Ditch Those Complex Spreadsheets and Use This One-Page Marketing Budget Blueprint
Stop getting stuck in the planning your marketing finances
How often do you find yourself buried in spreadsheets? Or do you not bother about your budgeting at all?
In any case, you need to stop!
A lot of business owners get stuck in the planning of their marketing finances.
They lose sight of what is most important. They spend more time trying to decipher the financial plan than actually executing it.
And if you’re one of those folks?
I have a solution for you!
A one-page marketing budget blueprint. (You’ll get the template as well!)
I like keeping things simple.
But first, just to be clear:
Here’s the disclaimer: I’m not a financial expert or advisor. Please do not take this email as financial advice, and make sure to consult an expert if you choose to do so. This is merely for educational purposes.
Wooh, these legalities!
If this is the first time you’re reading an article by me…
Hi, I’m Rahul Choudhary and I’m the founder of Beef Up Media, the go-to email marketing agency for Creators & SaaS businesses.
Don’t forget to hit the follow button for online business and email marketing tips.
🤏 The 80/20 Principle
This principle is legit the core of 99% of self-help books.
But if you don’t know what it means…
It’s about focusing on the 20% of efforts that bring 80% of the results.
How is it beneficial to your marketing budget?
- Clarity: It helps you see the bigger picture.
- Efficiency: Allocate funds where they really matter.
📝 Creating Your One-Page Blueprint
Step 1: Identifying key marketing channels
Discover what works.
What are the channels that connect with your audience?
If social media represents 80% of your customer engagement, focus there. 3 to 5 channels, max!
🎁 If you’re struggling to define your perfect customer… Check out my FREE Customer Clarity Kit. It’ll help you discover everything about your perfect customer, so you can target the right people with the right message.
Step 2: Aligning with business goals
Set targets.
What are you aiming for?
- Identify your top three business objectives for the quarter.
- Align your marketing budget to meet those targets.
For example, if you’re targeting leads, then set a maximum CPL, i.e. Cost per lead, that you’re willing to pay.
The same way, if you’re targeting sales, then set a maximum CPA, i.e. Cost per acquisition.
And if you’re focusing on traffic, then set a maximum CPM, i.e. Cost per 1000 views.
Step 3: Be flexible
Stay Adaptive.
Markets change, and so should your budget.
Allow for a 10–20% flexible fund for unexpected opportunities or challenges.
After you’ve done this, this is what your budget should look like:
Or you can simply use this template as well.
Duplicate it by clicking on File >> Make a copy.
(Or download the file in Excel format!)
This template is for a quarterly budget, as I’m a big fan of quarterly goals.
It’s not too long-term or too short-term. Just perfect to hit your targets well.
Here’s how to use it:
- Set business goals (more traffic, leads, sales, brand power, etc.)
- Associate KPIs with those goals (CPM, CPL, CPA, referrals, etc.)
- Key marketing channels (20% of the channels that contribute to 80% of results)
- Allocate budgets to each channel based on the percentage of their contribution to the results.
- Set a 10–20% contingency budget and list the possible things that could go sideways (You’d use this for either the change in market conditions or in case you fail to hit your goals)
- Do a monthly review and write down the adjustments Some months you’d use more money to hit the goals, and some months you’d use less. So write how much more or less money you spent!
- Write down the results and adjustments at the end of the quarter Wins and successes. Areas of improvement. Quarterly adjustment. (How much less money you spent hitting the goals or how much more money you needed!)
And VOILA!!
Everything important on just a single page!
You can then just duplicate the sheet and do it for every quarter.
🫡 Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Mistake 1: Overcomplicating the budget
→ Creating a budget so detailed that it becomes cumbersome
Do not create a 50-tab spreadsheet, tracking every little expense. Or you’ll lose sight of your significant costs and opportunities.
You’ll be spending more time maintaining the spreadsheet than analyzing it.
The solution?
Stay simple and focused.
More tabs or pages don’t mean more success.
Consider a one-page view of your main channels and keep your eyes on the big picture.
Mistake 2: Not revisiting and adjusting the budget
→ Treating a budget like a “set it and forget it” task
Let’s say you set your budget to focus on outdoor advertising (billboards, metro ads, etc.), and boom, there’s a lockdown.
What would you do then?
A monthly or quarterly review can be a game-changer.
Adjusting the budget to real-world changes can keep your marketing agile and effective.
Mistake 3: Misalignment with overall business objectives
→ Creating a marketing budget that doesn’t align with the company’s main goals
Let’s say you’re heavily investing in acquiring as many leads as possible. But your business can only handle 25 customers per month.
Then you’re just wasting your budget.
So… always check if your budget aligns with your business goals.
Regular cross-checks with your core objectives can keep your marketing strategy focused on what truly matters.
🧠 With that in Mind…
Now you can easily ditch those complex spreadsheets.
So, go ahead and use that template to simplify your marketing budget.
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