How to Build a Strategic Marketing Budget: What to Spend and How to Get Results

Creating an effective marketing budget is more than crunching numbers – it’s about setting a roadmap that propels your business forward. A well-planned marketing strategy and budget are crucial to staying relevant and growing in your market.

B2B companies should be spending a minimum of 2-10% of their yearly revenue on marketing. If you’re a newer company, launching a new initiative, or in a competitive industry, you may need to spend more. It can be nerve-wracking to spend the money at first, but as the old saying goes, “You have to spend money to make money.”

How much should I be spending?

The amount a B2B business should spend on marketing each month varies depending on your goals, growth ambitions, and current market position. Instead of focusing on a single dollar figure, ask yourself what you want to get out of your marketing. It should be one of these four things:

• Brand Awareness: This is the most important thing when it comes to your marketing spend. It’s about increasing your audience’s knowledge of your brand’s existence and how you can help solve their problems. 

  
  

• Lead Generation: With this, you’re attracting and capturing potential customers that are actively searching for your product or service. Ranking higher on search engines and running Google Ads can help you capture these customers when they need you most.

  
  

• Customer Retention: These are customers who’ve used your products or services before and are invested in your company. Retention can include loyalty programs, content and social media marketing, email marketing, and more.

  
  

• Establishing Thought Leadership: It’s just like it sounds. You are the go-to expert in your field for any type of customer, whether they need your services for the first time, or the fifth time.

  
  

Each goal requires different strategies, which will influence your budget. Aligning your budget with one or all of these objectives will help you allocate funds in areas that matter most to your business.

How do I know I’m targeting the right audience?

Marketing for B2B companies often involves longer sales cycles and highly specific target audiences. This might mean investing in tailored strategies like account-based marketing (ABM), where budgets are focused on high-value prospects.

You also want to look at where your audience is spending most of their time. For B2B industrial businesses, you’ll want to use Google and LinkedIn to target the correct people.

How do I stay ahead of the competition?

The great thing about 2025 is you can easily see what your competitors are doing, especially online. If your competitors are investing heavily in digital advertising, thought leadership content, or trade shows, you’ll need to evaluate what it will take to compete and stand out. While this could mean doing some of the same things they’re doing, you need to find ways to do it better, which could involve spending more money on advertising or more time on in-person and digital networking.

How do I know if my marketing is working?

Look at the data… it’s as simple as that! Data-driven decisions are empowering, so ensure you use analytics tools and regular reporting. 

Review data at a minimum quarterly, but monthly is better. This allows you to measure your marketing’s impact and refine budget allocations. If a channel consistently underperforms, reallocate those funds to higher-performing areas.

For B2B, some strategies, such as SEO and content marketing, require longer time frames to yield ROI, so balance quick wins with long-term investments.

Need help figuring out how to build a strategic marketing budget?

Whether you’re new to the market, or a seasoned veteran, we’re here to help ensure you build the best B2B brand strategy for your company, no matter your budget. With a clear understanding of your audience and strategic goal-setting, you’ll be equipped to make smart marketing investments that drive meaningful results.

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