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Paid Media

How much should a small business spend on marketing?

There is no single right number. Here is a practical way to work out a budget from what a customer is worth to you.

· 6 min read

Start with customer value

Work out what a typical customer is worth over time, not just their first purchase. That sets how much you can afford to acquire one.

Separate management from media

Management fees pay for the people running the system; ad spend goes to Google or Meta. Budget for both.

Give it long enough

Campaigns need time to learn and follow-up needs time to convert. Judge results over months, not days.

Measure the right thing

Track cost per enquiry and cost per customer. If you cannot see those, fix tracking before increasing spend.

Tracking and reportingGrowth systems for small businessesGrowth systems for trades

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