For every marketing leader, budgeting isn\u2019t just a numbers game. It\u2019s a high-stakes balancing act between ambition and resources.<\/p>\n
In this post, I\u2019ll show you how to make every dollar work harder, defend your budget confidently, and set your team up for success. To simplify the process, I\u2019ve got eight battle-tested templates<\/a> ready for you.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n As a marketing leader, I\u2019ve found that every smart marketing strategy comes down to three key investments:<\/p>\n Nail these, and you\u2019re not just spending \u2014 you\u2019re investing in growth.<\/p>\n For example, when it comes to advertising, it\u2019s not just about running ads. It\u2019s about getting the most out of every dollar.<\/p>\n My approach? Dynamic ad content that adapts to user behavior and platform-optimized creative that outperforms generic ads. The result is higher engagement levels, better conversions, and more efficient ad spending.<\/p>\n Brand awareness has evolved, too. It\u2019s no longer just about publishing blog posts or ebooks. It\u2019s about spending strategically on multi-channel experiences that meet customers where they already are.<\/strong><\/p>\n That means investing in podcasts, video content, and interactive resources that don\u2019t just push content but actually build real connections.<\/p>\n But none of this scales without smart operational investments. Automation and SaaS tools free up budget and resources by streamlining everything from email sequences to CRM tracking to performance analytics.<\/p>\n AI takes it even further, optimizing ad spend, personalizing content, and delivering real-time insights that help every dollar work harder.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, marketing isn\u2019t just a cost center. It\u2019s a growth engine. When every investment works together, marketing stops being an expense and becomes a force multiplier for the business.<\/p>\n I’ve seen small business owners wrestle with marketing budgets, tight margins, tough calls, and the ever-present fear of wasted money.<\/p>\n But keeping costs lean isn\u2019t a choice. It\u2019s survival especially when you’re scaling.<\/p>\n The hardest part about budgeting for your small business is balancing immediate needs with long-term growth.<\/p>\n Marketing fuels growth. No marketing? No sales. No sales? No business. Winning isn\u2019t about outspending big competitors. It\u2019s about outsmarting them.<\/p>\n The first step is identifying your most profitable customer acquisition channels. Double down on what works and cut the dead weight.<\/p>\n Ready to make your budget go further? Grab our free marketing budget templates<\/a> and get started.<\/p>\n While the answer depends on your industry and audience, one thing is clear: In 2025, digital advertising will make up 62.7% of global ad spending<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the fastest-growing channel in advertising, and for good reason: As consumer attention shifts online, brands either follow them or risk becoming invisible. I\u2019ve watched this shift accelerate, and it\u2019s reshaping how companies are prioritizing their budget allocation to digital channels.<\/p>\n Digital ad spending spans everything from desktop ads and search engines to video platforms, social media, and mobile. These channels are evolving with new ad formats, algorithms, and user behaviors, which is reshaping engagement.<\/p>\n Mobile-first strategies are no longer optional; they\u2019re essential. With mobile making up over half of all digital media consumption, brands that don\u2019t prioritize them are becoming irrelevant.<\/p>\n So, how do you allocate your budget? I recommend allocating at least half to digital, if not more.<\/p>\n Brands winning today often allocate 60% or more to digital because that\u2019s where consumers actually spend their time.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just stick to that number. Invest where it drives real impact.<\/strong><\/p>\n Seeing killer results from LinkedIn? Lean in. If your brand thrives on TikTok<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>, double down there. Start by analyzing where you\u2019re getting the best ROI and adjust accordingly.<\/p>\n So, where should the rest of your budget go? Let\u2019s break down the smartest moves for maximum impact.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \n After years of managing budgets (and making plenty of mistakes along the way), I’ve found five core areas that really move the needle: software, freelancers, personnel, advertising, and content creation.<\/p>\n I\u2018ll walk you through each one and share what I\u2019ve learned about making smart spending decisions.<\/p>\n Building a tech stack feels overwhelming. There’s a free tool<\/a> for everything these days, and they all promise to revolutionize your marketing.<\/p>\n But here’s what actually works: Start with the basics that directly affect your goals.<\/strong> Nearly half of businesses<\/a> (47%) start with Google Analytics because, well, you can\u2018t improve what you don\u2019t measure.<\/p>\n Another 43% use Canva or similar design tools because good visuals matter, but not everyone needs the full Adobe suite on day one.<\/p>\n Since there\u2019s a marketing tool<\/a> for just about any task you can think of, they are generally broken down into the following categories:<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> I’ve found the key is being ruthlessly practical. What problems are actually slowing your team down? Invest in those tools first. The rest can wait.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a scenario I bet sounds familiar: You\u2019ve got a big campaign launch next week, and suddenly, your designer is swamped, your copywriter is overloaded, and your deadline isn\u2019t moving.