Getting Started With Marketing - How Much $ To Spend?
What’s A Good Marketing & Design Budget?
You want to know how much marketing costs, so you ask a professional - maybe an agency, maybe an individual service provider like myself. One of the first questions you may be asked in return is “What is your budget?” You may not know, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s OK!
There are some common “rule of thumb” numbers that are recommended for your marketing budget. If you are a B2B (business-to-business) company, most recommendations say between 3-5% of your revenue should go toward marketing efforts. For B2C (business-to-consumer) businesses, that number is usually higher, between 5-10%. But what if you don’t know what your revenue will be? When you’re first starting out, you may not have a good idea yet.
Plan Your First Projects
Until you have an idea of what your regular marketing budget could be, you are more likely going to be interested in pricing for the individual projects you need, as you can afford them. It can be tempting to “just get something out there” one project at a time, but you are creating your first impression, and you want to make sure it is as effective as possible, so take a deep breath and plan first.
Keep in mind, even if you don’t know what your budget will be, you should have an idea of what you will need to budget FOR. Contrary to what a lot of entrepreneurs think, marketing isn’t something you can easily “tack on” later. In order to get your business off the ground to begin with, you will be more successful more quickly with a marketing strategy woven into the business strategy.
Some things that are important to consider up front are:
Naming your business something relevant to your ideal audience, backed by data
Developing branding (logo, fonts, colors, etc.) that are not just eye-catching, but convey a consistent brand message in a way that speaks to your ideal audience
Planning your launch with timing, media, content, and materials that support your brand messaging, as well as your immediate, short-term, and long-term goals
Once your business is up and running, you will need to have some supporting mechanisms and materials already in place for your audience. Depending on your type of business, industry, and products/services, your list may vary, but some of these are:
Branding package (Logo, colors, typography, messaging, graphic assets, guidelines for use, etc.)
Website (could be anything from a basic landing page all the way to a multifunctional site with online store, etc.)
Social media presence (could be various platforms, basic presence, strategy, graphics, posts in various formats, paid ads, etc.)
Contact collection for mailing lists/email campaigns
Campaign development (across various platforms and methods of delivery)
Printed materials (business cards, letterhead, postcards, brochures, annual reports, etc.)
Digital graphics (digital business cards, email signatures, social media profiles/cover art, etc.)
Other collateral/supporting materials (trade show displays, banners, door/window vinyl, vehicle decals/wraps, tote bags, pens, other promotional materials)
Marketing Priorities & Costs
A marketing professional can look at your goals, your audience, and your budget, and outline a strategy for achieving your objectives. If you don’t know your budget, a strategy can still be outlined, but the timeline for accomplishing your goals may vary depending on cost, which fluctuates over time as the marketplace changes.
Even without the help of a marketing professional, you can sit down and look at the listed items above, and determine which items you’d like to have first. Consider that some things will be created and implemented more efficiently in a certain order, or when done simultaneously with other items. For example, branding and logo creation should be at the top of the list. Other brand-specific materials, such as signage, business cards, and social media profiles and banners would ideally be created along with the initial basic branding elements, but if your wallet doesn’t allow for that, they can of course be created later — however, the setup may take longer, and rates typically increase over time, so it’s ideal to complete as much as possible prior to your designer’s rate increases.
Free (Or Cheap) Graphic Design Help
A word of caution about using the services of a family member, friend, or friend-of-a-friend. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of free help from someone you trust, who is knowledgeable and skilled! You may also be thinking about taking advantage of inexpensive online generators or design platforms that offer great-looking content for low or no cost. Just a few things to consider:
All files are not created equal. Having a design in hand that looks great does not mean that it will work for all production formats. Logos and graphics designed for social media and websites will not work for a brochure, and something full color with effects and details could be mind-blowingly expensive on a T-shirt.
Start with the end in mind. Know what you will be using designs for, and make sure you get the correct file format, size, color, etc. for that application. For example, if you need signage, talk to a signage company about what types of files they need, so you know what to ask your designer for.
Limited availability may become a problem. Someone who doesn’t make a living in this industry may not have the time and availability to help with future work/updates. For example, students graduate and get jobs which limit their availability. Your niece who knows websites may not be able to prioritize your project if something stops working or needs updated.
Personal relationships can sometimes become strained from asking for favors. Everyone has a different threshold for what they are willing to give, and you may not realize the extent of the amount of work or time required to complete the project you are requesting.
The answer may sometimes be “No.” People get busy, priorities change, and your niece who knows websites may not know anything about business cards. Sometimes the help we ask for is simply not possible.
Paying clients may be prioritized over you. Even acquaintances who are professionals may not prioritize your pro bono project as high as a client who helps them pay the bills. You may have to wait longer, and possibly follow up more often.
