Can I use the same split for every product line?

Not necessarily; products with longer purchase cycles may need a higher awareness share, while fast‑moving items can lean more on performance tactics. Review each line’s sales funnel and adjust the percentages accordingly.

What if I have no budget for TV or video?

Focus on affordable digital video platforms such as YouTube Shorts or TikTok, which provide reach similar to traditional TV at a fraction of the cost and fit within the awareness allocation.

How often should I revisit the budget split?

A quarterly review is recommended; it aligns with typical campaign cycles and gives enough data to spot trends without over‑reacting to short‑term noise.

Is email still worth spending on if I have a small list?

Yes – even a modest list can generate a strong return when you segment, personalise, and send at the right cadence, making email one of the most cost‑effective conversion tools available.

How Small Businesses Should Split Their Marketing Budget

A small business should spread its marketing spend across both brand‑building and performance‑driven activities, leaning on low‑cost digital channels and data‑backed optimisation.

Decide a baseline split

Begin with roughly 60 % of the budget for brand‑building and 40 % for performance, then tweak according to sales cycle and cash flow. This proportion reflects research that a mixed approach outperforms a pure short‑term focus while avoiding the myth of a single “magic split” for every business (Marketingscience).

Invest in reach and mental availability

Allocate the awareness share to channels that maximise audience exposure, such as social media, online video and connected TV, which now deliver the bulk of mass reach formerly achieved by traditional TV (Nielsen).

Evidence shows that expanding reach and mental availability – the ease with which a brand comes to mind – drives sustainable growth more reliably than isolated sales pushes (Marketingscience).

Channel the performance budget to low‑cost, high‑return tactics

Direct the conversion portion toward paid search, SEO and referral programmes, all of which have demonstrated multi‑hundred‑percent returns during downturns (Marketingsherpa).

These tactics complement short‑term sales lifts while still feeding the longer‑term brand narrative, a balance highlighted by studies that link conversion‑focused spend with overall marketing efficiency (Nielsen).

Make email marketing a core ROI driver

Reserve a slice of the performance budget for email – it consistently outperforms social in engagement and return on spend when executed with segmentation and a data‑driven cadence.

Build the list organically, craft personalised content, and schedule regular sends to keep the audience warm and ready to convert.

Track, test and re‑allocate each quarter

Set up clear metrics for reach (impressions, unaided recall) and conversion (CPC, CPA, revenue) and review them every three months.

Shift money from under‑performing channels to those delivering the highest incremental lift, ensuring the budget remains evidence‑based rather than fixed by a preconceived split (Marketingscience).

Practical steps to implement the split

Create a simple spreadsheet listing each channel, its allocated percentage, expected KPI and actual results; start with the 60/40 rule and adjust after the first review.

Use affordable tools – Google Analytics for traffic, Mailchimp for email performance, and Facebook Ads Manager for social spend – to collect the data needed for informed re‑allocation.

How should a small business split its marketing budget?