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when I turn to freelancers, my secret weapon for getting high-quality work done quickly without overloading my team or scrambling at the last minute.<\/p>\n A quick tip from someone who\u2019s learned the hard way: Set your freelance budget before you even start looking.<\/strong> Trust me, it\u2019s way too easy to fall in love with a freelancer\u2019s portfolio only to realize they\u2019re way out of your price range.<\/p>\n While HR handles recruitment, you need to think bigger about how new hires fit into your marketing vision.<\/p>\n Here\u2018s what\u2019s interesting: 70% of hiring professionals<\/a> say we’re facing a talent shortage, especially when it comes to finding that perfect mix of industry knowledge and soft skills.<\/p>\n I’ve learned to approach hiring with three key questions<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Successful hiring is about finding people who can adapt as marketing evolves. Over half of companies are moving toward skills-based hiring, focusing less on traditional requirements and more on what candidates can actually do. When budgeting for new hires, think beyond the initial investment and consider how they’ll help scale your marketing efforts long-term.<\/p>\n Here’s something that took me years to learn: Creating great content is only half the battle \u2014 you need to get it in front of the right people.<\/p>\n With 5.5 billion<\/a> people online (wild, right?), you’ve got to be smart about how you promote your content.<\/p>\n I use a pretty straightforward approach:<\/p>\n The goal isn\u2018t to be everywhere. It\u2019s to be where your audience actually pays attention.<\/p>\n Content marketing generates three times more leads<\/a> than traditional methods, but let’s be real: it also requires time and money to do well.<\/p>\n Budget how much money will go into creating this content so you can adjust accordingly based on its return on investment.<\/p>\n Now that you know what to include in your budget, let\u2019s break down where that money actually goes.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n How do you divide your budget for maximum impact? Start with the 70-20-10 rule:<\/strong><\/p>\n This framework keeps your marketing steady while leaving room for innovation.<\/p>\n I’ve found that practical examples are often the best way to understand budget allocation. Let me walk you through how I typically recommend structuring a $10,000 marketing budget:<\/p>\n While I love the 70-20-10 framework as a starting point, I always look at broader industry patterns to sense-check our strategy. The latest Gartner research<\/a> has revealed some fascinating trends in how CMOs are investing their 2024 budgets.<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2018s what I\u2019m seeing: Digital channels now take 57.1% of paid media spend, with investments breaking down like this:<\/p>\n But don\u2018t count out traditional channels. They\u2019re still powerhouses:<\/p>\n The scale of marketing investment keeps growing. We’re looking at $1 trillion in 2025<\/a>, with $750 billion going to digital ads.<\/p>\n But here\u2018s an interesting insight I\u2019ve noticed: while CMOs rank digital video\/streaming as their most effective channel, it does not receive the top budget allocation. In my experience, this often signals an opportunity. Sometimes, the highest-impact channels aren’t the most obvious ones.<\/p>\n Let\u2018s dive into how these trends translate into practical budget decisions for each major marketing channel. I\u2019ll share what I’ve seen work best across different scenarios.<\/p>\n I’ve found that successful PPC<\/a> budget management goes well beyond creating and running ads on Google<\/a> and basic bid optimization. When I structure search budgets, I focus on strategic allocation across the full funnel.<\/p>\n While bottom-funnel conversion campaigns often command the largest share, maintain a 15-20% for brand protection and competitor terms. This balance has consistently helped my clients maintain market position while driving growth.<\/p>\n Cost management in paid search requires a nuanced approach. In my experience, tracking your CPC: Customer Lifetime Value ratio by campaign type gives you the clearest picture of scalability.<\/p>\n I use Google’s keyword planner<\/a> for initial research, but I\u2018ve learned that actual performance data is your best guide for budget optimization. Even with a set budget of $2,000, you may only generate $1,500 in clicks, which I\u2019ve found is often a sign you need to refine targeting rather than just increase spending.<\/p>\n Here’s how I approach PPC budget allocation:<\/p>\n When building social media budgets, I always start with the strategic fundamentals. Like PPC, social platforms use auction systems for ad delivery, but I’ve found that success depends more on sophisticated audience targeting than pure bid strategy.<\/p>\n From my experience working with various team structures, I have learned that there are two main options:<\/p>\n Agency partnerships typically cost between $2,000 and $20,000 monthly<\/a>, but I’ve learned to look beyond the retainer. The best agencies usually maintain a 30\/70 split between strategy and execution, a ratio that consistently drives stronger results.<\/p>\n Here’s the framework I use when deciding between in-house and agency approaches:<\/p>\n I break content marketing investments into four core areas.<\/p>\n Content marketing costs vary widely based on your goals and area of focus. Hiring outside consultants or agencies to handle content marketing for you can range from $2,000 to $10,000<\/a> per month for small to medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n When advising on resource allocation between in-house teams and agencies, I evaluate several factors:<\/p>\n For ROI tracking, I recommend focusing on three key dimensions:<\/p>\n Here\u2018s a key insight from my experience: Most struggling content programs aren\u2019t failing due to content quality \u2014 they’re failing due to improper resource allocation across these areas.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>I track these metrics using HubSpot’s campaign budget management system<\/a>, which helps me monitor performance across channels while maintaining a clear view of our overall marketing spend distribution.<\/p>\n While analyzing channel performance, I\u2018ve found email marketing\u2019s reputation for high ROI is well-deserved.<\/p>\n But there’s a catch.<\/p>\n While it delivers acquisition rates 40x higher than Facebook and X combined<\/a>, this performance depends entirely on strategic investment in the right areas.<\/p>\n Let me share how I structure email marketing budgets for maximum impact. I break it down into these four core components:<\/p>\n For companies weighing agency partnerships versus in-house development, I evaluate three factors:<\/p>\n The right choice depends on your specific situation. For instance, I often recommend agencies for complex automation needs but suggest building in-house teams when content volume is the primary driver.<\/p>\n Effective SEO investment depends heavily on your SEO maturity stage. I categorize this into three levels: foundational (technical optimization), growth (content authority building), and competitive advantage (market leadership).<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I structure SEO budgets for maximum impact across these stages:<\/p>\n When advising clients on agency partnerships versus in-house teams, I evaluate several factors:<\/p>\n For measurement, I recommend looking beyond basic traffic metrics. Focus on:<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \n Spreadsheet knowledge alone<\/em> won\u2018t help you understand how you\u2019ll spend your marketing money this year. Creating a sound marketing budget<\/a> starts with knowing what purpose this budget will serve and which marketing teams it will represent.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I approach creating a marketing budget.<\/p>\n Your buyer\u2019s journey consists of the steps your audience takes to go from prospect to paying customer.<\/p>\n By mapping out your buyer\u2019s journey, you can see how your audience interacts with your marketing at each stage. This helps you sharpen your goals and spend your budget where it matters most.<\/p>\n I always ask myself these questions as I define my buyer’s journey:<\/p>\n Defining my buyer\u2019s journey helps me identify what\u2019s working, fix what\u2019s not, and focus my budget where it counts.<\/p>\n Your marketing spend \u2014 how much and where \u2014 depends entirely on your goals.<\/p>\n So, when creating your marketing budget, make sure you only fund initiatives that align with your current goals, which are based on your audience\u2019s journey from prospect to customer.<\/p>\n These might include:<\/p>\n I’ve seen budgets stretch (and break) depending on whether the focus is lead generation or lead conversion.<\/p>\n Jessica Webb Kennedy<\/a>, formerly a demand generation marketer at HubSpot, now product marketing manager at Jasper, breaks this down.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the money you spend on paid efforts is usually calculated based on the volume of clicks or impressions. Because of this, you’ll often want to allocate more budget to campaigns with broader audiences and high-engagement offers,\u201d Kennedy says.<\/p>\n For example, she explains, a tweet or Facebook ad promoting a top-of-funnel lead generation offer will likely attract more clicks than a mid- or bottom-funnel campaign.<\/p>\n Your paid advertising costs will also shift depending on how wide of an audience you’re targeting.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can look at Twitter advertising as an example,\u201d Webb says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have the option to target your campaigns based on users’ interests or keywords searched for. Interests are a much broader category, whereas smaller pockets of users are searching for any given keyword. So, your interest-based audience is going to be much larger and require a larger budget,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n I’ve seen this play out firsthand. Targeting a broad audience, such as interest-based segments, requires a larger budget because it reaches more people. In contrast, keyword-based targeting focuses on a smaller, highly specific group, offering potentially greater relevance at a lower reach.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, your marketing dollars should work for your goals. Spend wisely.<\/p>\n A well-maintained budget spreadsheet prevents those end-of-quarter<\/a> or end-of-year freak-outs when you realize, \u201cWhoa \u2026 what did I spend all that money on?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen it happen. Overlooked expenses sneak up and suddenly, marketers are scrambling to cover unexpected costs. Product marketing, in particular, is one of those areas where budgeting oversights can lead to serious surprises.<\/p>\n Meghan Keaney Anderson<\/a>, former HubSpot VP of marketing, now head of product marketing at Watershed, points out that marketers often forget about key costs beyond just promotion.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople often budget for product marketing with only launches and promotions in mind,\u201d Anderson explains.