How should I split my digital marketing budget between channels?
There's no correct percentage for splitting a digital marketing budget. Put most of it where your customers already are and where people are actively searching for what you sell, keep a slice for testing, and move money to whatever proves results in your own tracking.
ShoaibUpdated 3 min read
Where should the first money go?
Two places tend to earn it first:
- Intent: people already searching for your product, for example on Google Search
- Attention: the social platforms your customers actually use, for example Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat
If you're unsure which platforms fit, start with the main digital marketing channels. For the total amount, see how much to spend on marketing.
Illustrative example
This is an illustrative example only, not a recommendation for your business:
| Share | Use |
|---|---|
| 50% | The channel closest to purchase intent |
| 30% | The social platform your customers use most |
| 20% | Testing a new channel, audience or creative |
After a few weeks of tracked results, shift budget toward whatever delivers sales or leads at a cost you can afford.
How much does each channel need?
Enough to learn. Meta's help centre suggests starting at $5 a day or more and running for more than six days, explained in how much budget to start Meta ads. On Google, Google Ads Help says a campaign can spend up to twice its average daily budget on a given day, but the monthly limit is the daily budget multiplied by 30.4, so plan in monthly terms.
How do I know what "proves results"?
Track it. Google Ads Help describes conversion tracking as a free tool that shows what happens after someone interacts with your ad. When testing creative or audiences, Meta's A/B testing splits the audience so nobody sees both versions.
Want help planning a digital marketing budget that follows the results? See our growth consulting service.