Most small businesses should plan to spend 7-12% of their revenue on marketing, but it totally depends on your situation. Product businesses usually need to spend more because they're constantly hunting for new customers, while service businesses can sometimes get away with less if they're smart about referrals. The real truth that Enji emphasizes? Marketing isn't free, despite what that one blog post promised you.
The Real Talk: Marketing costs money, but it shouldn't break the bank.
Let's address the elephant in the room: someone told you marketing should be "free," and that person was lying. Not maliciously! But still lying. After working with hundreds of small businesses, Enji has seen the pattern: the businesses that invest smartly in marketing are the ones that actually grow. The ones trying to do everything for free? They're usually the ones still struggling two years later.
Now, don't panic—you don't need to blow your kids' college fund on Facebook ads. The 6-12% rule gives you a starting point, but your actual number depends on your situation. Got a bakery or online store? You're probably looking at the higher end because you need fresh customers constantly. Running a consulting business or photography studio? You might get away with 5-8% if you're crushing it with referrals and SEO.
Here's the math that actually matters: take your monthly marketing spend and divide it by the number of new customers you got. That's your customer acquisition cost, and if it's higher than what those customers spend with you... well, Houston, we have a problem.
The key insight? Don't expect instant results. Give your marketing about 90 days to show you what it can do, and track the numbers that actually matter to your business growth.
These are the Enji tools and capabilities that best address this question.
Your marketing budget shouldn't be a shot in the dark. Enji's strategy generator helps you figure out goals absed upoin your budget—no more wondering if you're spending too much or too little. Plus, our KPI tracking shows you exactly what's working so you can invest more in the good stuff and ditch what's not.
