Do you really need to market your business when you’re fully booked?

Should you keep marketing even when you’re fully booked? Honestly, this topic feels super timely for me right now for a couple of reasons. First, I’ve been asked this question twice recently by people wanting my opinion. And second, I’m currently in a really busy season of life. I’ve just spent the last week and a half either being sick or taking care of a sick toddler.

Lately, every day feels like a juggling act—figuring out what absolutely has to get done and what can be pushed. And honestly, in seasons like this, marketing feels like the first thing to go. It’s the last thing I want to do: review Instagram captions, write a blog post, or record a YouTube video. That’s why I’m actually happy to be here recording this podcast.

I even considered doing a recast of an old episode just because things have been so hectic. But then I thought, you know what? I want to do a short episode because I have a few things to say about this (that I think you need to hear).

The point is, this busyness isn’t even entirely business-related. Part of it is being sick and also moving. But I was also talking to someone else who’s in a really busy business season, and that’s what brought up this question:

Do I really need to keep marketing if I’m fully booked?

If I’m not actively trying to bring in more clients or bookings, do I still need to invest time—or money—into marketing?

We’re going to talk about that today. So let’s get into it.

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Okay, so my answer might surprise you, or maybe not, but as a marketer, I have to say it: yes, you should still be marketing your business, even if you’re fully booked.

Now, can you dial it back a bit during a busy season when you’re fully booked? Sure. That’s totally fair. But I believe there are three important reasons why you should still maintain some kind of presence in a marketing channel, even when you’re swamped. So let’s get into those.

1. Even “Secure” Clients Can Drop Off At ANY Time

Reason #1: No matter how busy you are, how solid your contracts are, or how great your client relationships seem, things can change without warning. Clients can drop off. Contracts can end. Even if you’re getting great results for someone, businesses pivot all the time. Budgets change, priorities shift.

I’ll give you an example. I had a client we were doing incredible work for who was seeing results. And then she got hit with this huge unexpected tariff bill. I think it might’ve been reversed later (who knows what’s going on in America right now—no offense if you’re reading from there!). But she suddenly had all this inventory she couldn’t afford to move and had to pause all expenses… including marketing. And honestly? That kind of stuff is my worst nightmare.

Sometimes it’s not even business-related. Life happens. Even when the marketing is working, a client might have something personal come up that forces them to pull the plug and it can have nothing to do with you. So even if you’re best buddies with them, nothing is guaranteed.

And for most of us, if we were fully booked for a year or two and then suddenly lost clients, it’s completely unrealistic to think we could just hop back on Instagram, make a “Hey, I have availability” post, and expect the leads to start rolling in. It doesn’t work like that.

In that sense, having a community that you’re consistently building through marketing is kind of like an insurance policy when you’re fully booked. It gives you a warm audience, people who are already interested in what you offer, so that if you ever need to ramp up quickly, pivot, or even run a sale to bring in fast cash, you’re not starting from zero. That’s a huge asset.

Consistent marketing even when you’re fully booked keeps your pipeline warm and cushions you against unexpected changes. And they will happen. Hopefully not often, and hopefully not in a way that’s too disruptive, but still, it’s something we need to prepare for.

People break contracts. For example, my client contracts are month-to-month—so technically, clients only need to give me 30 days’ notice. And when we’ve been working together for 2–3 years, 30 days doesn’t always feel like enough time to backfill that spot. You know what I mean?

It feels like a secure part of my income—and again, this isn’t just about me. I’m only using my experience as a reference because people have been asking for my take on this, and I do have thoughts. One of the biggest reasons I think you should keep marketing even when you’re fully booked is simple: consistency matters.

Now, does that mean I think you need to be putting out high-volume content and doing all the things? No, definitely not. Focus on the essentials, the things that really serve you and your business. But this brings me to my second point…

2. Marketing Builds Trust, Connection & Authority With Current Clients

Active content shows people that you’re engaged, that you’re relevant, and that you’re alive in your business. And that actually reassures your current clients too.

Let me share a personal example: in 2021, I basically ghosted Instagram when I was fully booked. I think I posted like six times all year. I was super busy with client work and honestly wasn’t looking for more. Plus, I was navigating a ton of personal changes. So yeah, I was underwater a bit and marketing was the last thing I cared about.

