Why “How Much Should I Spend on Marketing?” Is the Wrong Damn Question

Let’s just get this out of the way: if you’re Googling “how much should digital marketing cost,” you’re already behind.

Costs? Sure, they matter. But obsessing over price before understanding value is how people end up wasting money on half-baked campaigns. I’ve seen brands drop five figures on SEO and wonder why traffic still flatlined. Spoiler: it wasn’t the budget. It was the strategy (or lack of one).

There’s no one-size-fits-all pricing. Small biz? You might spend $2K a month and get decent ROI—if you know where to spend it. An enterprise? You’ll burn through $100K a month fast if you try to be everywhere without a plan.

The better question is: what do you actually need to move the needle?

Some brands need paid ads. Some need better content. Others? Just a website that doesn’t look like it was built in 2010. Budget follows need—not trends.

And don’t even get me started on “performance-based” agency pricing. If the agency doesn’t ask hard questions about your goals, target audience, and current metrics, you’re just buying a mystery box with your logo on it.

Bottom line: Spend less time asking, “What does marketing cost?” and more time asking, “What will make my audience care?”

If you are interested in taking your business to the next level, schedule a free 30-minute info session with us. By the end of this video call, you will have a clear understanding of the next steps you can take to start generating consistent and reliable results online with Organic & Paid Advertising: Schedule your session.