Average Small Business Marketing Budget

Small business marketing budgets have historically been tight. According to a poll by the American Express Small Business Network, the average small business marketing budget is around $200 per month.

While this may seem like a lot, it is only enough for some basic website maintenance fees or a few social media platform subscriptions. Many small businesses do not invest in any marketing beyond what is free.

Despite the fact that social media has become an integral part of most marketing strategies, the average spending on these platforms remains low. The same poll revealed that only 15% of small businesses spend money on social media advertising.

This is likely due to the lack of knowledge on how to do so effectively. Having an advertising budget does not mean you will see results, unless you know how to target your audience.

Marketing isn't as expensive as you might think

Small business marketing budgets typically range from $100 to $10,000 per month. The average small business marketing budget is around $500 per month.

This figure is based on the average monthly income of small businesses and their marketing spend. On average, small businesses earn about $1,000 per month and spend about $500 per month on marketing.

This number can vary significantly depending on the type of business and the marketing strategies used. For example, a local yoga studio might spend most of its budget on advertising online via social media and YouTube, while a cleaning service may invest in printed flyers and doorhangers.

Both would be considered marketing investments that would increase awareness and traffic to their business.

First step: analyze your market

average small business marketing budget

Before you can invest in your business, you have to be sure that the investment will pay off. You have to be sure that you will get back what you put into it. This is why it’s important to understand your market before spending money on marketing.

Companies spend big money on marketing because they know that it will make their business more successful. But how can they do this if they don’t know whether their efforts will pay off?

They can’t, and that’s why it’s so important to understand your market before investing in marketing. By understanding your target audience, you can create targeted marketing campaigns that will likely payoff.

No matter how much money you spend on advertising, if you target the wrong audience, your campaign will fail. But if you target the right audience, even with a small budget, you can still achieve success.

Second step: pick your platforms

average small business marketing budget

Now that you have an idea for your business, you should pick the platforms you will use to advertise your business. You will need to pick at least one social media platform, one marketing website, and one marketing tool.

There are many free resources available to help you create ads, websites, and social media accounts. Some require registration while others do not.

Some of the most popular platforms for small businesses include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google AdWords, and YouTube. Some other less known ones include Vimeo and Instagram.

It is important to keep in mind that some platforms are more effective for advertising than others. For example, YouTube ads are not very cost-effective if the goal is only to get more customers. However, it does help maintain customer recognition and awareness of the brand.

Third step: create your content

average small business marketing budget

Now that you have an idea for a business, you have researched your niche and marketing, you are ready to create content. Content can be anything from blog posts to social media posts and stories.

A key part of marketing is being social media savvy. If you are not familiar with all the major social media platforms, now is the time to learn.

You should have an account on each major platform where you post content and interact with followers. This is important because it gets your brand exposure outside of your website.

Creating quality content that is relevant and engaging is the last step to boost your marketing campaign. Creating content such as lists, tutorials, interviews, etc. will help gain followers and spread the word about your business.

Fourth step: identify your goals

average small business marketing budget

Now that you’ve analyzed your marketing and business strategies, the next step is to determine your goals.

What do you want to achieve? Do you want to bring in a certain amount of new customers? Do you want to retain a certain amount of customers?

Businesses with a budget typically spend between 2% and 10% of their revenue on marketing. If your business does not have a marketing budget, then try to target the average- perhaps 5% of revenue.

This means that if your business makes $100,000 per year, you should aim to spend $5,000 on marketing. This number can change depending on the size of your business and what type of results you want to achieve.

If you have the funds to invest in advertising, then try targeting a percentage closer to the higher end of the spectrum.

Fifth step: plan your campaign

average small business marketing budget

Now that you have an idea, a target audience, and the knowledge to create a campaign, it is time to put it into action.

You can do this by using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also use online advertising platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads to promote your campaign. You could even put up fliers or posters around your local community to spread the word!

Putting together a marketing campaign is no easy task. It can be difficult to balance cost with effectiveness. Most business owners tend to focus more heavily on cost when putting their campaigns together.

That is why many rely heavily on free resources like social media and online advertising. While these do work, they may not get your marketing message across as well as more expensive ones do.

Campaigns can vary greatly in price depending on what you are trying to achieve with them. Generally speaking, small business marketing campaigns average around $1000-$5000 depending on the size of the business and the specifics of the campaign.

Estimate your budget

average small business marketing budget

In addition to knowing what marketing strategies you’re going to use, you should also have an idea of how much money you’re going to spend on these strategies.

Most small business owners budget between 50 and 75% of their revenue on marketing. This may sound high, but it includes all forms of marketing, from print ads to social media.

For example, if your business earns $100,000 per year in revenue, then you should plan to spend around $50,000 to $75,000 per year on marketing. This includes the cost of advertising online, hiring professionals or freelancers for services, supplies for promotional items, and any other costs associated with marketing.

Just because small businesses don’t have huge budgets doesn’t mean they can’t achieve great results through smart marketing. By being aware of your budget ahead of time, you can ensure that you’re spending your money wisely.

Maximize your results

average small business marketing budget

As mentioned before, marketing is not limited to one type of effort. In fact, marketing is the blend of several elements into a cohesive strategy.

The best marketing campaigns include social media engagement, blog posts, print advertisements, website re-designs, and sales events. Each piece contributes to the overall goal of branding your business and raising brand awareness.

Social media platforms are a free way to engage your audience and spread the word about your business. With new features being introduced almost every day, there is no lack of opportunity to use them for marketing purposes.

Blogging about topics related to your business or providing valuable information to your audience can boost traffic to your site and engagement from readers. Print advertisements can be placed in local newspapers or publications related to your business topic. They are a bit more expensive but can help boost recognition and return customers.

A web redesign can upgrade the look and feel of your website to match the image you want to convey. These cost some money but are important for keeping up with competition and presenting an engaging experience for users.

About The Author

Tiara Ogabang
Tiara Joan Ogabang is a talented content writer and marketing expert, currently working for the innovative company juice.ai. With a passion for writing and a keen eye for detail, Tiara has quickly become an integral part of the team, helping to drive engagement and build brand awareness through her creative and engaging content.