How Much Should You Actually Be Spending on Marketing?
Let’s do the math so you can stop guessing and start growing. (No MBA required.)
Your Numbers
Adjust the sliders or type in your numbers. Results update instantly.
Your Marketing Snapshot
Based on real industry benchmarks. Not guesswork.
Where Your Budget Should Go
$0/mo
Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn, social media advertising
$0/mo
Strategy, design, content creation, video, social management, SEO, email
Expected Results Timeline
Enter your current marketing spend above to see how long it will take to reach your goals.
How the ROI Works
If you invest $1,000 per month in marketing, you should generate approximately $5,000 in revenue from new customers. That is a 10x return on your investment.
Gap Analysis
You’re spending $0. You should be spending around $1,000. That’s a gap of $1,000.
You’re leaving approximately $6,500 on the table every month.
Get Your Full Results
Enter your info and we'll send you a detailed breakdown of your marketing budget analysis, plus tips specific to your industry.
How We Calculate These Numbers
Step 1: How Many New Customers Do You Need?
We take your revenue goal, subtract what you are already making, and divide by how much each customer is worth to you. That tells us exactly how many new customers you need each month to hit your target. If your customer value goes up, you need fewer customers. If you are already close to your goal, you need fewer too.
Step 2: What Should Your Marketing Budget Be?
Your recommended budget has three parts. First, the acquisition cost: how many new customers you need multiplied by what it typically costs to acquire one in your industry (the CPA). Second, a maintenance budget: about 4% of your current revenue to keep your existing customers engaged and your brand visible. Third, we check this against an industry floor, which is the minimum percentage of your revenue goal that businesses in your industry typically invest in marketing. Your recommended budget is whichever is higher: the acquisition + maintenance cost, or the industry floor.
Step 3: Where Should That Budget Go?
We split your budget between ad spend (Google, Meta, LinkedIn ads) and agency/creative work (strategy, design, content, video, social management, SEO, email). The split is not always 50/50. It depends on your budget size and your industry. Smaller budgets need more creative and strategy work to build the foundation first. Larger budgets can shift more toward ads once the creative foundation is solid. For example, a $1,000/mo budget might be 30% ads and 70% creative, while a $10,000/mo budget might be 60% ads and 40% creative.
Step 4: What Return Can You Expect?
The ROI multiplier shows how many dollars you get back for every dollar you invest. We calculate it by taking the total expected revenue (new customer revenue plus your current revenue) and dividing by your recommended marketing budget. A 5x return means for every $1 you spend, you should generate $5 in revenue. Higher customer values and lower CPAs mean better ROI. Most healthy businesses see between 3x and 10x return on their marketing investment.
Step 5: The Gap Analysis
We compare what you are currently spending to what you should be spending. If there is a gap, we estimate how many customers you are missing out on (the gap divided by your industry CPA) and multiply that by your customer value to show the revenue you are leaving on the table every month. This is not a scare tactic. It is just math. The good news? Once you know the gap, you can make a plan to close it.
These calculations are based on industry averages and benchmarks from 2026 data. Your actual results will vary based on your specific market, competition, creative quality, and execution. This tool is meant to give you a realistic starting point, not a guarantee. Want a more precise analysis? Take our free marketing assessment or book a strategy call.
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