Supporting students or designers just starting out is awesome! Be clear up front about the specifications, file types, and formats you will need for final production, and make sure your designer can give you your files to spec. If you’re not sure what formats you need, don’t be afraid to put your designer in direct contact with your printer/vendor. (Someone just starting out may not have developed professional relationships with printers and other vendors, so they may require additional time for calling around and doing research, if you do not have one in mind.) Also be aware that there are often additional considerations an experienced professional will think about which could save time and money, that they don’t teach in school.
Online services may not provide original art. If you are using AI, be aware that it can only reference imagery that already exists, so you may end up with something similar to another brand. If you are using a design platform where you are hiring an individual artist for a low fee, be aware that some of those artists may take designs they have used for other clients and modify them only slightly (changing the name, or changing a color).
You cannot build a professional relationship with a platform or machine. Hiring a professional designer gives you much more than project deliverables. A marketing and design professional will give you advice, options, and make recommendations and suggestions you may not have thought of, based on their background and experience. You can return to them again and again, and the more you work with them, the more they know and understand your business, which can only improve the results of their work.
Again, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of free or cheap help! Just be as informed as possible, and protect your business by making sure you take precautions to ensure you get quality work, now and going forward.
$500 Packages
I understand that professional design services can be pricey, but as is so often said, “You get what you pay for.” Professional design and marketing companies will be more expensive than a freelancer who only does it in their free time, or someone just starting out. Full agencies with multiple employees will be more expensive than a small independent provider. My pricing is based on the fact that this is what I do — design and marketing is my primary business, and I have over 20 years of experience, balanced with the fact that I am small and independent. I estimate projects based on the time it typically takes for me to complete similar projects, with some flexibility (because every client is unique!).
I offer all of the above services (and more), and have put together some basic packages to help new businesses and entrepreneurs get started with their planning. These are very generalized packages, and every business (and business owner) is unique, so please feel free to contact me about modifying any of these, or getting an estimate for whatever you have in mind.
Each package listed below can be developed and delivered by Monica Hadsall Marketing & Design for $500. All projects and packages require an initial discovery conversation, and must be fully paid in advance before work begins. Turn time/delivery may vary, but 3-6 weeks is typical for many of the projects listed below. Versions of these packages may also be available on a monthly basis, with a regular monthly retainer agreement in place in advance. Contact me for more information.
“Essential” brand package - great for individuals just getting started, or for those who already have an idea of what they want. This is my simplest logo development package. Click here for additional details.
Four (4) social media posts - great for communicating information about your business in a timely manner. Includes copywriting of all text, custom design of each graphic, hashtags for each post. For best results, please provide topics or rough content to be developed. Does not include posting to your social media accounts.
Two (2) blog articles/posts - great for keeping your website active in search engines, and showing your audience that your site is staying relevant. Includes copywriting of all text (optimized with content keywords), and custom design of one square graphic for each post (for other sizes, please supply dimensions). For best results, please provide topics, rough content to be developed, any affiliate/product links, etc. Does not include publishing to your blog.
One campaign kit - great for launch of new brand, product, service, milestone anniversary, announcement, etc. Includes press release text, email text and graphic, blog post and square graphic, social media post and graphic. Does not include sending press release to media, sending emails, publishing blog, or posting to your social media account(s).
Brand stationery - professional materials that align seamlessly with your brand. Includes designs for business card, letterhead, No. 10 business envelope, small notecard, small envelope. You will receive print-ready digital files of all materials. Local or online print production options are available for an additional charge, requires estimate.
Other project(s)/hourly - great for providing strategies, training, brainstorming solutions, professional consultation/advice, or other small digital or print projects not listed here. Following an initial conversation about what you’re looking for, I can let you know what I can complete for $500, based on my current hourly rate.
Monthly retainer - great for chipping away at a long list over time, or handling repetitive marketing tasks. A prepaid retainer also ensures my scheduled availability for your projects for that month, without delays. Note that the first 1-3 months, this time may be used for gaining account access/setup, etc. Retainers may be set up in increments of $500, $750, $1000, etc. Please contact me to discuss setting up a monthly retainer.
Do any of these projects sound like something you need? Let’s schedule a discovery call to discuss what you need, how the process works, and what we can do to help you accomplish your goals.
As Your Business (& Budget) Grows
It can be frustrating to know you need help, but get stuck going in circles between figuring out what you need and how much you should spend. My hope is that these $500 marketing and design packages can help you get started, or at least help with planning. Of course I offer much more than these, but I want to be as supportive as possible to small businesses and entrepreneurs trying to figure things out, by offering something of value that can be relatively affordable.
Over time, you may find you are able to set aside a small regular amount for marketing efforts. Or maybe you have a good month, and decide to take on a chunk at once. Whatever the case may be, make sure that marketing stays on your radar. Refer back to this information and reassess your marketing-related needs on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis — whatever makes the most sense to you (and that may change over time!).
I sincerely hope you outgrow the stress of worrying about some of the smaller individual marketing projects, and have the chance to hand those things off to a professional, so you can focus your attention on your big ideas.
In the meantime, I hope you have found this information helpful, and it gives you a place to start thinking about your marketing and how you want to move forward.
Cheers!