Typical list of marketing costs or expenses in a company. After doing my previous post What are marketing, marketing or marketing costs? I thought I needed to detail it and that is what we are going to do now in the next while.
In the world of marketing, correct budget allocation is essential to achieve successful results. After our analysis on marketing, merchandising or marketing costs, it is essential to detail and fully understand the expenses involved in this process. In this article, we will explore the typical list of marketing costs in a company and how to determine the optimal budget based on your marketing plan and the 4P marketing mix: Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
Market research
We start with market analysis, which is crucial to understand consumer trends and preferences. Expenses here include market research, surveys, data analysis, and research tools.
Product development
The cost associated with developing new products or improving existing ones. This covers research and development, design, testing and prototyping.
Marketing strategy
Strategic planning is essential for success. This includes costs related to hiring marketing experts, advertising agencies and consultants, as well as workshops and brainstorming sessions.
Publicity and promotion
This category includes advertising in traditional and digital media, as well as promotional campaigns, printed material and public relations activities.
Marketing Digital
With the rise of digital, investing in online marketing is vital. Here we find expenses related to the design and maintenance of the website, SEO strategies, advertising on social networks and email marketing campaigns.
Collaborations and Sponsorships
Depending on the sector, collaborations with influencers or event sponsorships may be part of the marketing strategy, which implies associated costs.
Sales and Direct Marketing
This includes sales commissions, sales staff, support materials and direct marketing events.
Logistics and distribution
The costs associated with the storage and distribution of products, as well as shipping and transportation costs.
Technology and Software
Using technological tools and software to automate and optimize marketing activities also involves expenses.
Monitoring and Analysis
Measurement and analysis are critical to evaluating marketing performance. This includes costs related to analytics tools, metrics tracking, and reporting.
Determining the Marketing Budget
The appropriate size of your marketing budget will depend on the marketing mix established in your marketing plan. An effective approach is to allocate a percentage of total revenue to marketing, adjusting this percentage based on the stage of business growth and business goals. It is important to consider internal and external factors that can affect demand for your product or service.
What is the marketing mix or marketing mix?
The marketing mix, also known as the marketing mix, is the foundation on which every successful marketing plan is built. It comprises a strategic set of decisions that allow achieving the commercial objectives established for the business. As we enter the world of the marketing mix, the need arises to answer key questions that will outline the direction of the strategy.
Which clients do we want to target? Do we long to expand into new markets, both locally and internationally? Is our purpose to increase sales, strengthen brand recognition or increase our market share? These questions define the “where” of our plan, outlining the place to which we want the business to evolve in the short, medium and long term.
Once the strategy has been outlined, it is time to give life to the “how”, that is, the concrete actions that will lead us to achieve our objectives. This is where the marketing mix comes into play, made up of the famous 4Ps: Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
The 4Ps represent the fundamental tactical components of any marketing plan. With the right marketing mix, we ensure that the right product is positioned at the right price, in the right place and backed by effective promotion. This creates the maximum incentive for customers to choose our offer over others.
In essence, the marketing mix is a powerful tool to ensure that our strategy translates into tangible results. By addressing the 4Ps with insight and creativity, we can enhance our commercial actions and achieve a significant impact in the market, generating strong relationships with consumers and achieving the desired success.
After having clarified the concepts and the importance of investing in marketing to promote our products and services, it is time to address the list that we previously promised.
Personal selling costs
Personal selling is a direct strategy in which an individual salesperson communicates directly with the customer to promote and sell a product or service. Although in the early days, business owners may handle this task, it is common for it to be delegated to experienced professionals due to their skills in identifying potential customers, qualifying them for business opportunities, planning a sales approach, and building lasting relationships.
In the marketing budget, it is essential to consider the costs associated with recruiting, onboarding and training a sales consultant, as well as the salary expenses involved. Many sellers work on commissions, which can reduce the amount needed in the marketing budget, although these commissions will affect gross revenue per sale. Another viable option is to outsource the sales function to an agency, either on a fixed fee or performance-based basis.
Personal selling is characterized as a “push” strategy, since the product is brought directly to the customer. To optimize results, it is essential to consider the costs of printing business cards and product brochures, in addition to the expense associated with developing sales scripts so that salespeople follow a consistent and effective approach. By considering all of these elements within the marketing budget, the efficiency and effectiveness of the personal selling strategy is maximized.
Website and digital
“Pull” strategies, such as your website, blog, newsletter, and social media presence, are designed to spark interest in your business and attract customers to your brand. These tactics are often the most economical forms of advertising.
The initial design of a website may require an upfront investment, but if financial resources are limited, it can be accomplished at low cost. Once the website is up and running, maintenance costs are usually quite low.
The most significant expense is usually associated with the staff or freelancers that are hired to plan and write content, as well as develop the search engine optimization strategy. If you decide to perform these tasks yourself, you should consider the value of your time invested. Outsourcing this help can often be more cost-effective and free up your time to focus on other strategic initiatives.
Better said, by implementing pull strategies, your business can benefit from effective and affordable advertising. With a smart approach to design, content and optimization, you will be able to maximize the results achieved while keeping costs under control.
Advertising agency commissions
For those new to the world of marketing, hiring an advertising agency is the obvious first step to convey your messages. Full-service agencies offer a comprehensive solution, handling the management of television ads, radio ads, film crews, print advertising, brochures, copywriting and traffic generation on behalf of the client. Typically, these agencies charge based on time spent on the campaign or through a commission based on annual advertising spend.
