As we enter November, the reality of year-end approaching is both exciting and daunting. If you haven’t already, it’s time to buckle down and create your 2025 marketing budget. Here at Quantus Creative, we’re no strangers to the stress of budgeting, so we’ve simplified the process by providing a step-by-step guide to help build the perfect budget plan for the new year.
Step One – Determine Your Budget
Typically, businesses will allocate between 5-25% of their revenue towards marketing initiatives. B2B companies are usually at the lower end of that scale, while B2C companies regularly spend more. If your business is in the growth stage, you may consider spending more on marketing than if you are working to maintain your market position. Keep growth stages and company size in mind when choosing how much of your budget will be dedicated to marketing. Small businesses will be spending significantly less that large companies, but this doesn’t mean that smaller budgets aren’t effective.
Step Two – Review Your Performance in 2024
What worked and what didn’t? Maybe you saw more ROI on Meta ads versus Google. Or maybe you noticed your short-form content performed better than long-form. Take note of how your brand performed after using your 2024 strategies and decide what changes need to be made to increase your success in the new year. Analytics dashboards can be extremely helpful in visualizing the results of your marketing efforts, such as CPA, ROI, and CPM.
P.S. If you need a refresher on marketing terms, check out our article here.
Step Three – Develop Goals and Strategies for 2025
We recommend using the 70-20-10 rule. This means you spend 70% of your budget on strategies you know work well, 20% on new strategies that you are still confident will work, and 10% on new things like fresh trends or technologies. Once you have decided on your SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound), come up with a strategy on how to achieve them. Decide which platforms you will be using and how often, whether you will focus on organic growth or paid ads.
Step Four – Additional Expenses
Will you be hiring a marketing agency or freelancer for any of your initiatives? Or maybe you’re looking into using a new tool to help gather analytics or assist in content scheduling. Many companies also subscribe to CRM or marketing automation platforms, the cost of which can add up quickly. Any extra expenses should be taken into consideration when creating your budget plan. Your budget sheet should include any additional expenses you already have or wish to include. Make sure to unsubscribe from services you are no longer using.
Step Five – Finalize Budget and Implement Your New Marketing Plan
You should now have a solid plan and a finalized budget. Continue to monitor your success throughout the year and remain flexible enough to make any necessary changes. Keeping track of your analytics in 2025 will also prove helpful in creating your marketing budget for 2026.
While successfully creating and implementing a budget is easier said than done, the steps above act as a guide to simplify the process. For any additional assistance in creating your 2025 marketing budget, reach out to our team here at Quantus Creative. We will be happy to ensure that you enter the new year with your best foot forward.
