Been running my freelance operation for a few years now and honestly, marketing budget planning still trips me up sometimes.
Last quarter I ended up spending way more on ads than I planned because I kept thinking “just one more campaign” would bring in that big client. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
Now I’m trying to get smarter about setting limits upfront and actually sticking to them.
Track everything first before you set any budget. I learned this the hard way too.
Spend a month writing down what you actually spend on marketing stuff:
Once you see the real numbers, you can set a percentage of your monthly income as your limit. I do 10% but it depends on your situation.
The key thing is having rules for yourself. Like no new campaigns in the last week of the month when you’re getting desperate. That’s when bad decisions happen.
Set it and forget it. Pick a number, stick to it, no second guessing halfway through.
I just throw whatever I can spare at it monthly
I budget backwards now. Started tracking what actually brings me clients, then only spend on what works.
Turns out most of my business comes from referrals and repeat customers, not ads. So I spend maybe $100 a month on basic stuff like keeping my website updated and some local networking events.
The rest goes into a savings account. When I find something that actually generates real leads, I can pull from there. But it has to prove itself first.
Saved me from chasing shiny marketing tactics that sound good but don’t pay the bills.
Set a fixed amount each month and treat it like any other business expense you can’t skip.
I put mine in a separate account so when it’s gone, it’s gone. No temptation to dip into other funds for that extra campaign that probably won’t work anyway.
Pick a number that won’t hurt your business if you lose it all. That’s your monthly marketing budget.
I learned to plan marketing spend the same way I plan for tools or materials. You wouldn’t buy a $500 drill if you only had $300 budgeted for equipment. Same logic applies here.
Here’s a solid breakdown on planning your marketing budget that covers the basics:
Once you hit your limit for the month, you’re done. No exceptions. Marketing money gone is money gone, just like any other business expense.