

No matter what kind of business you run, these core pages are non-negotiable:

Homepage: Communicate your value in 5 seconds or less. What do you do? Who do you help? What should they do next?
About Page: Share your story, mission, and values. Help people connect with you on a human level.
Services or Product Page: Clearly outline what you offer. Use benefit-driven copy that speaks to your audience’s problems.
Contact Page: Include a form, email, phone number, and optionally a calendar link (like Calendly) for easy scheduling.

Consider adding pages like:

Testimonials or Reviews
FAQ
Blog or Resource Hub

Optimize for Performance

A beautiful site means nothing if it doesn’t work well. Make sure your site is:

Mobile-friendly: More than half of web traffic is mobile. Test your site on various devices.
Fast-loading: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to check speed. Compress images and use fewer third-party scripts.
Secure: Use HTTPS (SSL certificate) to protect visitor data and boost SEO.
SEO-ready: Use clear page titles, descriptive URLs, alt text for images, and keywords naturally placed throughout your content.

Add a Call-to-Action (CTA) on Every Page

Each page on your website should guide visitors toward a next step. A strong CTA turns a passive visitor into a potential lead or customer.

Examples of effective CTAs:

“Book a Free Consultation”
“Download Our Pricing Guide”
“Get a Custom Quote”
“Start Your Free Trial”

The goal is to keep visitors moving toward action—whether that’s making contact, joining your list, or starting a purchase process.

Building a website that works isn’t about flashy design. It’s about clarity, usability, and aligning your site with your business goals. Once your site is live, it becomes the hub of your DIY marketing ecosystem—the place where your content leads, your SEO lands, and your paid ads convert.

Get Found: Mastering DIY Marketing SEO for Beginners

If you want customers to find you online, you need to show up in search results. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. SEO is the process of improving your website so it ranks higher in search engines like Google when people search for keywords related to your business.

Done right, SEO helps you attract traffic without paying for every single click. And while it takes time to see results, the long-term payoff is well worth it.

Step 1: Keyword Research

Before you optimize anything, you need to understand what your audience is searching for. These are your keywords — the phrases people type into Google when looking for help, products, or services.

DIY Keyword Research Tools:

Google Keyword Planner: Free and beginner-friendly
Ubersuggest: Great for content ideas and keyword volume
AnswerThePublic: Visualizes common questions people ask around a topic
Google Autocomplete: Type in a phrase and see what Google suggests

Start with 5–10 keywords related to your business, products, or services. Think like a customer: If someone didn’t know you existed but needed your solution, what would they search for?

Step 2: Where to Use Your Keywords

Once you have your keywords, use them naturally throughout your website content. No keyword stuffing! Instead, aim for clarity and helpfulness.

Key Places to Use Keywords:

Page titles (H1s): Clearly describe the page’s topic
Meta descriptions: Brief summaries that show in Google search results
Body copy: Sprinkle naturally in paragraphs, headers, and bullet points
URLs: Keep them short and descriptive (e.g., /roof-repair-dayton)
Image alt text: Helps with accessibility and keyword relevance

Step 3: On-Page SEO Essentials

Your website needs more than just good keywords. Search engines also look at structure, speed, and usability.

Basic On-Page SEO Checklist:

Mobile-friendly design: Your site must work well on all devices
HTTPS security: Make sure your site uses an SSL certificate (Google favors secure sites)
Fast loading times: Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify issues
Clear site architecture: Organize your pages logically with menus and internal links
Internal linking: Link between related pages to improve crawlability and user experience

Step 4: Local SEO for Small Businesses

If you’re targeting a local audience (like many small businesses), you must prioritize local SEO.

Local SEO Actions:

Set up a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business): This helps you show up in Maps and local searches
Use local keywords: Combine your service with your city (e.g., “Dayton Ohio landscaping”)
Encourage reviews: Ask happy customers to leave a review on Google
Consistent NAP info: Make sure your Name, Address, and Phone Number are identical across all listings

Local SEO helps you appear in searches like:

“best pizza near me”
“marketing consultant in Dayton Ohio”
“emergency plumber Kettering”

Final Thought: SEO Is a Long Game

Unlike paid ads, SEO doesn’t deliver instant results. But over time, it compounds. A single blog post or service page can bring in traffic for months or even years if optimized correctly.

If you focus on creating helpful content, using the right keywords, and optimizing your site’s technical elements, your visibility will grow—and so will your customer base.

