There are many ways to answer this question but the area that I will address is the unknown.
The unknown, like a deep swamp, that unless it is drained, we won't know. So, let's drain this swamp little by little. Read on. (PS: follow me on FB and get tips like this to save money https://www.facebook.com/marketingbymarcano)
The Tiny Particles of a Swamp (marketing for a small business cost) I am talking about ad spend. The money that you allocate to the 3rd party which can be search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo at minimum. There are many others, but these seem to be the most popular.
Click, Click, and Click
When someone clicks on an ad (hoping they clicked a keyword that showed intent), that your copywriter wrote and submitted to a search engine, you will pay a cost. It is a cost that varies depending on the targeted keywords. And depending on your industry.
The Tree Limbs and Tires
The most expensive industry that I have managed ads in has been law. And especially personal injury law. Those keywords costs can be an average and unalarming $20 per click. And as high as $200 a click.
Twigs in that Swamp
How much is marketing for a small business depends on your industry, the keywords that you want to target and if you are targeting broad or exact. And let me also not forget to mention Facebook marketing. The cost per click with Facebook ads (are like little twigs - not too much) can be much lower than on a search engine.
I have seen cost per click as low as .12 cost per click for e-commerce items. And an average of $3.00 cost per clicks for the service industry.
The Additional Unknown Cost
That is where the next cost come in. The hiring of a digital marketing freelancer. Don't forget to add that fee to the mix. Typically, you will pay an hourly or my preference is to charge a flat fee so there are no unknowns - like in that swamp.
Like a Detective with a Magnifying Glass
Depending on their experience and achievements of ranking ads on search engines, copywriting successes (writing persuasive ads not just boring ads that we see on a search engine page that look like identical twins) and micro-managing skills to save you a load of money. If you (or your digital marketing freelancer) are not watching those search keywords, then you will have your swamp depleted before you blink an eye.
Be as Picky as You Are When Choosing a Tequila for Your Margarita (Oops off the subject - is it 5'oclock somewhere?)
It is so crucial to have someone looking at the keywords, targeting match type [exact] and separating those keywords (that show no intent) to the negative term list. And most important, in my opinion, that digital marketing freelancer should be focusing your dollars to apply only to long-term keywords (that is one of my strategies to save my clients money).
Swamp Still Murky?
So, how much does marketing cost for a small business? Many variables still. However, I will say add your monthly ad spend budget (find out how much your cost per click will be for keyword phrases that you hope to compete for and how many clicks you think you can handle in a day) and your digital marketing freelancers fee (can vary but mine start at $600 per platform and up to $900 currently for search engine marketing).
The Bottom of the Swamp is Revealed
In my opinion, if you are a beauty studio, a tax service location and or an online e - commerce store selling items under $40 a piece then plan to allocate $400 a month towards ad spend and hire someone to watch your dollars as if it were their own.
Final Thoughts
The numbers above are estimates and are not the exact pricing for all digital marketing freelancers and or keywords.
If you have any questions and or need keyword research and a quote - to get an idea on what to budget for your ad campaigns then reach out easily with a text to 425-273-4141 and I will do my best to respond the same day - Monday through Friday (weekends responses are rare but could happen ;D.)
www.businessadvertisingmedia.com
Marketing by Marcano
SEM, SMM and Content Marketing for Startups and Small Mom and Pop Brick and Mortar Businesses.
Email me today and get those answers pronto but text is still more efficient (just saying)
:) Email: seobymarcano@gmail.com