Practical marketing guidance for creative and wellness-oriented small businesses and solopreneurs

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, wellness practitioner, maker, therapist, coach, freelancer, or solopreneur of any kind, chances are you didn’t start your business because you loved marketing.

You started your business because you’re gifted at your craft — whether that’s designing jewelry, producing theatre, running a movement studio, supporting clients in therapy, teaching workshops, creating podcasts, or planning weddings.

And now?

Marketing is another full-time job on your plate. A job you’re somehow expected to handle in between client sessions, product creation, rehearsals, shipping orders, and actual life.

As someone who’s spent 10+ years in arts and creative industries — and who now helps small business owners build marketing they’re proud of and systems they can stick with — I want to give you a gentler, simpler way to approach marketing when you are the whole team.

This guide will help you:
✔ stop trying to “do it all,”
✔ prioritize what actually creates results,
✔ build a rhythm you can maintain, and
✔ let go of perfection so you can show up consistently.

1. Reality Check: You Can’t Do Everything (And You Don’t Need To)

Creative- and wellness-oriented businesses have something in common: your work already pulls from your emotional, mental, and physical energy. Adding “be everywhere online” to the list is a fast track to burnout.

And yet many of my clients come to me feeling like they’re failing because they’re not:

posting daily
on every social platform
sending a weekly newsletter
making Reels constantly
creating fancy graphics every time
running ads
pitching PR
attending all the events

Here’s the truth: No creative small business owner has the capacity to do everything. Not sustainably, not with quality, and not with joy.

The goal is not to be everywhere. The goal is to be effective.

2. What Actually Matters for Creative + Wellness Businesses

You might think marketing requires polished videos, complicated funnels, or daily content. It doesn’t.

For independent/small business owners, three things matter most:

1. Stay Findable and Familiar

Your future customers may not follow your every post, but they will Google you before buying, booking, or visiting.

This means:

A website that’s up-to-date and not confusing
Clear social media bios (Who are you? What do you offer? How do people work with you?)
Occasional, purposeful posting instead of constant posting out of guilt

When people need your service, they should be able to find you quickly and understand what you offer immediately.

2. Drive Action, Not Just Attention

Your goal isn’t to go viral. It’s to get the right people to take the next step.

Make it easy for someone to:

Buy tickets
Book a session
Join your class
Visit your studio
Purchase your product
Hire you

Every post, email, or update should lead somewhere. Clarity > cleverness every time.

3. Build Relationships, Not Just Announcements

This is where creative and wellness businesses shine.

Your customers are building a relationship with you — your story, your values, your process, your energy.

Connection creates:

repeat customers
referrals
word-of-mouth
long-term loyalty

Show your behind-the-scenes, your personality, your “why,” and the real humans behind your work.

3. Minimum Viable Marketing: The Foundation When You’re Doing It All

Borrowed from the “Minimum Viable Product” concept, Minimum Viable Marketing is the simplest set of activities required to keep your business visible and connected… without needing to be perfect or all-consuming.

Here’s what it looks like:

Your Minimum Viable Marketing Setup

A website that’s easy to navigate
An email list you actually use
One active social media platform (yes, one)
A simple, repeatable promotion workflow

Everything beyond this — experimenting with Reels, launching a podcast, running ads — is optional.

Great if you have time. Totally fine if you don’t.

Things to stop doing if you’re overwhelmed:

Posting just to post
Starting a TikTok out of pressure
Custom-designing graphics every time
Chasing every trend
Using too many platforms
Overcomplicating your marketing

Your business doesn’t need more content. It needs more consistency.

4. How to Choose Your One Active Social Platform

Let’s settle the debate:

You do not need to be on every platform.

Instead, ask yourself two questions:

1. Where is your audience actually paying attention?

Check:

which posts get engagement
your website analytics
where referrals say they found you
what your customers actually use (not what gurus recommend)

If your customers spend their time on Instagram, be on Instagram. If your customers are on Facebook, be on Facebook. If your customers aren’t on TikTok? Stop feeling guilty about TikTok.

2. What’s sustainable (and maybe even enjoyable) for you?

If you hate video content, forcing yourself to make Reels isn’t going to work. If you love writing, email might be your strongest channel. If you enjoy showing your process visually, Instagram is probably your best fit.

Marketing works best when it aligns with your strengths, your schedule, and your personality.

5. The 1-Hour Weekly Marketing Reset (Your New Lifesaver)

This simple weekly routine keeps your marketing organized without requiring hours of planning.

Set aside one hour each week and spend 15 minutes on each step:

1. Look Back

What got the most engagement?
What didn’t land?
Any helpful feedback from clients?

You’re not analyzing — you’re noticing patterns.

2. Look Ahead

What’s coming up in the next 1–3 weeks?
Any launch prep, deadlines, or events?
Does your website or bio need updates?

A quick glance prevents midweek surprises.

3. Prioritize

Ask:

“If I only communicate one thing this week, what should it be?”

Then decide:

the platform
the format
the angle

This becomes your North Star.

4. Do or Delegate

Choose one quick win:

update a link
schedule a post
draft a subject line
ask a client for a testimonial
photograph your work

A tiny action now saves you hours later.

6. Letting Go of Perfection: Progress > Polish

Your marketing doesn’t need to be flawless — it just needs to be clear and consistent.

Some of the most effective creative and wellness marketing I’ve seen is:

a single photo with honest text
a quick video explaining your process
a behind-the-scenes moment
a simple email written like you’re talking to a friend

Your clients want to see the real you — your creative process, your studio, your personality, your perspective. Authenticity beats polish every time.

Repeat after me:

You are not a content machine.

You are a human telling a story.

And that’s exactly why people follow you, hire you, return to you, and recommend you.

Final Reflection (and Two Questions to Ground You This Week)

Ask yourself:

1. What’s one thing I’m letting go of in my marketing?
(Perfection? Pressure to be everywhere? A platform I hate?)

2. What’s one thing I’ll do more consistently?
(Weekly email? One platform? Clear CTAs? Website updates?)

Then give yourself permission to start small and grow slowly.

Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
It doesn’t have to take over your life.
And it definitely doesn’t have to be perfect.

It just has to be intentional, repeatable, and true to you.

Need Help Bringing This to Life? Let’s Talk.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. If your marketing could use a second set of eyes or a little strategic grounding, I offer a free 20-minute call to talk through your goals and challenges.

Together we’ll find your next step.

👉 Book your call.

Marketing When You’re the Whole Team: Do More With Less (Without Burning Out)