What a marketing budget really includes
Many owners count only what is charged inside Meta Ads or Google Ads. But customers do not come from ad spend alone. Every cost needed to make a channel work belongs in the figure.
If you leave these lines out, your cost per customer looks lower than it truly is, and later decisions rest on flattering numbers. List every expense first, then divide the total by the customers you actually won.
- ad spend in platform accounts and payments to bloggers
- salary or fees for a marketer, SMM manager or media buyer
- designer, videographer, product and content shoots
- email, CRM and analytics tools, website hosting
- marketplace commissions if you sell through Uzum or OLX
Three ways to set the number
A percentage of revenue is the simplest method. Its weakness is that it ties marketing to the past: when sales dip, the budget shrinks exactly when you need more customers. It also treats a quiet month and a new branch opening in Samarkand or Andijan the same way.
Working from goals is more precise. Decide how many new customers you need, then multiply by what it costs to win one in your chosen channels. This demands data, especially the share of enquiries that end in a paid order.
The third method starts from affordable customer cost. Estimate the profit a customer brings over the whole relationship and decide how much of it you can pay to acquire them. That is your ceiling. A dental clinic or language school with returning clients can justify paying more for the first visit than a single receipt suggests.
In practice, build the budget from goals, and use the revenue percentage and the affordable cost as sanity checks. Looking at competitors helps with visibility benchmarks, but their economics differ from yours, so do not copy their spending.
How to split a marketing budget across channels
There is no universal ratio, because it depends on your niche and stage. The logic of the split, however, is similar almost everywhere.
- the largest share goes to channels with proven returns, such as Instagram ads for a shop or Google Search for services
- a small fixed share for experiments: Telegram channel ads, a new audience, a new format
- a separate line for retention: a Telegram bot, messaging, loyalty offers, smooth payment through Click or Payme
- long-term work: website, SEO, content
- a reserve for surprises and opportunities
Seasonality: when to spend more
Dividing the year into equal monthly parts is usually a mistake. Demand in Uzbekistan moves in waves: Navruz, Ramadan, Qurbon Hayit, wedding season, back to school, the end of the year. Spending before and during these peaks is easier to justify.
Even so, switching ads off completely in a slow period is risky. Your audience does not disappear, and competitors take your place in their minds. Reduce spend, but do not take it to zero.
Tracking results and reallocating
Each month, compare plan and actuals for every channel: money spent, enquiries and customers received, cost per customer, revenue generated. That only works if leads and payments are tied to their source; otherwise the table is guesswork.
Move money toward channels that pay back and away from those that do not. Base these moves on several weeks of results, not one bad day.
Where to start if you have no data
Do not try to guess the perfect figure. Take a modest budget and split it across two or three channels where results can be measured. After a couple of months you will know your real cost per customer and can plan the next period on facts.
If you want a second opinion, markdev offers marketing strategy and consulting for businesses in Uzbekistan. We can help calculate your affordable customer cost, build a channel plan and set up tracking. Describe your goal and we will discuss where to begin.
FAQ
What percentage of revenue should go to marketing?
There is no single figure. It depends on your niche, stage and goals, and a product launch needs more than a stable period. A safer approach is to calculate from the customers you need and the cost of winning them, using a revenue percentage only as a reference.
Does a marketer's salary count in the marketing budget?
Yes. Salaries, contractors, content production and analytics tools all cost money. Without them your real cost per customer will be higher than the one you calculated.
Should I cut the budget in the off-season?
You can lower it, but avoid switching off entirely. While you are silent, competitors take your audience's attention.
How often should I review the budget?
Check results by channel every month. Reallocate money once several weeks of data give you enough evidence to act.
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