How-To: Budget Your Digital Marketing Spend Like A Pro

There’s one thing that every successful digital marketer does to guarantee the biggest return on their marketing budget, and it’s actually very simple.

The answer to long-term success in any digital marketing budget is goal-setting. This is a vital practice for any marketer who understands how to execute campaigns productively and cost-effectively.

In a few simple steps, this blog will walk you through the process every savvy digital marketer takes to make sure they reach all their marketing objectives. Are you ready for your best ROI yet? Read on!

Step #1: Plan out your long-term vision

The very first step to long-term budget success – or any pursuit in life, for that matter! – is clearly identifying your goals. Think about the bigger picture before you get too specific.

Do you want to increase brand awareness? Want to double your leads? After a powerful network of influencers that can promote your products? What about driving your social media engagement?

Make a list of the broad targets you want to hit in the budget period you’re planning for. Be realistic in these targets, but also don’t set the bar too low. Remember, if you invest skilfully into the right avenues, you’ll begin to see results.

Step #2: Narrow it down

Once you’ve got a list of your long-term goals, it’s time to narrow them down. Getting specific to understand exactly what you’re working towards is an important part of any budget strategy. This helps to break down each step of your chosen target.

A helpful method of determining whether your goals are viable is by using the SMART mnemonic. Say you want to increase the average order value of online sales to $70 per customer over 6 months. Applying the SMART framework to this idea can help you determine whether your goal is feasible.

Step #3: Research, analyse, adjust

Your next step is to research channels and customer touchpoints you can use to reach your budget goals. Understanding your target market, which channels appeal to them the most and how they communicate and interact with brands is the key to success in your marketing strategy.

You can determine which channels are most applicable to your brand by asking yourself the following questions:

• Does the channel reach my intended audience?
• Is the channel sustainable and affordable within my company’s marketing budget?
• Will I be able to measure the success of the channel?
• Does the channel allow me to express my brand’s intended message?
• Do the channels I’m considering work together to convey my message?

It’s important to consider that even if the channel you’re thinking of investing in may seem like a good fit right now, it may not be the best solution for your brand in the long-term. Always make informed decisions that directly relate to your company. Otherwise, your message won’t be delivered to its intended audience and you’ll see little success from your marketing efforts.

Step #4: Keep your goals in mind, always!

Setting out a solid vision for your company is the very first step to planning your digital marketing budget. As you progress through the planning and implementation stages, remember to keep your final goals in sight.

When deciding on the next step in your budget strategy, always refer back to your goals. How will this decision help you achieve them? This way of thinking will make sure you stay on track and prevent you from spending your budget on anything that isn’t essential to your company’s success.

As your budget progresses and evolves, keep referring to your SMART objectives from Step #2. Stay focussed on your goals – they should always be the first thing you consider when deciding what your next step is.