If the budget does not allow for hiring an agency, it is possible to manage the campaign internally. In this sense, any plan must consider the media that will be used, such as billboards, transportation advertising, websites, newspapers, social networks, commercial magazines, television, radio, cinema, among others. In this case, the customer pays the media provider for the space. Additionally, it is essential to allocate a budget to hire designers and copywriters to develop the creative elements, in case these capabilities are not available internally.
Even with a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, advertising can make up a sizable portion of your marketing budget. However, by focusing efforts appropriately and making smart strategic decisions, effective results can be achieved without significantly compromising available financial resources.
Direct campaigns, printing and mail
In the world of marketing, if you’ve ever thought print was outdated, I invite you to reconsider. Research consistently shows that consumers continue to prefer traditional mail over online advertising methods. In fact, when implemented strategically, direct mail campaigns can be a highly profitable way to increase revenue for your business.
Direct mail encompasses a wide range of items that arrive at the customer’s door, including flyers, postcards, sales letters, coupons, special offers, catalogs and brochures. You’ve probably received a pre-approved credit card application or a brochure from a real estate broker that tells you the current market value of your home; those are direct mail campaigns in action.
When budgeting for these items, it’s important to exercise caution. Although direct mail pieces can cost as little as 30 cents per mailing, you may need to invest more in campaign preparation. Mailing lists come with a cost, and if you don’t have data on your target audience, you’ll likely need to purchase those signups. Additionally, you must have a designer and an editor to create the campaign literature. Don’t forget to consider printing costs, which vary depending on the size, color and quality of the mailing pieces.
It is important to mention that some companies choose to perform much of these tasks in-house, allowing them to reduce costs and pay only for printing and mailing. With the right combination of strategy and creativity, direct mail can be a powerful marketing tool that connects directly with customers and drives strong results for your business.
Marketing Salaries and Fees
In the world of enterprise marketing, personnel-related costs can have a significant impact, especially if you choose to maintain an in-house marketing team. Large corporations often employ a number of specialists under the umbrella of the marketing department, including key roles such as marketing manager, content manager, graphic designer, email marketer, public relations and social media manager. As a result, overhead costs can reach considerable levels.
However, there is a more cost-effective solution, especially in situations where financial resources are limited. Hiring independent specialists to carry out these functions is presented as a highly viable alternative. By doing so, companies can save substantial costs while maintaining an optimal level of quality in their marketing strategies. This flexibility in hiring not only allows for a more agile and efficient approach, but also provides access to diverse and specialized talent, contributing to the long-term success of the company.
While market research seems expensive, you can get a lot of data cheaply on the Internet and in industry magazines. Online surveys are quick and inexpensive, and can generate valuable information about your customers’ needs and preferences.
If you were thinking about launching a new chocolate bar, for example, you could send a quick survey to your customers asking them what flavors they prefer and how much they would be willing to pay for a full-size bar.
Market research becomes a great investment when you need personalized details.
In the exciting world of marketing, every company is unique in its objectives and strategies, resulting in a variety of both obvious and less obvious marketing spends. Here is a complete list of some of these additional expenses you may encounter:
- Brand development: Includes logo creation, visual identity, and tone of voice development to communicate the brand personality effectively.
- Business Letters: The costs associated with printing and designing promotional materials such as business cards and brochures.
- Marketing consulting services: Hire outside experts for strategic advice and new perspectives on marketing planning.
- Coupon Development: Creating and distributing coupons and promotional offers to attract new customers and build loyalty.
- Website Content Management System and File Management: Tools and resources to manage website content and organize marketing files.
- Gifts and samples to customers: Investing in gifts and samples for potential or existing customers as part of direct marketing activities.
- Video marketing: Production and promotion of video content to improve reach and audience engagement.
- Trade exhibitions: Participation in trade fairs and events to showcase products and services.
- Sponsorships: Costs associated with sponsoring events or activities to increase brand visibility.
- Public relations: Investment in public relations strategies to manage the company’s image and maintain a good reputation.
- Development of proposals and presentation of offers: Creation and design of attractive and effective commercial proposals.
- Networking: Expenses related to networking events, such as lunches, dinners, or memberships in professional groups.
- Event attendance: Costs associated with the company’s participation in industry-relevant events.
- Design costs: Expenses in hiring graphic designers or design services to create high-quality marketing materials.
- Travel expenses: Travel and accommodation costs when the marketing team participates in events or activities outside the workplace.
- Marketing Automation Tools: Investing in software and tools that automate marketing tasks, such as email campaigns and social media scheduling.
- Analytics: Implementation of tools to measure and analyze the performance of marketing campaigns and obtain valuable information for future decision-making.
Let us remember that investment in these various areas can vary depending on the specific needs and objectives of each company, and it is essential to allocate resources appropriately to achieve successful results in the competitive world of marketing.
Ensure you incorporate all marketing expenses within your allocated budget and track them closely. Otherwise, the accuracy of your ROI will be compromised when evaluating the returns obtained from your marketing campaigns.
Conclusion: Typical list of marketing costs or expenses in a company
Understanding the costs involved in marketing is essential to making informed decisions and maximizing return on investment. By understanding the 4Ps of the marketing mix and your marketing plan, you will be able to allocate your budget optimally, ensuring that your marketing efforts are effective and contribute to the growth and success of your company.
Valuable external resource: Forbes
Read also: Ejemplos de costos fijos ; ¿Los gastos de publicidad y marketing son fijos o variables? ; Factores económicos que afectan el marketing
This post is also available in:
English 
Français (French) 
Deutsch (German) 
Español (Spanish) 
Nederlands (Dutch) 
Italiano (Italian)
