When we started, hiring a marketer wasn’t in the budget. Even part-time would be $2,000-3,000/month.

So we built a marketing stack instead. Tools that handle the repetitive work while we focus on strategy.

Here’s what we use.

The Stack

1. Claude Pro ($20/month)

What it does: First drafts of everything. Blog posts, emails, ad copy, social content.

The workflow: I outline what I want. Claude drafts. I edit heavily. Final product sounds like me but takes half the time.

Time saved: 10-15 hours/month on content creation.

We used to stare at blank pages. Now we start with something.

2. Canva Pro ($15/month)

What it does: All graphics. Social images, blog headers, simple ads, presentation decks.

The workflow: Templates + AI features + brand kit = consistent visuals without a designer.

Time saved: 5 hours/month on graphics.

The Magic Resize feature alone is worth it. One design, all formats.

3. Buffer ($15/month)

What it does: Schedules and publishes social content across platforms.

The workflow: Batch content creation once a week. Schedule everything. Done.

Time saved: 3-4 hours/month on social posting.

The free tier works for very small operations.

4. ConvertKit Free Tier (Free)

What it does: Email marketing, newsletter, basic automation.

The workflow: Weekly newsletter, automated welcome sequences, product updates.

Time saved: Not time saved, but capability we wouldn’t have otherwise.

Free up to 1,000 subscribers. We’ll upgrade when we hit that.

5. Plausible ($9/month)

What it does: Privacy-friendly analytics. Simple dashboard showing what matters.

The workflow: Weekly glance at traffic, sources, popular content. Adjust strategy.

Not Google Analytics because: Simpler, privacy-respecting, doesn’t need cookie consent.

6. Zapier ($29/month)

What it does: Connects everything. Automates the handoffs between tools.

The workflow: New blog post → social drafts created → scheduled in Buffer. Form submission → CRM → email sequence.

Time saved: 5-6 hours/month on manual tasks.

The glue that makes the stack work together.

7. Notion (Free)

What it does: Content calendar, idea capture, campaign planning, analytics notes.

The workflow: Everything marketing-related lives in one Notion space. No searching through tools.

Value: Organization that would otherwise require a marketing manager.

Total Monthly Cost: $88

Compare to: Part-time marketer at $2,500/month.

We’re at 3.5% of the cost for maybe 70-80% of the output.

What This Stack Can Do

• Create and publish 4 blog posts/month
• Maintain active social presence (15-20 posts/week)
• Run email newsletter
• Create graphics for all content
• Track basic analytics
• Run simple automations

What This Stack Can’t Do

• Strategic thinking (that’s still you)
• Relationship building (PR, partnerships)
• Paid advertising optimization
• Brand development
• Customer research

The stack handles execution. Strategy still requires humans.

The Workflow Day-by-Day

Monday: Review analytics. Plan week’s content.

Tuesday-Wednesday: Write content (with Claude assistance). Create graphics in Canva.

Thursday: Schedule everything in Buffer. Set up any automations.

Friday: Email newsletter.

Total time: 5-7 hours/week.

One person can run marketing for a small startup with this stack. Not great marketing—good marketing. Good enough to grow.

When to Actually Hire

This stack buys you time, but eventually you need humans.

Hire when:

• You’re doing $50K+ MRR (budget allows)
• Marketing is clearly limiting growth
• You need strategy, not just execution
• Paid channels require daily optimization

Until then, the stack works.

The Honest Assessment

Is this as good as having a great marketer? No.

Is this infinitely better than no marketing? Yes.

For bootstrapped startups, “good enough” marketing that you can actually afford beats “great” marketing that you can’t.

Start with the stack. Graduate to people when you can afford them.