DIY 12-Month Marketing Plan for Business Owners with No Time, No Budget, and No Marketing Experience

By Joshua Nelson, Marketing Strategist & CEO, Nelson Impact

Let’s start with something honest:

As a business owner, you don’t hate marketing.
You hate being confused, feeling behind, or never knowing what to spend or where.

You hate:

• Posting randomly
• Trying tactics with no results
• Wasting money on “experts”
• Feeling like everyone else has a system except you
• Being told you need a $5–10K/month budget that you simply don’t have

And when you don’t feel confident with marketing, you default to what feels safe:

“I’ll just DIY it.”
“I’ll figure it out later.”
“When business slows down, I’ll deal with it.”

But here’s the real problem:

You’re trying DIY marketing without a map, without a budget, and without knowing what actually matters.

So of course – it’s overwhelming.

This guide fixes that.

This is your beginner-friendly, budget-conscious, zero-fluff guide to building a marketing plan you can actually follow — even if you hate marketing… even if you’ve failed at it before… even if you don’t think you have the budget.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know:

• What to focus on
• What to ignore
• What your realistic marketing budget should be
• How to structure your entire year
• How to manage it without burning out

Let’s make this simple.

Why DIY Marketing Feels So Hard (It’s Not You — It’s the System You Were Given)

Here’s the truth:

Marketing is only overwhelming because no one ever gave you a system.

You’ve been taught backwards.

You’ve been told to:

“Create content.”
“Run ads.”
“Get on TikTok.”
“Post every day.”

But nobody gave you the budget, the order, the sequence, or the strategy.

So, what happens?

You try stuff → it doesn’t work → you lose confidence → you spend less → you stop → things slow down → you self-blame.

But here’s the good news:

You don’t need to be a marketing expert to run great marketing.
You just need a plan you can follow — and a budget you understand.

Before You Build a Plan, You Need a Budget (This Is Where Most DIYers Go Wrong)

Most business owners say:

“I don’t have a marketing budget.”

But that’s not true.

You do have a budget — you just haven’t defined it yet.

And when you don’t define it:

• You overspend emotionally
• Or underspend out of fear
• Or you do random things because you don’t know the cost

So, let’s fix that.

How to set a simple, realistic marketing budget (beginner version)

Your annual marketing budget should be:

5–10% of your revenue, depending on your goals.

But if that feels scary, start here:

Choose a monthly number you can sustain for 12 months — even during slow months.

• $150/month
• $300/month
• $500/month
• $1,000/month

Marketing is not about how much you spend.
It’s about spending the same amount every month so the system compounds.

Your budget determines what tools you can use, what platforms you’ll focus on, and what “done-for-you” tasks you can outsource.

Now that you know your budget…
you can finally build a plan that fits it.

Budget Breakdown: The Exact Tools You Need at Each Tier

Most business owners say they “don’t have a marketing budget” because they’ve never seen what a realistic beginner-friendly plan looks like.

So here it is — your practical, zero-fluff list of tools that fit each monthly budget.

Everything below is:

• Easy to use
• Beginner-friendly
• Low maintenance
• High ROI
• Works with DIY execution

Pick the stack that matches your budget and skill level.

Tier 1: $150/month — “Lean & Consistent” (Minimum Viable Marketing System)

Best for:
Business owners who want to DIY and keep costs extremely low, but still want a real marketing foundation.

Your Tool Stack

1. Email Marketing (Essential)

Kit: $0 to $79/mo
Simple. Reliable. Beginner-friendly.

https://kit.com/

2. Social Media Scheduling

Buffer: $0 to $6/mo
Lets you schedule 8–12 posts per month so you stay consistent.

https://buffer.com/

3. CRM & Pipeline Tracking

HubSpot Free CRM: $0 to $15/mo
Perfect starter CRM for leads, deals, and basic follow-up reminders.

https://www.hubspot.com/

4. Design & Content Creation

Canva: $0 to $20/mo
Easy graphics, templates, posts, and brand assets.

https://www.canva.com/

5. Website (if needed)

WordPress hosting: ~$15/mo average

Initial Design/Redesign: $1,000-$5,000 one time

Total: $50–$150/mo

(depending on hosting and integration needs)

What This Tier Enables You to Do

• Weekly content
• Monthly campaigns
• Email list building
• Consistent branding
• Simple lead tracking

A great start, even if you “hate marketing.”