Even with just 1-2 hours per week, you can begin laying a strong SEO foundation. And if you ever get stuck or want a quick audit, I’m always happy to help.

Create Content That Converts

Your content is your voice online. It’s how you build trust, demonstrate expertise, and move potential customers from “just browsing” to “ready to buy.” And the best part? You don’t need a film crew, copywriting team, or $10k budget to make it happen.

With the right approach, DIY content can punch way above its weight.

Start Simple (But Be Consistent)

You don’t need to do everything at once. Focus on building a rhythm you can stick to. Start with:

1 blog post per month: Educate or inform based on common customer questions.
2–3 social media posts per week: Keep your brand active and visible.
Short videos: Use your smartphone and speak directly to your audience. Authentic > polished.

It’s better to be consistent with a few formats than stretch yourself too thin across every platform.

Content Ideas That Actually Work

Need inspiration? Start with content that answers real questions and builds trust. Great DIY-friendly ideas include:

FAQs: What do customers ask you all the time?
Mistakes to avoid: Help your audience dodge pitfalls in your industry.
Behind-the-scenes: Showcase how you work, build, or deliver your product/service.
Customer stories or testimonials: Share real results and feedback.
Your process: Break down how you help from start to finish.
How-tos or quick tips: Teach something valuable in 60 seconds or less.

Pro Tip: Repurpose content. A blog post can become a video. A video can become a quote graphic. A list of tips can become a carousel.

Easy-to-Use Content Tools

You don’t need fancy software. These tools help you create quality content fast:

Canva: For graphics, social posts, and even PDFs
ChatGPT: For content outlines, brainstorming, or rough drafts
CapCut or InShot: For simple mobile video editing
Loom: To record your screen for quick tutorials or demos

Always Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)

Every piece of content should guide the reader/viewer toward a next step. Even if it’s subtle, always include a clear CTA.

Examples:

“Download our free guide”
“Book a consultation”
“Reply to this post with your question”
“Sign up for our newsletter”

Posting without a CTA is like setting up a store with no checkout counter.

Final Word: Intent Over Perfection

Don’t let content creation overwhelm you. You don’t need to go viral. You need to be useful, relatable, and consistent. Your audience is more likely to buy from you when they trust you—and content builds that trust.

Focus on helping, teaching, and connecting. That’s what converts.

Leverage Social Media (Strategically)

Social media can be one of your most powerful (and cost-effective) marketing tools—but only if you use it with purpose. Too many small businesses spread themselves thin trying to be everywhere at once. The truth is, you only need to be where your audience is.

You Don’t Need Every Platform

Trying to post consistently on five different platforms usually leads to burnout. Instead, start by choosing one or two platforms where your ideal customers spend time. Master those before expanding.

Platform Breakdown

Each platform has its own strengths. Choose based on your business model and audience.

Instagram: Great for visual brands (e.g., food, fitness, fashion, design). Leverage Reels, Stories, and high-quality photo content.
LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B services, consultants, and thought leadership. Post case studies, tips, and industry insights.
TikTok: Offers huge reach potential with short, authentic videos. Excellent for education, storytelling, or product demos.
Facebook: Still highly relevant for local businesses, older demographics, and community engagement. Boost posts for visibility.

Ask yourself:

Where does my audience spend their time?
What kind of content do I enjoy creating?
What platform aligns with my product or service type?

Social Media Tips for DIY Success

Social media doesn’t have to dominate your time. Use systems and tools to stay visible without burning out.

1. Focus on Consistency Over Perfection

It’s better to post twice a week consistently than to go all-in one week and disappear the next. Your followers will remember consistency more than polish.

2. Batch Your Content

Set aside one day a week or month to create multiple posts at once. This reduces decision fatigue and keeps you ahead of schedule.

3. Use Free Scheduling Tools

Platforms like:

Buffer
Later
Metricool

…let you plan and automate posts, freeing up your time for engagement and running your business.

4. Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast

Social media is a two-way street. Respond to comments, like posts from others in your space, and reply to DMs. These small interactions build loyalty.

5. Create Conversation-Starters

Ask questions: “What’s your biggest challenge with X?”
Share a behind-the-scenes moment
Post polls or this-or-that graphics
Invite feedback or opinions

The goal is to build a community, not just an audience.

Final Thought: Be Real and Be Helpful

You don’t need a giant following to make social media work for you. Focus on being real, being useful, and showing up consistently. The trust you build through organic interaction can lead to inquiries, referrals, and loyal customers.

