"What does marketing cost?" is the question every entrepreneur asks -- and there is no simple answer. Costs range from 500 euros per month for a small startup to millions for a global corporation. This guide provides realistic benchmarks for every channel.
Social Media Advertising
Facebook and Instagram
- CPM: 5-15 EUR
- CPC: 0.30-1.50 EUR
- Minimum budget: 500 EUR/month for measurable results
- Sweet spot: 2,000-5,000 EUR/month for SMBs
TikTok
- CPM: 3-10 EUR
- Branded Hashtag Challenge: from 100,000 EUR
- CPM: 30-60 EUR | CPC: 3-8 EUR
Influencer Marketing
Benchmarks according to Statista:
- Nano: 50-250 EUR or product samples
- Micro: 200-2,000 EUR per post
- Macro: 2,000-20,000 EUR per post
- Mega: 20,000-200,000 EUR per post
TV Advertising
- Production (30-sec spot): 20,000-500,000 EUR
- Primetime airtime: 15,000-60,000 EUR for 30 seconds
- Streaming (Netflix, etc.): CPM 25-50 EUR
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Freelancer: 500-2,000 EUR/month
- Agency (small): 1,500-5,000 EUR/month
- Agency (large): 5,000-20,000 EUR/month
According to WebFX, it takes an average of four to six months for SEO to show visible results.
Budget Framework
Startup (1,000-5,000 EUR/month)
60% social ads, 20% content production, 10% Google Ads, 10% tools.
Mid-size (5,000-20,000 EUR/month)
40% social ads, 20% Google/SEO, 20% influencer, 10% content, 10% events/PR.
Enterprise (50,000+ EUR/month)
30% TV/streaming, 25% digital, 15% influencer, 15% events/sponsoring, 10% print/OOH, 5% emerging channels.
The Golden Rule: Test Before You Scale
Regardless of budget size -- always start with small tests. Invest 10 percent of your budget in experiments. What works gets scaled. What doesn't gets cut. According to IAB, the most successful advertisers use exactly this test-and-learn principle.
Conclusion: Budget Alone Doesn't Decide
A big budget doesn't guarantee success, and a small budget doesn't automatically mean failure. What counts is strategic allocation: the right budget on the right channel for the right audience. For agencies and creative professionals: better to deploy a small budget smartly than a large one by gut feeling.