Tier 2: $300/month — “DIY + Automation” (You Buy Back Your Time)

Best for:
Business owners who want automation, better tracking, and more support — without hiring an agency.

Your Tool Stack

1. Email + Automation Suite

Kit Creator or Creator Pro: $39 to $79/mo
Adds automation sequences and better segmentation.

2. Social Scheduling

Later Starter: $25/month

https://later.com/

 

3. CRM Upgrade

GoHighLevel Starter: $97/mo
Replaces SEVERAL tools:
CRM, automation, SMS, landing pages, scheduling, follow-up.

https://www.gohighlevel.com/

4. AI Content Support

ChatGPT Plus: $20/mo
Drafts, ideas, scripts, outlines — speeds up everything.

5. Design Tools

Canva Pro: $15/mo

6. Optional:

Minimal Facebook/Instagram ads testing — $50–$100/mo

Total: $250–$500/mo

What This Tier Enables You to Do

• Automated follow-up
• Funnels and landing pages
• Improved lead management
• Faster content creation
• Small paid traffic tests
• A tighter, more predictable system

Perfect for DIYers ready for more structure.

Tier 3: $500+/month — “Content + Leads Engine” (Growth Mode)

Best for:
Owners who want to attract more leads consistently, add better branding, and expand their reach.

Your Tool Stack

1. Marketing Automation Platform

GoHighLevel Pro: $197/mo
Full CRM, email, SMS, funnel builder, calendar, workflows.

2. Social Media Scheduling & Analytics

Later Growth: $50/mo

3. Content Tools

• Canva Pro: $15/mo
• ChatGPT Plus: $20/mo

4. Paid Ads Budget

$150–$200/mo
Perfect for basic retargeting and simple lead ads.

5. Review & Reputation Management

Included in GoHighLevel
(If you want a more dedicated tool.)

Total: $450–$550/mo

What This Tier Enables You to Do

• Consistent inbound leads
• Basic paid ads always running
• Stronger online presence
• Brand credibility and reviews
• Content + lead gen working together

This is the tier where marketing begins to feel predictable.

Tier 4: $1,000+/month — “Small Business Growth System” (Real Momentum Tier)

Best for:
Business owners ready to scale with a full DIY-friendly system plus paid traffic.

Your Tool Stack

1. Full Marketing Automation System

GoHighLevel Pro SaaS or Agency: $297/mo
Powerful workflows, SMS, funnels, reporting.

2. Paid Ads Budget

$400–$600/mo
Allows for:

• Always-on retargeting
• 1–2 evergreen campaigns
• Simple lead gen automation

3. Content Tools

• Canva Pro — $15/mo
• ChatGPT Plus — $20/mo

4. Reputation + Review System

Included in GoHighLevel

5. Optional Micro-Outsourcing (Huge win)

You can hire tiny help:

• Virtual assistant (2–3 hrs/week) → $100–$150/mo
• Editor for reels (4–6 videos/mo) → $100–$200/mo

This is where owners “buy back” consistency.

Total: $1,000–$1,500/mo

What This Tier Enables You to Do

• Real traffic volume
• Reliable inbound leads
• Consistency without burnout
• Professional branding
• Automation-heavy follow-up
• A marketing machine that runs even when you’re underwater

This tier creates momentum that compounds.

What a 12-Month Marketing Plan Actually Is (And Why It Makes DIY Easier)

A real marketing plan is not a big document full of jargon.

It’s simply:

A 12-month roadmap that tells you what to do each week, each month, and each quarter — in a way your budget can support.

Your plan has three layers:

Layer 1 — Your Weekly Rhythm (The DIY “Minimum Effort, Maximum Trust” System)

This is the most important part of your entire marketing system.

Not ads.
Not SEO.
Not funnels.

Weekly trust-building.

You need one weekly action that keeps you visible and reminds people you exist.

Examples:

• A weekly email
• A weekly LinkedIn post
• A weekly Instagram reel
• A weekly tip or story
• A weekly FAQ answer

Not daily.
Not complicated.
Not stressful.

Just one weekly touchpoint.

This builds:

• Trust
• Familiarity
• Consistency
• Connection

This alone can double your business if you do it for 12 months straight.