Start where you are. Build momentum. And remember—you’re not just posting content, you’re building relationships.

Use Email to Build Trust and Drive Sales

If you’re not building an email list, you’re leaving money on the table. Your email list is one of the most valuable marketing assets you can own. Unlike social media platforms, where reach is dictated by ever-changing algorithms, your email list is a direct line to your audience.

Email marketing is personal, permission-based, and consistently one of the highest-ROI digital marketing channels. Whether you want to build relationships, drive traffic, or increase sales, email delivers.

Start Simple: Set Up Your First Email System

You don’t need to pay for expensive tools to get started.

Free and Beginner-Friendly Email Platforms:

MailerLite
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
ConvertKit

These platforms offer drag-and-drop editors, automation features, signup form builders, and integrations with your website.

Offer a Lead Magnet

To grow your list, you need to offer something valuable in exchange for an email address. This is called a lead magnet.

Examples include:

A helpful checklist (e.g., “10 Ways to Improve Your Website”)
A short ebook or guide
A free video or webinar
An exclusive discount or promo code

Place your lead magnet on your homepage, in blog posts, and on social media. The goal is to turn casual visitors into subscribers.

Write a Simple Welcome Sequence

Once someone subscribes, don’t leave them hanging. A short automated sequence helps you:

Introduce your brand
Deliver immediate value
Build trust
Move people toward becoming customers

Example Email Sequence:

Welcome Email: Say thanks and share your brand story.
Valuable Resource: Deliver your lead magnet or provide a bonus tip.
Customer Story or Case Study: Show how you’ve helped someone like them.
Soft Sell Offer: Invite them to book a call, try a product, or visit a key page on your site.

Keep your tone friendly and helpful. You’re building a relationship, not just pushing a sale.

Ongoing Email Ideas

After the welcome sequence, stay in touch consistently. You don’t need to email every week—just commit to a rhythm you can stick with.

Content ideas:

Quick tips or how-tos
FAQs answered in depth
Seasonal offers or product launches
New blog posts or videos
Behind-the-scenes looks

Email > Social Media for Conversions

People are more likely to take action from email than from social media. Why?

Email feels more personal
It reaches the inbox, not a feed
You control the message and the timing

Unlike Instagram or TikTok, no algorithm is deciding whether your audience sees your message. That control is powerful.

Final Thought: Grow Your List Early and Often

Whether you have 5 subscribers or 500, treat your list with care. Provide consistent value, respect their time, and build real connections. Your email list isn’t just a database—it’s your community.

Start small. Keep it simple. And let your emails be an extension of the experience people get when they work with you..

Try Paid Ads (Carefully)

Paid advertising can accelerate your marketing results—but only if you approach it strategically. Too many small business owners jump into ads without a clear plan, only to burn through their budget with little to show for it.

The key? Start small. Track everything. Optimize as you go.

Platforms to Consider

Not every paid platform is right for every business. Choose the one that aligns best with your audience and goals.

Google Ads

Best for high-intent searches (people actively looking for solutions)
Great for local services, eCommerce, and lead generation
Keywords like “best divorce lawyer near me” or “custom packaging in Dayton”

Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram)

Ideal for visual storytelling and interest-based targeting
Great for B2C, lifestyle products, and community-building
Use retargeting to bring visitors back to your site

LinkedIn Ads

Excellent for B2B marketing
Target by job title, industry, company size, and seniority
Best for lead gen campaigns with higher customer value

Choose one platform to start. Test. Learn. Scale what works.

Start with a Test Budget

You don’t need thousands of dollars to test ads. Most platforms allow you to:

Set daily budgets as low as $5–20/day
Pause or edit campaigns anytime
Get early feedback without a major investment

The goal is to validate your offer, creative, and targeting before scaling up.

Make Sure You Have the Right Foundations

Paid ads are not a shortcut for broken messaging or unclear positioning. Before launching, double-check:

Your offer is clear and compelling
Your landing page matches your ad and has one clear CTA
You’re targeting the right audience with relevant messaging

Sending ad traffic to your homepage? Not ideal. Instead, create dedicated landing pages for each campaign.

Track Everything

If you’re not tracking performance, you’re just guessing. Here’s how to set up proper tracking:

1. Use UTMs

UTM parameters are snippets of code you add to URLs so you can track traffic sources in Google Analytics. Tools like Google’s Campaign URL Builder make it easy.

