Blog Layout

Ad Budget for Small Businesses: What to Expect:

Don Fidler • 18 January 2023

A blog about expecting ad budgets and planning. Ad budgets can be a tricky thing to manage. Especially if you’re a small business, or just starting out.


Managed PPC campaigns

What do I mean by “ad budget?” It’s the amount of money you spend on advertising your business. And it’s a good idea to have one in the first place because it will help you plan for future expenses and projects. But it’s hard to know how much you should be spending on advertising. And even harder to know how much of your budget should be going towards different types of ads.


So, let’s talk about how much you should be spending on advertising. We’ll start by talking about what the average ad budget is for small businesses and then we’ll move on to some tips on how to create your own ad budget.


The average ad budget for small businesses is between £500 and £1,000 / per month. This tends to be the amount that most businesses spend on their marketing efforts each month. Of course, this number can vary widely depending on the type of business you have and how many customers you are trying to reach. But overall, it’s a good starting point if you need ideas on how much money should go towards advertising in your own company.


How do you figure out how much money to spend on advertising? This is a difficult question, but it’s not impossible. The first thing that you need to do is figure out how much revenue your business generates per month. For example, if your company makes £15,000 each month from sales then this would be the number that you use for your budget (this can vary based on industry). Next, you need to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on advertising.


This number is going to depend on your company’s current financial situation, but it should be somewhere between 10% and 15% of your monthly revenue. In the example above, this would mean that £1,500-£1,750 should be set aside for advertising each month.


Once you know how much money you can afford to spend on advertising each month, figure out what your budget will be for each type of advertisement. For example, if you plan on spending £1,000 on Facebook ads and £500 on Google Adwords then this would be the number that you use when creating your campaigns.



This will help you to avoid overspending and prevent yourself from being left with no money for marketing. You also want to make sure that you are spending your budget evenly across all of your different campaigns so that they each have a chance at being successful.


Whether you own a plumbing company or a medical practice, running an effective PPC campaign is a serious undertaking, and not something to be undertaken without careful consideration and ample time to devote to it.


Hopefully we've provided some direction towards planning, structuring, constructing and managing campaigns that don't break the bank. Good luck!


If you would like us to manage your PPC campaigns, feel free to look over the page below and get in touch for a friendly chat with our PPC team.


SHOUT PPC

The Mini Media Blog

Startup Marketing Budget
by Donald Fidler 15 April 2025
Knowing your Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for survival. We break down how to plan your marketing spend, why keyword research matters, and how tools like Google Local Ads and Google Guaranteed can boost your leads without blowing the budget.
Intent Marketing
by Donald Fidler 27 February 2025
Are your ads reaching the right audience, or just adding to the endless scroll? Discover why intent marketing matters, how much time we spend watching ads, and why so many miss the mark entirely.
NFC REview Cards
by Donald Fidler 3 February 2025
Incorporating Shout Local NFC Review Cards into a business’s review strategy is a modern, efficient way to collect valuable customer feedback. With a single tap, customers are directed exactly where they need to go, removing obstacles and increasing review submissions.
Branding Mini Media
by Donald Fidler 24 November 2024
Explore famous rebranding failures that caused companies to lose consumer trust and stock value. Learn key lessons from high-profile corporate missteps.
How to Get Google Reviews to Boost Your Ranking | Mini Media Tips
by Donald Fidler 19 November 2024
Discover how Google reviews improve your rankings and why NFC cards can increase review success rates. Get practical tips for your business.
AI & Critical Thinking
by Donald Fidler 23 October 2024
As AI continues to be integrated into everyday devices, are we losing our ability to think critically? Discover how AI is affecting decision-making, common sense, and its potential long-term consequences for society.
Book like a boss
by Donald Fidler 26 September 2024
Mini Media Partners with Book Like a Boss & Expands Consultancy Services to Support Startups
Google's AI Overviews are reshaping the SEO landscape by providing direct answers in search results.
by Donald Fidler 23 September 2024
Google's AI Overviews are reshaping the SEO landscape by providing direct answers in search results. Learn how this impacts site traffic and strategies to adapt.
Local SEO Google's August 2024
by Donald Fidler 19 August 2024
Unpacking the impact of Google's August 2024 update on local search engine optimization and how you can leverage it for better local rankings.)
Spam Emails
by Donald Fidler 19 July 2024
Explore the rise of spam emails despite GDPR efforts, and learn how to reclaim your inbox with five practical tips. A lighthearted take on why spam won’t leave us alone.
More posts

The Mini Media Blog

Startup Marketing Budget
by Donald Fidler 15 April 2025
Knowing your Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for survival. We break down how to plan your marketing spend, why keyword research matters, and how tools like Google Local Ads and Google Guaranteed can boost your leads without blowing the budget.
Intent Marketing
by Donald Fidler 27 February 2025
Are your ads reaching the right audience, or just adding to the endless scroll? Discover why intent marketing matters, how much time we spend watching ads, and why so many miss the mark entirely.
NFC REview Cards
by Donald Fidler 3 February 2025
Incorporating Shout Local NFC Review Cards into a business’s review strategy is a modern, efficient way to collect valuable customer feedback. With a single tap, customers are directed exactly where they need to go, removing obstacles and increasing review submissions.
Branding Mini Media
by Donald Fidler 24 November 2024
Explore famous rebranding failures that caused companies to lose consumer trust and stock value. Learn key lessons from high-profile corporate missteps.
How to Get Google Reviews to Boost Your Ranking | Mini Media Tips
by Donald Fidler 19 November 2024
Discover how Google reviews improve your rankings and why NFC cards can increase review success rates. Get practical tips for your business.
AI & Critical Thinking
by Donald Fidler 23 October 2024
As AI continues to be integrated into everyday devices, are we losing our ability to think critically? Discover how AI is affecting decision-making, common sense, and its potential long-term consequences for society.
Book like a boss
by Donald Fidler 26 September 2024
Mini Media Partners with Book Like a Boss & Expands Consultancy Services to Support Startups
Google's AI Overviews are reshaping the SEO landscape by providing direct answers in search results.
by Donald Fidler 23 September 2024
Google's AI Overviews are reshaping the SEO landscape by providing direct answers in search results. Learn how this impacts site traffic and strategies to adapt.
Local SEO Google's August 2024
by Donald Fidler 19 August 2024
Unpacking the impact of Google's August 2024 update on local search engine optimization and how you can leverage it for better local rankings.)
Spam Emails
by Donald Fidler 19 July 2024
Explore the rise of spam emails despite GDPR efforts, and learn how to reclaim your inbox with five practical tips. A lighthearted take on why spam won’t leave us alone.
More posts
Share by: