Module 1: The zero-budget mindset
Budget marketing isn't "cheap marketing" — it's a different strategy. This module sets the rules of the game.
Time is your budget now
Second rule: pick two channels, maximum. The temptation with free tactics is trying all of them — a little blogging, a little TikTok, a little networking, a little email — and doing none well enough to work. Free channels reward depth, not breadth. This course covers several; your job in Module 6 is choosing the two that fit your business and going deep for 90 days.
Treating "free marketing" as "no effort marketing." Free channels cost time — often a lot of it. The mistake isn't spending time, it's spending it scattered across six channels instead of going deep on two.
A blog post you write this weekend can bring customers for years; a $50 ad brings customers until the $50 runs out.
Build brief
How many hours per week can you honestly give marketing — and which hours (mornings, evenings, weekends)? Be realistic; the plan gets built around this number.
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What free can and can't do
What free does brilliantly: build assets you own. Your email list, your search rankings, your reputation, your content library — nobody can take these from you and they don't charge rent. Paid ads are rented attention; budget marketing builds owned attention. A business with 2,000 email subscribers and strong local rankings is fundamentally more valuable than one with the same revenue and no owned channels.
Build brief
What's the one result you need marketing to produce in the next 90 days — calls, bookings, foot traffic, sales? Name the number you'd be happy with.
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The free toolkit: accounts to set up today
Before tactics, set up the free infrastructure everything else plugs into. This is a one-afternoon job: (1) Google Business Profile — claim and complete it; it's your most valuable free asset as a local business. (2) Google Search Console + Google Analytics — free, and they tell you what your website is already doing. (3) An email provider's free tier — Mailchimp, MailerLite, Brevo, and ConvertKit all offer free plans up to 500–1,000 subscribers, which is plenty to start. (4) Canva's free tier for graphics. (5) Your social profiles — claim your handle on the two platforms where your buyers are, even if you won't be active yet.
Two setup details people skip: connect Search Console on day one even if your site is new, because its data starts collecting immediately and you can't backfill it; and use a proper business email address (you@yourbusiness.com) for all of these, not a personal Gmail — it looks professional and keeps business assets separate if you ever sell or hand off the business.
Total cost: $0. Total time: 2–3 hours. Every tactic in the rest of this course assumes these exist, so don't skip ahead — an afternoon of setup prevents weeks of "I should have set that up months ago" regret.
Weekly time budget
Monday: ___ (1 hr) Wednesday: ___ (2 hrs) Friday: ___ (2 hrs) Channel 1: ___ Channel 2: ___ This week's one goal: ___
Block 5 hours on your calendar this week labeled "marketing." Treat it like a client meeting — non-negotiable. Then pick your two channels from this module and write them down where you'll see them daily.
You have $0 for marketing but 6 free hours a week. What's the right approach?
Your turn: Allocate your weekly marketing hours across this course's tactics. Which two channels get your time, how many hours does each get, and why are they the right fit for your buyers?
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