<\/p>\n But successful product marketing isn\u2019t just about the big splash. It requires investing in research and message testing well before launch.<\/p>\n \u201cTalking to customers early about their pain points sharpens messaging and paves the way for a powerful launch,\u201d Anderson says.<\/p>\n Marketing is full of add-ons, upsells, and \u201cpremium\u201d versions, but how many are actually worth the price? The best way to find out is to track every expense.<\/p>\n I monitor my budget closely and match every dollar spent to the results I\u2019m getting. When you know exactly where your money is going, it\u2019s easier to focus on what\u2019s working and cut the rest without second-guessing.<\/p>\n Take public relations, for example. It\u2019s a field packed with budget-draining tools, which makes smart spending even more critical. You might be splurging on flashy distribution software while underinvesting in media relationships that would move the needle.<\/p>\n There are plenty of tools \u201cto help PR pros create and distribute content, target key stakeholders, and measure reach and effectiveness,\u201d says Nathaniel Eberle<\/a>, former PR director at HubSpot and now VP of global brand at GoTo.<\/p>\n Before spending money on PR tools, teams need to determine which journalists, influencers, or decision-makers they need to reach and then budget accordingly.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the media and digital landscape evolves at breakneck speed, continually reassessing the tools, services, and programs you\u2019re using is key to understanding the real-time ROI of your spend. Today\u2019s must-have tool may be worthless tomorrow,\u201d Eberle adds.<\/p>\n The PR landscape moves fast. If you\u2019re not constantly re-evaluating your tools and spending, you\u2019re probably wasting money.<\/p>\n When you open these marketing budget templates<\/a> and check out all the various expenses detailed in them, don\u2019t fret if you can\u2019t tick every box.<\/p>\n I’m not advocating for an \u201calways spend more\u201d approach to marketing. I\u2019m advocating for an \u201calways spend smart\u201d approach. The expenses listed aren\u2019t mandatory.<\/p>\n They\u2019re just meant to guide your thinking and to help ensure that you haven\u2019t overlooked any hidden costs.<\/p>\n When I put a certain amount of money into a certain area, I want to determine if my budgeting helped or hurt me as I plan out future budgets. The best way to do this is by measuring ROI.<\/p>\n If the money I\u2019ve spent on one item results in my company making more in return, I may want to increase the budget in the next year. If my money doesn\u2019t end in a positive ROI, I re-examine my budget.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n It can feel overwhelming when you\u2019re unsure how to split or track your spending. I\u2019ve been there. But here\u2019s the good news: these marketing budget templates<\/a> can help to take the guesswork out of budgeting. I know how much easier budgeting becomes when you have the right tools in place.<\/p>\n Whether I\u2019m tracking content spending, paid ads, or event costs, these templates \u2014 available in both Excel and Googe Sheets \u2014 give me clarity and control over my marketing budget so I can manage everything at a monthly and quarterly level.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive in and see how these templates can simplify your planning and tracking.<\/p>\n![\"Click](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/3e2abb94-93d9-4cf5-bd8e-6a96ecc14270.png\")
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What is a marketing budget?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMarketing Budgets for Small Business<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How much should a company spend on marketing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nMarketing Cost Examples<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Software<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\n2. Freelancers<\/strong><\/h4>\n
3. New Personnel<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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4. Advertising<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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5. Content Creation<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Marketing Budget Breakdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMarketing Cost Example<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Allocation by Channel<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Paid Search Advertising<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Social Media<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Content Marketing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Email Marketing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Search Engine Optimization<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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1. Know your buyer’s journey.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. Align your budget with your marketing goals.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n3. Beware of hidden marketing costs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Remember where your priorities lie.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Spend your budget smartly.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Prepare to measure ROI.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Marketing Budget Templates<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Master Marketing Budget Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n