"How much should I be spending on marketing?"
It's one of the most common questions we get from small business owners. And honestly? The answer depends.
But let's cut through the confusion and give you some real numbers.
The General Rule of Thumb
Most marketing experts suggest small businesses spend 5-10% of revenue on marketing.
- If you're established and just want to maintain: 5%
- If you're growing and want to expand: 8-10%
- If you're new and need to build awareness: 10-15%
So if your business brings in $500,000 a year, you might budget $25,000-$50,000 for marketing annually.
But What Does That Actually Get You?
Here's where it gets real. Let's break down what different marketing services typically cost:
Website
- Basic professional website: $1,500-$5,000 (one-time)
- Ongoing maintenance/updates: $100-$500/month
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Basic local SEO: $500-$1,500/month
- Comprehensive SEO: $1,500-$5,000/month
Content Marketing
- Blog posts: $100-$500 per post
- Social media management: $500-$2,000/month
Paid Advertising
- Google Ads management: $500-$2,000/month (plus ad spend)
- Facebook/Instagram ads: $500-$1,500/month (plus ad spend)
Full-Service Agencies
- Small/local agencies: $2,000-$5,000/month
- Mid-size agencies: $5,000-$15,000/month
- Large agencies: $15,000+/month
Why the Range Is So Wide
A few factors affect pricing:
Location: Agencies in major cities often charge more.
Experience: Established firms charge more than newcomers.
Scope: More services = higher cost.
Results: Some agencies charge based on performance.
What's the Smartest Approach?
Here's our honest advice:
Start with the foundations
Before you spend money on ads, make sure you have:
- A professional website that works on mobile
- Basic SEO so Google can find you
- A complete Google Business Profile
- A way to collect and respond to reviews
Build from there
Once the foundations are solid, you can add:
- Regular content (blog posts, social media)
- Paid advertising
- Email marketing
- More advanced SEO
Don't spread too thin
It's better to do two things well than five things poorly. Focus on what works for your specific business.
What We Charge (And Why)
At PresenceKit, our packages range from $750-$3,000/month. That's significantly less than most agencies.
Why? Because we've designed our services specifically for small businesses. We focus on what matters most -the foundations that actually drive results -without the enterprise-level overhead.
We're not the cheapest option out there. We're not the most expensive either. But we believe we offer the best value for small businesses who want real results without the headache.
The Bottom Line
There's no magic number for what marketing should cost. But here's what we know:
- Doing nothing costs you more in the long run (missed customers)
- Overspending on fancy campaigns before you have foundations is wasteful
- Consistent, focused effort beats sporadic big investments
If you want to talk through what makes sense for your specific situation, give us a call. No pressure, just honest advice.
PresenceKit Team
Helping small businesses grow their online presence
