Marketing on a budget for Authors and Speakers 

As an author or speaker just starting out, you understand the importance of marketing to reach your audience and build your brand. However, with a small budget, it can be challenging to do it all yourself. The good news is, with a minimum of $600 a month, you can start building up the foundations that will help you achieve your goals. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build your marketing efficiently, one project at a time. If you focus on one step each month you can keep your costs bellow $600. 

1. Start with a Freelance Graphic Designer 

Your first hire should be a freelance graphic designer to help you define your brand. This doesn’t need to be perfect right away, but it should be professional and consistent across all your social media platforms. A strong visual identity will make a significant impact on how your audience perceives you. Starting off with a simple brand guide and the basic assets like logos and Cover images that you upload to all the social media platforms you are on. 

There is so much more that we should cover on this topic that I can’t dive into in this article and that’s why we’ve started our bi-weekly webinar, learn more at the end of the article. 

Action Step: 

Look for freelance graphic designers on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, OnlineJobs.ph, or Behance. Provide them with a clear idea of your vision and what you want to achieve. Expect to spend around $300-$400 for initial branding work, which includes a logo, color scheme, and social media templates. 

2. Hire a Copywriter 

Next, hire a copywriter to help you write and outline your website. Focus on creating compelling landing pages for your books and speeches. A good copywriter will craft persuasive and engaging content that converts visitors into fans and clients. 

Action Step: 

Find a copywriter who specializes in website design and have some experience working with author or speakers. Platforms like Upwork or Freelancer are good places to start if you don’t have anyone in your network. Allocate about $250-$600 for this task, ensuring they understand your brand voice and objectives. You want copy for a Home Page, About Page, Books or Speaking page, Blog page, and a Contact Page. You may be able to put it all on one page to keep it simple depending on your message. Each page needs a clear call to action. A good Copywriter will know what to do. 

3. Engage a Graphic Designer for Your Website 

With your brand guide and website outline in hand, hire a graphic designer to create a professional website. A skilled designer will know how to bring your vision to life, making sure your site is both visually appealing and user-friendly. Note this is just designing the site, it is NOT the building of the site. Building is the next step. 

Action Step: 

Provide the designer with your brand guide and website outline. Expect to spend around $400-$550+ for a basic, professional-looking website design. Ensure they include essential elements like a call to action buttons and forms to gather contact information into your CRM. (Learn more about CRMs in our marketing webinar.) 

4. Hire a Website Developer 

The next step is hiring a website developer to bring your design to life. This will be the most expensive part of the process and takes about three months to complete, but having the copy and design ready beforehand can significantly reduce costs. Website development typically starts at $1,500 and can go up to $6,000, depending on who you find and where. Since you already have the copy and design, it makes it easier and faster for the developer to build the site. 

Action Step: 

Search for website developers with good reviews and a strong portfolio on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or even local developer communities. Clearly communicate your expectations and provide all the necessary materials (design and copy) to streamline the process. Also to insure you have full control of your site I recommend you purchase the URL and hosting before hand.

5. Bring on a Social Media Manager 

A social media manager will help you organize and manage the content you create for your campaigns. They will ensure your social media presence is consistent and engaging, helping you build a strong online community. This is where you will be allocating most of your $600 each month toward your manager. Staying consistent at coming up with ideas for Content, creating that content, and posting that content is very hard to do without help. Having someone part time to help you generate ideas and keep track of content will free up your time to focus on what you love to do, which is writing and or speaking. 

Action Step: 

Look for a social media manager who understands your industry and audience. Their rates can vary from $25 to $200 hourly, but for a small budget, you might find a capable manager at around $25-$50 per hour. Start with a few hours a week to manage your accounts and schedule posts.  

6. Plan Your Content Creation 

Once you have a plan and a list of content ideas, schedule a full day to film all the content you can for the month. This efficient approach will save you time and ensure you have a steady stream of content to share. 

Action Step: 

Create a content calendar with ideas for blog posts, social media updates, videos, and any other content relevant to your audience. Dedicate one day to creating this content, then distribute it throughout the month. A project management system and a Social Media management systems range from $50-250 each month. There is a lot to go over in this step so I encourage you to sign up for our marketing workshop where we walk you through this and answer questions you may have on the best software.  

7. Hire a Video Editor and Graphic Designer for Content Creation 

After filming your content, hire a video editor to polish your videos and a graphic designer to create eye-catching visuals. These professionals will ensure your content looks professional and engaging. 

Action Step: 

Allocate about $200-$600 for video editing and an additional $300-$400 for graphic design. Look for freelancers with strong portfolios and good reviews to ensure quality work. 

Conclusion 

By focusing on one project at a time, you can manage costs and ensure each aspect of your marketing is professional and effective. When you are up and running you should have a social media manager, graphic Designer, and video editor that helps you each month. 

Spending $600 each month as your goal is only for getting started. With three people on your team you will have graduated from the starting phase to the launch and you should start to expect to spend $1,500 to $2,500 a month as you start to ramp up your marketing. If everything goes well and your marketing efforts work you should be bringing in 3 to 4 times more than your marketing budget. 

If you’re looking for a more in-depth outline on building your marketing systems, join our next webinar where we share the foundational steps of building your marketing team and provide an overview of our workshops. Learn more here and take the next step toward achieving your marketing goals!