If you own a small or midsized business, there’s a good chance you’ve asked this question:
How much should we actually be spending on marketing?
The frustrating answer is that there isn’t one number that works for every business. A growing company trying to enter a new market shouldn’t have the same marketing budget as an established business focused primarily on retaining existing customers.
But there are benchmarks, and they can give you a useful place to start.
According to Gartner’s 2026 CMO Spend Survey, marketing budgets averaged 7.8% of company revenue in 2026. That number is useful as a reference point, but it comes with an important caveat: Gartner’s survey primarily represents much larger organizations.
Small businesses often need to think differently.
For 2027, instead of asking only, “What percentage should we spend?” a better question is:
What are we trying to accomplish, and what level of investment will realistically get us there?
Start With Revenue, Then Look at Your Growth Goals
A percentage of revenue is a helpful starting point.
For a business generating $2 million annually, for example:
- 5% = $100,000 per year
- 7% = $140,000 per year
- 10% = $200,000 per year
That may sound like a lot until you consider everything that can fall under “marketing.”
Your marketing budget may include your website, SEO, digital advertising, social media, email marketing, content development, video, graphic design, branding, marketing technology, print materials, sponsorships, events and strategic planning.
The important thing is not hitting a particular percentage. It’s making sure your investment matches your expectations.
If your goal is simply to maintain your current market position, your investment may be relatively modest.
If you want to significantly increase revenue, expand geographically, launch a new service or take market share from established competitors, you’ll probably need to invest more aggressively.
You can’t expect a growth strategy from a maintenance budget.
Don’t Divide Your Budget Equally
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is treating marketing like a checklist.
A little toward social media. A little toward Google Ads. Some money for SEO. A few emails. Maybe a new brochure.
Suddenly, the company is spending thousands of dollars every month without a clear idea of what all that activity is supposed to accomplish.
Your budget should follow your strategy, not the other way around.
That’s why at Silesky Marketing, strategic planning comes before deciding which tactics to use. We evaluate the business, target audience, competitive landscape, current marketing, growth objectives and opportunities before recommending where the money should go.
Sometimes the answer is more advertising.
Sometimes it’s a better website.
Sometimes it’s SEO.
And sometimes the smartest recommendation is to stop spending money on something that isn’t producing results.
Your Website Still Deserves Investment
Businesses sometimes treat their website as a one-time expense. Build it, launch it and move on.
That mindset is increasingly outdated.
Your website is the center of your marketing ecosystem. Someone might discover you through Google, social media, an AI search tool, an advertisement, a referral or even a business card, but there’s a good chance they will eventually visit your website before contacting you.
Your website needs to explain what you do, establish credibility and make the next step obvious.
It also needs to perform technically. That means speed, mobile usability, strong content, conversion paths and a solid search foundation.
At Silesky Marketing, we approach website development as part of a larger marketing system rather than simply a design project.
SEO Isn’t Going Away. Search Is Getting Bigger.
Marketing budgets in 2027 also need to account for a major change in how people find businesses.
Google still matters enormously, but traditional search is no longer the entire picture.
Consumers are increasingly getting answers through AI-powered search experiences and tools. That means businesses need content that can be understood by both traditional search engines and emerging AI discovery platforms.
Your SEO investment should therefore extend beyond adding keywords to a website.
It should include strong website architecture, useful original content, technical SEO, local search optimization when appropriate and content that directly answers the questions prospective customers are asking.
Our content development approach is built around exactly that idea: write for the questions buyers actually have, not simply to fill a content calendar.
Don’t Let AI Become a Budget Distraction
AI will undoubtedly be part of marketing budgets in 2027.
Gartner reported that CMOs allocated an average of 15.3% of their marketing budgets to AI initiatives in 2026. But Gartner also found that only 30% reported having mature or fully developed AI readiness capabilities.
That’s an important distinction.
Buying AI tools doesn’t automatically create better marketing.
AI can make teams faster. It can help analyze information, accelerate research, generate ideas and automate repetitive work. But it doesn’t replace a clear brand, strong positioning, original thinking or an understanding of your customer.
Before adding another AI subscription to your 2027 budget, ask a simple question:
What business problem is this actually solving?
If you don’t have a good answer, save the money.
Don’t Confuse Social Media Activity With Marketing Strategy
Social media absolutely deserves a place in many marketing budgets. But posting three times a week simply because someone told you that you should isn’t a strategy.
The real questions are: Who are you trying to reach? What do you want them to know? What content will make them pay attention? What should they do next?
At Silesky Marketing, our approach to social media management focuses on building community, trust and brand recognition rather than simply maintaining a posting schedule.
That distinction matters when you’re deciding where to invest.
Measure What the Money Is Doing
Your 2027 marketing budget shouldn’t be carved in stone on January 1.
It should be reviewed throughout the year.
Which campaigns are generating qualified leads? Where is website traffic coming from? Are organic search rankings improving? Are more people searching for your business by name? Which advertising channels are producing conversions? Are prospects becoming customers?
Gartner’s 2026 research shows just how much pressure marketing leaders are under to produce growth while working with constrained budgets. That makes measurement and prioritization even more important.
Marketing shouldn’t simply create activity.
It should help move the business forward.
So, What Should You Spend in 2027?
Start with a realistic percentage of revenue. Typically the industry recommends between 7 and 10% of your gross revenue. But don’t stop there. Look at where your company is today and where you want it to be 12 months from now. Then build the budget around what it will actually take to close that gap.
A company focused on maintaining its position will have very different needs from one pursuing aggressive growth. A business entering a new market may need significant investment in branding, web development, advertising and awareness. An established local company may get a better return by concentrating on local SEO, content, reputation and customer retention.
The goal isn’t to spend the most. It’s to make sure every dollar has a job. That’s why we believe strategy comes first.
Before you increase your marketing budget for 2027, take a hard look at what you’re already spending, what’s working, what’s not and where the biggest opportunities are.
At Silesky Marketing, we help businesses turn those questions into a clear marketing roadmap, measurable priorities and a budget designed around where the business actually wants to go.
Because the smartest marketing budget isn’t based on what everyone else is spending.
It’s based on what you’re trying to accomplish.