Layer 2 — Your Monthly Campaign (The Part That Brings in Sales)

Every month needs one campaign.

Not five.
Not rotating offers.
Not random promotions.

Just one campaign with one goal.

Examples:

• “New Year Strategy Month”
• “Spring Cleanup Offer”
• “Summer Readiness Promo”
• “Back-to-School Reset”
• “End-of-Year Optimization”
• “Website Refresh Month”
• “Review & Referral Month”

Your weekly content builds trust.
Your monthly campaign drives action.

This is when people actually buy.

Layer 3 — Your Quarterly Upgrade (The Part That Makes Marketing Easier Every Year)

Every 90 days, upgrade ONE part of your marketing system.

Not ten.
Not everything.
Just one.

Examples:

Quarter 1 → Refresh the homepage
Quarter 2 → Build one lead magnet
Quarter 3 → Create an automated follow-up sequence
Quarter 4 → Improve brand visuals

Four upgrades per year = a dramatically better business with almost no overwhelm.

Your Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Build Your Actual 12-Month Plan

Here’s the part most beginner guides skip.

Let’s build the real plan — together.

STEP 1 — Get Clarity (30 minutes)

Write down:

1. Who you’re trying to reach
2. The problem you solve
3. The offer you want to sell
4. The channels you enjoy using

Clarity reduces 80% of your stress.

STEP 2 — Pick Your Budget (5 minutes)

Choose one number:

$150 → $300 → $500 → $1,000 → or whatever you can sustain monthly.

This will determine:

• Tools
• Ads
• Support
• Systems

Write it down. Commit to it. This is money you won’t be afraid of losing during the first 6 months. If it’s $20 it’s $20 – if it’s $2,000 then it’s $2,000 – just commit to something.

STEP 3 — Choose Your Weekly Rhythm (5 minutes)

Pick ONE you can stick to:

• Weekly email
• Weekly post
• Weekly reel
• Weekly tip

This is your heartbeat.

STEP 4 — Choose Your Monthly Campaign Themes (10 minutes)

Plan all 12 themes now.

Example:

1. January – Strategy Month
2. February – Customer Love Campaign
3. March – Spring Cleanup
4. April – Review Request Month
5. May – Summer Prep
6. June – Mid-Year Audit
7. July – “Beat the Slow Season” Promo
8. August – Back-to-School Readiness
9. September – Fall Optimization
10. October – Planning Season
11. November – Holiday Prep
12. December – Year-End Wrap-Up

Done.

STEP 5 — Pick Your Quarterly Upgrades (5 minutes)

Just four improvements:

Q1 — Website updates
Q2 — Lead magnet
Q3 — Follow-up system
Q4 — Brand refresh

These will raise your ceiling every year.

STEP 6 — Match All This to Your Budget (10 minutes)

Your budget tells you:

• Which tools you can use
• Whether you can run soft paid ads
• Whether you can hire tiny help (2–5 hours/week)
• Whether you can invest in automation
• Whether you can outsource your weak spots

This is where your plan becomes realistic, not theoretical.

Why This Works (Even If You Hate Marketing)

This system works because it:

• Removes random guessing
• Gives you a clear path
• Reduces overwhelm
• Keeps you consistent
• Respects your time
• Protects your budget
• Builds trust every week
• Creates sales every month
• Improves your systems every quarter

You follow the plan → the plan compounds → the compounding creates growth.

Simple.

And If You Want the Fastest Path… I’ll Build Your Entire 12-Month Plan for You

You can build it yourself.

But if you want the shortcut — the clarity, the budget plan, the messaging, the roadmap, the structure — without spending months guessing…

Then book the $499 POAM Session.

In one intensive session, we build:

• Your 12-month marketing plan
• Your budget map
• Your positioning
• Your messaging
• Your weekly rhythm
• Your monthly campaigns
• Your quarterly upgrades
• Your KPIs
• Your system blueprint

You walk away with:

✔ A simple, realistic marketing system
✔ A 12-month roadmap
✔ A plan that fits your budget
✔ Zero confusion
✔ Zero random acts of marketing

If you want your DIY marketing to actually work this year…

This is the plan that makes it possible.

Ready for clarity? Ready for a real plan?
Let’s build your POAM.

Book Your Deep-Dive Marketing Strategy Session + Custom 12-Month Growth Plan (Promo: $499, Normally $999)