2. Set Up Google Tag Manager

Tag Manager lets you add tracking pixels, event triggers, and more without constantly editing your site’s code.

Add the Facebook Pixel or LinkedIn Insight Tag
Track form submissions, button clicks, and more

3. Define Your Conversion Events

Decide what counts as a conversion:

A form submission?
A product purchase?
A phone call?

Track these consistently across platforms.

What to Watch in Your First Campaign

As your ad runs, monitor:

Click-through rate (CTR)
Cost per click (CPC)
Cost per lead (CPL)
Conversion rate (CVR)

Let your test run for at least 7–10 days before making major changes. Small tweaks based on data will get you better results than constant overhauls.

Paid Ads Multiply What Works

Paid ads are not a magic fix. If your website, offer, or message isn’t converting organically, ads won’t fix it. But if you’ve built a strong foundation—ads can pour gas on the fire.

Start lean. Track obsessively. Scale smart. And if you’re not sure where to begin, I’m just a call away to help guide your setup or audit your current campaigns.

Measure What Matters

You don’t need to be a data scientist to make sense of your marketing numbers. You just need to know what to track and how to act on it. The goal of analytics isn’t to bury yourself in data—it’s to give you insights that help you make smarter decisions.

If you’re running DIY marketing efforts, tracking even a few simple metrics can help you:

Understand what’s working (and what’s not)
Improve ROI over time
Justify where your time and money are going

Tools You Should Be Using

These are free and beginner-friendly platforms that give you powerful data insights:

1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Track how people find and use your website
See which pages get the most traffic
Monitor bounce rate and engagement time

2. Google Search Console

See what keywords your site is ranking for
Identify indexing issues or errors
Monitor clicks and impressions from search

3. Platform Analytics

Most platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, MailerLite, ConvertKit, Google Ads) have built-in analytics dashboards. Use them to measure engagement, clicks, and conversions from each source.

Key Metrics to Watch

You don’t need to track dozens of things. Focus on these core metrics to start:

Website Performance

Total traffic: How many people are visiting your site?
Top pages: What content is attracting visitors?
Traffic sources: Where are people coming from (search, social, email, ads)?

Conversion Tracking

Lead source: Which channels bring in leads or sales?
Conversion rate: What percentage of visitors take a desired action?
Cost per lead or sale: If you’re running ads, how much are you paying per result?

Email Marketing

Open rate: Are people interested enough to open your emails?
Click rate: Are they taking action from your emails?
Unsubscribe rate: Is your messaging hitting the mark or pushing people away?

How to Use the Data

Data without action is just noise. Use your insights to:

Double down on content or campaigns that are working
Cut or improve underperforming efforts
Run A/B tests to refine emails, landing pages, or ads

Test One Thing at a Time

Avoid changing everything at once. Instead:

Tweak a headline
Test a new call-to-action
Adjust your ad targeting slightly

Small, focused experiments give you clear answers. Big overhauls just muddy the waters.

Final Thought: Optimization Is a Process

Marketing is never “done.” It’s a cycle of testing, measuring, and improving. The more comfortable you get with reviewing your data, the more confident you’ll feel making decisions.

Keep it simple. Check your numbers weekly or monthly. Track your growth. Over time, you’ll build not just better campaigns—but a better business.

9. Build Systems (So Marketing Doesn’t Burn You Out)

DIY marketing works best when it’s organized.

Weekly Checklist Example:

1 blog post or video idea
3 social posts scheduled
Review analytics
Engage with followers/comments
Send 1 email per week or month

Tools to Help:

Trello, Notion, or ClickUp for planning
Canva for visuals
Metricool or Buffer for scheduling

Marketing doesn’t have to take over your life. A repeatable workflow = peace of mind.

10. When to Ask for Help

DIY doesn’t mean do-it-alone. If you hit a plateau, feel stuck, or want to scale faster, ask for help.

I offer 1:1 calls to help:

Review your current setup
Audit your ads or SEO
Give you a roadmap for your next steps

No fluff. No lock-in contracts. Just practical support.

Final Thoughts on DIY Marketing: You Can Absolutely Do This

DIY marketing is about empowerment. It’s about taking control of your business growth, learning valuable skills, and building something sustainable.

Start small. Stay consistent. Keep learning. And when you’re ready for the next level, I’m just a message away.

Ready to grow? Grab Digital Marketing in a Day or book a consult call. Your next customer is just a campaign away.