For most business leaders, deciding how much to spend on digital marketing feels like guesswork.
There are percentages thrown around (5%, 10%, even 20% of revenue), but rarely any clarity around what those numbers actually mean or where that money should go.
And yet, digital marketing is a non-negotiable investment. It’s how buyers find you, how trust is built, and how revenue is generated. But unlike fixed costs like rent or payroll, your digital marketing budget should be strategic and flexible and aligned with your goals, not just a line item in your P&L.
In this article, we’ll walk you through exactly how to think about your digital marketing budget in 2025. We’ll break down the key categories to invest in, how much to allocate based on your business model, and what smart budgeting looks like in practice.
How Much to Budget: General Guidelines
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but here are some standard benchmarks to help guide your planning:
- New or growth-focused companies often spend 10–20% of gross revenue on marketing. Established companies with consistent revenue might spend 5–10% of gross revenue on marketing to maintain momentum.
These benchmarks are a starting point. A small B2B service company might find 7% sufficient, while a fast-scaling SaaS company may need to lean toward 20%.
The better question is: What are you trying to achieve?
Your budget should reflect your revenue goals, sales cycle length, average customer value, and the maturity of your current marketing system.
If you’re just getting started or pivoting from traditional marketing to digital-first, expect to invest more upfront to build foundational assets like your website, brand positioning, and content strategy. You’ll also need more support with change management, especially if your team is still learning how to communicate your unique value proposition in a buyer-centric way.
Investing upfront, of course, includes investing money, but it also means committing time and attention to get your team aligned and activated.
At IMPACT, we’ve worked with hundreds of companies on improving their digital marketing using the Endless Customers System™. In working with all of those companies, we’ve found there are four main areas you need to spend on:
1. Coaching and Strategy: The Highest-Impact InvestmentRecommended budget allocation: $5,500-$10,500 per month
Hiring an outside coach or consultant may feel like a luxury, but it’s often the most leveraged spend. A great coach advises you on how to make better decisions faster, avoid costly mistakes, and accelerate growth.
Most businesses don’t fail because they don’t have enough tactics. They fail because their tactics aren’t aligned. Marketing is launching campaigns that sales can’t support. Leadership is measuring success by leads, while the sales team is stuck with unqualified prospects. A coach brings everyone to the table, aligns goals, and helps your team rally around a unified strategy.
At IMPACT, for example, clients work with a coach who helps align marketing with sales, trains internal content teams, and drives toward clear revenue outcomes. They help companies build the internal ability to keep going long after the engagement ends.
Without strategy, tools and tactics become noise. Investing in coaching ensures that your budget is applied with purpose and that your team stays focused on what actually drives results.
2. Your Website: A Revenue-Generating AssetRecommended budget allocation: $5,000-$10,500 per month for ongoing maintenance & optimization, or $25,000-$80,000 per major website project/redesign
We can’t say it enough. Your website is your best salesperson. It works 24/7, and if built right, it can qualify leads, close deals, and reduce friction at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
If your site is outdated, slow, confusing, or too salesy, it’s time for a refresh. You should have a site that educates buyers, earns trust, and drives conversions. That means:
- Clear, transparent pricing Educational blog content that answers buyer questions Conversion paths tailored to different personas Tools that help buyers self-qualify Pages that speak directly to your customer’s pain points
A site like this looks good and it performs.
Costs can range widely. At IMPACT, website redesign and development packages typically fall between $25,000–$80,000, depending on complexity and scope. That might sound like a lot, but when done right, your site becomes a revenue engine. Many companies see a return on their website investment within the first year due to higher conversion rates and better-qualified leads.
If you’re not ready for a full rebuild, plan for monthly optimization, conversion tracking, and content updates. A website is a living asset and should never be treated as a one-and-done project. Consider allocating budget for UX testing, performance monitoring, and ongoing content improvements.
