Let’s be real—who has 20 hours a week to market their business?

A quick ChatGPT search says:

“On average, small businesses spend around 5 to 20 hours per week on marketing.”

If you’re running a business solo—or juggling it with a 9–5, caregiving, or just life—20 hours can feel laughably out of reach. And honestly, even 5 hours might be pushing it some weeks.

That’s exactly why I wanted to share a peek behind the curtain into how I market my business consistently on three platforms—in just 3 hours a week.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy, and you definitely don’t have to follow it to the letter. But if you’ve been struggling to stay visible, this might give you some ideas and hope that it is possible with the right system in place.

What my weekly marketing system looks like

Right now, my weekly marketing routine includes:

• 1 SEO-optimized blog post (my core content for the week)

• 1 email to my list (often inspired by the blog, but not always)

• 90–120 Pinterest pins for that blog post (30 pins shared across 3–4 boards)

This Pinterest strategy is new—I’m testing it out and seeing promising results already. But I want to give it a bit more time before I start shouting about it from the rooftops.

How I make it happen in just 3 hours a week

Here’s the breakdown of my week:

• Monday: Write and publish the blog post (30 minutes)

• Tuesday: Create 30 pins for that blog (1 hour)

• Wednesday: Schedule pins in Tailwind (30 minutes)

• Thursday: Write and schedule the next email to my list (1 hour)

That’s it. One task per day, under an hour per session. Simple, doable, and—most importantly—repeatable.

Why this marketing system works for me

Lately, I’ve been loving the idea of treating marketing like brushing your teeth: a quick daily habit that keeps things running smoothly.

It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or take all day. And it doesn’t require a massive content batching day that you never quite get around to.

Here’s what makes this routine stick for me:

• I block off time on my calendar for marketing every day

• I use AI tools for idea generation, brainstorming, and editing

• I rely on templates, especially for Pinterest pins

• I keep a running doc of random content ideas as they come to me

• I don’t overcommit—I know what’s realistic for me right now

Would I love to post a blog every single day? Sure. But that’s not sustainable for me, and forcing it would just lead to burnout (and ghosting my audience for a month, let’s be honest).

Bonus: I'm also testing business ideas this way

One more fun thing—I’ve been using this system to test out new business ideas in real time. I shared it with my assistant recently, and her response was:

“That’s actually a brilliant strategy.” - My assistant, Shannon

(Which made my systems-loving heart do a happy dance.)

I'll be sharing more about that soon, but I wanted to plant the seed in case you've got ideas you want to test too.

Are you a batcher or a real-time marketer?

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, but I need to batch to survive,” that’s totally valid.

And if you’re a 15-minutes-here-and-there kind of marketer? You’re in the right place, too.

Whichever you are, my hope is this post gave you a little permission to simplify—and proof that consistency doesn’t have to mean constant.

Want more marketing routines that actually fit into real life?
Check out this blog post on making marketing a habit you can stick to—like brushing your teeth.