Looking back now, I’m amazed I held on, but I did. And that’s why I feel so confident speaking on this. I’ve been there: in a season where you’re like, “I don’t need clients, so I don’t need to market.” But honestly? That’s a mistake.

Even if you’re fully booked and not actively looking for clients, consistent marketing keeps your current clients connected. I’m not saying people will start questioning your skills if you go quiet, but when you’re regularly showing up and say, posting on Instagram, sharing industry tips, talking about a webinar or workshop you’re attending… it builds confidence. It reassures people that you’re on your game, that you’re learning, evolving, and invested in your craft.

For example, if you’re a website designer and you’re always sharing things about SEO, trends, or accessibility, it sends the message: I know what I’m doing. You don’t even need to pitch directly. It makes the sales process smoother, and it keeps your audience warm.

This is especially true in businesses like mine. I’ve had clients for almost five years. I just had a call with one of them the other day and realized—we’re like three months shy of the five-year mark! That’s a long time.

And no, I don’t talk to my clients every day. Usually it’s quick check-ins: “Hey, your blog is ready.” We’re not chitchatting constantly.

But I try to stay super active on their Instagram profiles. Even when I’m not posting on my own, I’m watching their stories, commenting, keeping up. I love it—and honestly, it helps me write in their tone of voice and stay up to date on what’s happening in their world.

Those little micro-interactions? They build stronger relationships over time. If I were only ever messaging them to say, “Your deliverable is done,” it would feel transactional. But this? This makes it personal and connected—and that matters.

If I didn’t make those little efforts to connect—whether it’s sharing something personal, engaging on Instagram, or posting to this podcast—I don’t think my clients would feel that connected to me. Sure, they might say, “Yeah, Kara’s great. She does what I hire her to do, no complaints.” But it would stop there. Versus something more like, “Oh, and she’s so fun, and she loves dogs too!”—you know, those little micro points of connection really matter.

That’s part of why I keep showing up—whether that’s through this podcast, Instagram, or other marketing channels. It helps build a relationship outside of just the work I do. And honestly, it’s why I didn’t want this podcast to be only about blogging and Pinterest. I love talking about those things, don’t get me wrong—but they’re not my whole personality. I think a podcast that was just technical marketing tips would feel super dry. I want this to be more holistic.

Anyway, here’s the biggest reason I want you to remember from this episode about being fully booked:

If you ghost your audience—even when you’re fully booked—your current clients are likely to feel disconnected.
And that can lead to higher turnover.

It’s not because your clients are flaky or bad people—it’s just natural. People don’t form deep trust based only on a website and a one-time onboarding call. But if you’re consistently showing up and talking about what you do, how you do it, and why your way works, you reinforce that trust over and over again.

So yes, you still have to keep marketing even when you’re fully booked.

3. Staying Visible Makes You Way Easier to Refer

I know this matters less when you’re fully booked, but hear my out. When people see your name and your content regularly, you stay top of mind. They can easily share your posts with a friend—“Hey, this is the person who writes my blogs!”—or forward a recent Instagram post you did about why blogging is so important. Even if you can’t take new clients right now, you’re still building awareness and that matters. A lot.

We don’t talk about that part enough when we’re fully booked with referrals. Sometimes marketing feels like this mysterious “post and pray” situation. And sure, there’s trial and error and creativity involved—but that long-term visibility is a real asset.

So just to recap, here are the three big reasons why you should keep marketing your business, even when you’re fully booked:

1. Clients can drop off without warning. No matter how strong the relationship, things happen—budgets shift, life changes, businesses pivot.
2. It builds trust and connection with your current clients. Even if you’re fully booked, staying visible keeps them feeling confident in their investment and connected to you.
3. It makes you easier to refer. Staying top of mind means that when someone else needs what you offer, people will think of you first.

And look, we all know marketing takes time to work. If you’re fully booked and you wait until you need clients to start marketing again, it’s already too late.

Sometimes you can sense it coming—maybe a client’s business is slowing down, or they just seem a little less engaged. But other times, it hits out of nowhere. And during those really busy seasons of being fully booked? I know it’s tempting to let marketing fall off the to-do list. I totally get it, even as someone who loves marketing and does it for a living.

But trust me, keeping some kind of consistent presence, even if it’s light, pays off in the long run. Nobody stays fully booked forever!

That’s all I’ve got for today. Thanks for hanging out with me, and I’ll talk to you next week!

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