3. Personnel: Building Your Internal Content Engine
Recommended budget allocation: $10,000-$15,000 per month
Hiring the right people to own your marketing in-house is a long-term investment that pays dividends. The key hire for most organizations? A full-time content manager.
This person isn’t just a writer. They’re a project manager, strategist, and content engine. They interview subject matter experts, publish consistent educational content, and help bridge the gap between marketing and sales.
Why is this so important? Because buyers don’t want a sales pitch disguised as an article. They want honest answers to their questions, and your internal team is the best source of that knowledge. A strong content manager helps extract that expertise, package it into helpful resources, and publish it in the right formats.
Salaries vary by region and experience, but expect to budget around $65,000–$85,000 annually for a strong content manager. In higher-cost markets or for more experienced professionals, this could rise to $90,000–$100,000.
Pair this with a videographer, and you’ll have a powerful team capable of producing written content and engaging video that humanizes your brand and builds trust faster.
A videographer is responsible for planning, scripting, shooting, editing, and optimizing your videos to ensure they’re aligned with your sales goals and buyer journey. This includes educational videos, product reviews, customer testimonials, team profiles, and even behind-the-scenes looks at your company culture. Done right, video helps buyers see your people, hear your expertise, and feel confident in their decision.
A full-time videographer salary typically ranges from $60,000–$90,000, depending on experience and location. You’ll also want to budget for equipment (camera, lighting, microphones), editing software, and potentially a studio space or backdrop setup.
When your content and video teams work together under a unified strategy, the result is a marketing engine that consistently attracts, educates, and converts the right buyers, all without relying heavily on external vendors.
If hiring both roles full-time feels out of reach, start with one and scale. Or explore fractional roles as a stepping stone. But ultimately, the goal is to bring your content creation in-house so it’s faster, more aligned, and more effective.
4. Software and Tools: What You Actually NeedRecommended budget allocation: FREE to $8,000 per month
Tech stacks can balloon quickly. Between CRM platforms, marketing automation, SEO tools, video software, chatbots, analytics platforms, and more, costs add up fast.
Instead of chasing the latest tool, invest in a handful of core platforms that align with your strategy:
- A CRM that connects sales and marketing (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) Marketing automation to nurture leads (e.g., HubSpot, ActiveCampaign) Video and editing tools (e.g., Adobe Suite, Vidyard, Descript) Analytics and reporting (e.g., Google Analytics 4, Databox) Project and content management tools (e.g., ClickUp, Asana, Trello)
The goal here is integration and usability. Choose platforms that talk to each other and offer training and support. Avoid “shiny object” syndrome by evaluating every tool based on ROI, user adoption, and strategic alignment.
Also, make sure your team is actually using what you pay for. A fancy automation platform is useless if you haven’t built the workflows. Budget for subscriptions, training, onboarding, and time to execute.
What About Paid Ads?
Paid advertising can be a smart addition, but only after you’ve built a strong organic foundation. If you’re struggling with poor conversion rates or unclear messaging, ads will just amplify the problem.
Once you have content that’s converting and a website that’s working, ads can accelerate results. Think of it like pouring gas on a fire; ads should be used to amplify what's already working, not fix what's broken.
If you do allocate budget for paid media, approach it with a clear testing mindset. Start small. Experiment with different audiences and offers. Use data to refine and optimize. And always tie spend back to revenue.
Treat paid ads as an amplifier, not a crutch. Budget separately for paid spend if it aligns with your strategy, but don’t rely on it to fix deeper marketing gaps.
Budget for the Results You Want
Budgeting for digital marketing isn’t about copying someone else’s percentages. It’s about investing with clarity and intention.
Start by aligning your budget to your goals. If you want to grow, you’ll need to invest more. If you want more efficient marketing, you’ll need the right people and tools. And if you want long-term results, you’ll need strategy in addition to execution.
Your budget should evolve as your business does. When your investments are guided by purpose and performance, you’ll start seeing marketing as a growth engine.
Need help building your digital marketing engine that drives real revenue? Let’s talk about how coaching can get you there faster.
