Being a business owner is hard. Being a solopreneur right now? Even harder. Between rising gas prices, economic uncertainty, global conflicts, and the nonstop flood of bad news on social media, the world feels heavy, and that weight shows up in how we market, how our audiences buy, and how we show up online.
In this episode of the Thrive Smarter podcast, I’m breaking down how to market your business during trying times, the mindset shifts that help you stay visible without burning out, and the actionable steps you can take this week to meet your customers where they actually are. Then I’m sharing some surprising new data on how much time AI is really saving businesses (spoiler: it’s less than you’d think).
Why Marketing Feels So Hard Right Now
Most businesses start with imagination, an idea you believe in enough to sell. That risk-tolerant, creative DNA is what makes business owners special. But when you open social media to promote that idea, you’re met with doom scrolling: war headlines, election coverage, protests, and friends talking about cutting back on expenses.
Drawing on ten years of business ownership, plus lessons from the 2008–2009 downturn and the pandemic, I’ve found that marketing during heavy seasons requires a different playbook, one rooted in connection, value, and intentional algorithm management.
Tip 1: Clean Up Your Algorithm (Garbage In, Garbage Out)
Social media feeds are algorithmic mirrors. Whatever you interact with is what you’ll be served more of. Click one news article about the war, and suddenly your feed is flooded with it.
If you want your feed to support your marketing mindset instead of draining it, interact intentionally. Engage with your audience. Talk to other business owners. Like, comment on, and share the kind of content you want more of.
Personally, Threads has become my favorite platform right now because it’s especially responsive to these signals. A cleaner feed protects your mental health AND makes you a better marketer, because you’re not creating content from a place of fear.
Tip 2: Rethink What You’re Selling Using the Practical vs. Emotional Framework
People have less discretionary money right now, so be honest about what you’re offering. I break products and services into two buckets:
Practical (needs): Things your audience actually needs. These are easier sells and should get most of your marketing attention.
Emotional (wants): Nice-to-haves, feel-good products, or items tied to happiness and positivity.
I normally run an 80/20 ratio (80% practical, 20% experimental or emotional). Right now, I’ve shifted closer to 95/5. You don’t have to use my ratio, but the exercise of labeling every offering as practical or emotional will show you where to spend your marketing energy.
Pro tip: Emotional products that help people feel good, supported, or uplifted are still resonating. Just lead with the practical in your public marketing.
Tip 3: Lead With Value, Not Discounts
Don’t slash your prices, you deserve to be profitable. Instead, get creative about how you package and present value:
- Bundle two “need” offerings with one “want” offering
- Offer loyalty deals (buy 10 months of a SaaS, get 2 free)
- Layer in coupons, experiences, or premium support
- Make customers feel they’re getting more than just the product
Value is a story you tell in your marketing. Make it part of every conversation.
Tip 4: Be the Bright Light in Someone’s Feed
Your audience isn’t seeing your feed, they’re seeing their own heavy one. Be the account they look forward to. Lean into your brand, your why, and your people.
Funnels are converting less. Savvy shoppers want connection, authenticity, and real conversation. Respond to comments, greet customers warmly, ask how they’re doing when they reach out for support. In a heavy world, kindness is a competitive advantage.
Actionable Steps You Can Take This Week
- List every product or service you sell.
- Label each one as practical or emotional.
- Choose a ratio that feels right for your business and this moment. (Mine is 95/5 right now.)
- Look at your data. What’s selling? What’s resonating in comments? What are customers asking about in support?
- Weight your marketing toward practical offerings, and frame emotional ones as feel-good value.
- Double down on customer experience. Make every interaction feel personal.
The AI Question: How Much Time Is It REALLY Saving You?
Now for the AI portion. I’ve been talking about AI on the podcast because it genuinely has a place in a solopreneur’s toolkit, especially for freeing up time to focus on marketing like we just talked about.
But new data shows that employees using AI frequently at work are saving less than four hours per week. That’s lower than I expected, and I predict that number may drop further, because right now people are spending significant time just learning how to implement AI into their workflows.
For solopreneurs, the question isn’t “Is AI a magic time machine?” It’s “Where specifically can AI give me back hours I’d otherwise spend on repetitive, non-strategic work?” In the next episode, I’ll share the highest-impact places to use AI in your business right now, plus practical guidance for implementation.
Keep the Conversation Going
This podcast is where we start the conversation. The real community is over at community.thrivesoloco.com, where you can subscribe for free updates or join the monthly membership for our Thrive Live meetups, where solopreneurs connect, trade wins, and troubleshoot together.
What’s working in your marketing right now? What’s resonating with your audience? Drop a comment and let me know, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Until then, keep thriving.