BudgetsBusiness
Marketing budget template
A marketing budget sheet for a small business or side project. Lines are grouped as paid media, content and creative, channels, people and other, and each one has columns for budget, actual, the difference and notes.
- Type your details or print blank
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
What prints
The page is headed Marketing Budget, with write-in lines for Project and Start date, which can hold a campaign name or a quarter. The table columns are Item, Budget, Actual, Difference and Notes. Sixteen lines sit in five bands:
- Paid media: Search ads, Social media ads, Display and video, Print and radio.
- Content and creative: Content writing, Design and photos, Video production.
- Channels: Email platform, Website and hosting, SEO tools, Events and sponsorships.
- People: Agency or freelancers, Training.
- Other: Promotional items, Contingency and a blank line.
At the bottom are three boxes: Total budget, Total actual and Over or under. You fill them in by hand. A notes box is optional.
The settings
- Heading. Name the plan, such as "Spring promotion".
- Notes box. Show or hide it.
The layout is the same project style the construction budget uses, set to its Marketing project type.
Choosing what to fund
Not every line needs money. Cross out channels you do not use and write in the ones you do, using the blank row. A small shop might spend only on search ads, an email tool and a freelance designer.
Decide what each line is supposed to produce, such as sign-ups or calls, and jot that in Notes. At the end of the period, the Actual column shows what you paid, and the Notes show whether it was worth repeating. Compare channels by cost per result, not by size of spend.
Hold back a slice as Contingency for a chance to jump on something timely, like a local event.
Worked example: a $2,000 monthly plan
Budgets: search ads $500, social media ads $400, content writing $300, design and photos $150, email platform $60, website and hosting $40, SEO tools $100, agency or freelancers $300, contingency $150.
Total budget: 500 + 400 + 300 + 150 + 60 + 40 + 100 + 300 + 150 = $2,000.
At month end, search ads cost $560, which is $60 over, and social ads cost $340, which is $60 under. The two differences cancel, so the plan holds. In Notes, the owner records that social ads brought fewer leads per dollar and moves $60 to search next month.
Reviewing results
Set a regular check-in, monthly for most small businesses. At each one, fill the Actual column from your card and invoices, write the Difference, and add one sentence of Notes about what the money produced. After a quarter or two you will have your own data on which lines earn their place, and the next sheet can shift dollars toward them.
Fine print
This page helps you track your own spending and is not a marketing or tax recommendation. The SBA offers free counseling if you want a second opinion on how much to set aside.