Small Team, Big Impact: A Solo Marketer’s Guide to Maximizing Outcomes
Being the only person in your builder’s marketing department is no small feat, but it is a remarkable one. You’re not just the doer, though there is much to be said for being a doer. You’re a strategist, a multitasker, a leader, and a brand advocate within the company.
It can be easy to “should” on ourselves when we’re in this position and expect the same output from one person as an entire team would deliver.
So, whether you’ve been flying solo for a while or you find yourself operating with a smaller team these days, I want to share some things I learned (mostly the hard way) to help you thrive in this dynamic role.
If You Don’t Say It, They Don’t Know It
When you’re inundated with important critical path items, it can be frustrating to receive a “this is urgent” email from your team (
or the complicated word “just”). Particularly if it isn’t urgent. These feelings can fester and lead to larger issues. So I want to hold your hand when I say this: No one can read your mind or guess what’s on your plate - especially when you’re juggling multiple projects.
By approaching your to-dos with transparency, you’ll build trust, showcase your hard work, and help those around you understand your priorities. Remember, you ARE the marketing department. If you don’t speak up about the great things you’re doing, who will?
What This Looks Like:
- Use a project tool (read more here!) to prioritize tasks, and don’t be afraid to share this with others.
- Catch up often with leadership to stay informed about sales, goals, and what’s important—keep your to-do list aligned.
- If a request isn’t aligned with the current priority list, get comfortable with kindly setting that boundary.
- Keep your team in the loop by sharing your goals and following up on their progress.
- Share what’s taking your time and what tools could help you work more efficiently.
SOPs: The Bff You Didn’t Know You Needed
How much of your marketing strategy is just in your head? Many marketers, myself included, fall into this trap. It’s like a recipe you’ve made from memory: you tweak it each time, sometimes forgetting key ingredients. And if someone else had to make it without your help? It would turn out differently each time, and they’d be mostly guessing. It’s a foolproof way to ensure only you end up making the dish moving forward.
SOPs (short for Standard Operating Procedures) give you and your team a blueprint for conquering marketing tasks and allow for scalability and the opportunity to welcome multiple contributors to a project, while maintaining the brand’s voice, style, and values. Yes, they will 100% require more work up-front. But without this step, delegating is rarely successful.
💡 Pro Tip: Make sure you’re consistent with how you’re making processes, where you’re storing them, etc. Having a million Google Docs everywhere to try to keep track of is counterproductive. And this isn’t something that will happen all at once. As Kevin Oakley likes to say, it’s like adding books to a bookshelf!
⚠️ Proceed With Caution: Speaking of books… I was reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, and something he said jumped out and slapped me in the face. “Planning and preparation are useful until they become a form of procrastination.” It can feel so productive making process after process. But again, prioritize outcomes over output. Walk this line carefully!
SOP-Worthy Functions:
- Data reporting
- Photography
- Process for marketing, staging, tracking, and prioritizing spec homes
- New community launches and events (If you haven’t read Kevin Oakley’s Presale Without Fail, this is a great resource to help you set up your SOPs!) And if you have read it, be sure to check out his follow-up series on DYC: All Access!
- Signage and brand guidelines
- Realtor program
- Email marketing and social media cadence and standards
- If you can empower someone else to help with it or work with a vendor to help you, it’s SOP-worthy!
- If you’re looking for inspiration, our Creative Case Studies provide a behind-the-scenes look at improving several of the assets listed above!
Let Go, Let Grow
No one talks about the mental hurdle of delegating. Personally, I still have to work hard at being comfortable with this. For me, it’s less of a trust thing and more of an “I don’t want to put my work off on someone else” thing. But whatever your “thing,” I want you to remember that delegating isn’t dumping work onto someone. It’s entrusting someone capable and willing to help you complete a project or task for the betterment of the company and thus, your homebuyers.
I want to remind you of something. There are people on your team who want to help you! Who want to learn a new skillset. Who want to grow outside of their current role and try new things. And if your team is simply too busy and it’s imperative not to add workload to others, there are networks and networks of professionals whose entire business model is providing a service you’re looking for, who want their customers to be happy. Think of it less like skirting responsibility and giving it to someone else, but empowering those who want it!
What This Looks Like:
- Make a list of the things only you can perform (and not because there isn’t a process for it, but due to a special skillset and the importance of the task).
- On the flip side, make a list of things eating up your time that could easily have a process and be entrusted to another person.
- Map out the outcomes that you expect by being able to empower others with items from your delegate list.
- Have a candid conversation and determine the budget allocated to hiring additional vendors to help you. Depending on this answer, you may need to get creative. If the budget is tight for contracting out items on your list, consider hiring an intern you can provide value to.
Suggestions For Outsourcing and Choosing Partners:
- Start with clarity on the scope of work you are looking to outsource, your budget, and timeline.
- Identify which projects are your highest priority, and allocate your budget accordingly for partnerships within those areas.
- Have a clear vision of what a successful project partnership looks like to you.
- Consult trusted industry professionals in your network and ask for their experiences.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals, and ask detailed questions.
- Find a partner who knows the homebuilding industry intimately.
- Pay attention to things like responsiveness and transparency in early discussions.
Common Items To Delegate:
Design and print work (flyers, business cards, etc.)
Photography and videography (often they offer social media asset packages)
Blog writing
SEO and digital advertising
Model home, sales center, and community presentation upkeep
Signage auditing (you have a team of people on-site every day)
Executing event planning strategies
Site maps
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Bonus Tips:
✅ Find a mentor you trust to hold you accountable and help you navigate the new things you hope to implement.
✅ Guard your time and keep your calendar free of meetings that should’ve been emails.
✅ Separate your identity from the role, and take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup!
✅ Don’t wait for permission to lead or to be invited to places where decisions are being made if you aren’t already. Never hurts to ask! Be proactive in using your influence to bring value.
✅ Schedule time for strategic thinking so you don’t get stuck in “doer mode.”
✅ Make yourself an “impact portfolio” and track your wins. When you start “shoulding” on yourself, take a minute to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished. It’s also a great reference during review season!
✅ Build a support network of marketers in your industry! Be sure to join DYC: All Access, a free platform for connecting homebuilder online sales and marketing professionals, with access to DYC thought leaders and like-minded marketers around the globe. Pro Tip: Make sure you register using your homebuilder email, as we are intentional about who we add to ensure good vibes only!
✅ As you grow in your role and have the opportunity to bring on more team members to assist with marketing, I highly recommend checking out Kevin Oakley’s recent webinar on building The Marketing Dream Team! This will help you determine the structure and which roles to begin hiring for first.
Before You Go
As you go out and hopefully try out some of the suggestions above that stuck with you, always remember your “why.” What really lights your fire? Do more of that. Visible reminders to see throughout the day help (photographs, mood boards, etc.).
Often, in moments of overwhelm or when I feel like the world is ending because I didn’t get the outcome I wanted, I am hit with a sudden shift in perspective that snaps me out of it. Remember to zoom out a bit. Gratitude is another practice that helps me in these moments as well. I like to think of it like training a muscle. You have to really work at it. But the more room you leave in your day for perspective and gratitude, the easier it will be to navigate your busy day.
So take up the space you’ve earned, lead with confidence, and keep building something extraordinary!
