If I Only Had 30 Mins per Week for Marketing… I’d Do This

If you’ve only got 30 minutes for marketing, then you probably have about 30 seconds for this blog. 

So let’s dive in.

1) Improve one thing about the customer journey (10 mins)

Most marketing problems come down to three very ordinary things.

First: people don’t quite get what you do.

Not because they’re stupid - because you’re too close to it.

Someone should be able to land on your site or profile and quickly understand who you help, what problem you solve, and who you’re not for. If they have to think, they leave.

Second: they’re not sure if you’re safe.

These are the sections people skim slowly. Testimonials. Context. Signals that someone like them has been here before and survived. Doesn’t need to be mind-blowing. Just reassuring.

Third: the next step feels awkward.

Too many options. Too much commitment. Or no clear invitation at all. So they put it off. And procrastination quietly kills momentum.

Clear instructions. Decent lighting. An unlocked door.

That’s most of it.

So - spend a few minutes looking.

Scan enquiries, replies, site visits, half-started conversations. Don’t analyse - just notice.

Where did someone hesitate? Where did you have to explain yourself again?

Then pick one small thing and make it slightly better.

• Rewrite a paragraph that always feels clunky.

• Clarify a sentence you keep re-phrasing in emails.

• Add a short FAQ because people keep asking the same thing.

• Tighten a testimonial so it actually says something useful.

• Remove a choice that doesn’t need to be there.

You’re polishing, not renovating.

2) Find a reason to show that you’re human (20 mins)

There’s more marketing content than ever, and almost all of it looks the same.

AI has made it easy to produce something - which means most people now skim straight past anything that feels generic, over-polished, or faceless. Websites still matter, but when someone is deciding whether to trust you, they usually look for a human signal.

A face. A name. A sense that a real person is behind the work.

That’s why photos now outperform graphics. Why short, imperfect videos beat long, edited ones. Why a thoughtful comment can do more than a carefully written post.

People often aren’t looking for more information. They’re looking for reassurance that you’re real, present, and paying attention.

So use this time to create those signals.

Same painting, same subreddit, wildly different results. Credit to Harry Dry for highlighting this.

Post a photo of something you did this week that’s work-related.  Not a stock image - a desk, a site visit, a notebook, a whiteboard, a meeting room before or after people arrive.

Share a short observation in writing.  Thirty seconds is enough. Something you noticed, a pattern you keep seeing, or a small mistake clients often make. No lesson. No CTA. Just a thought.

Record a quick video if that feels natural.  It doesn’t need editing. It doesn’t need a hook. It just needs your face and a sentence or two that sounds like you.

Leave a thoughtful comment on someone else’s post.  Not “great post” - an actual response. Add context. Ask a sensible question. Be the person who advances the conversation rather than shouting into it.

Follow up one warm conversation that went quiet.  Not to push - just to reopen the door. Most of the time, the silence wasn’t a decision.

None of this scales particularly well. That’s why it feels real.

You’re not trying to be everywhere.

You’re trying to be recognisable.

3) Then stop.

Don't expect anything dramatic, but what does change is quieter.

• Enquiries get fewer, but better.

• Sales calls shorten.

• You explain yourself less.

• People say things like, “I read your site,” or “someone mentioned you.”

And by stepping into the client's mind each week: You'll know where people hesitate. You'll know what a good enquiry looks like.

Marketing will stop feeling like marketing - and that’s usually when it starts working.

If you want help simplifying this - your message, your journey, or the bits that feel awkward - that’s what I do at Clarity Digital.

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James Logue is a Jersey-based marketer with 10+ years’ international experience helping SMEs clarify their message so the right people understand them, trust them, and take action. Updated 19 Jan 2025.