This is Why Marketing “Didn't Work”
“Spend 5% of your revenue on marketing.”
It’s a clear-cut budget rule. It feels responsible. It feels safe.
For many companies, especially those trying to grow, it’s not enough.
Yes, 5% might be enough to keep things warm—maintain your presence on Google, publish a few blogs, and secure a handful of backlinks.
But it won’t:
- Build momentum
- Create demand
- Increase visibility
- Help you stand out in a saturated market
It’s the equivalent of jogging in place: you’re moving, but you aren’t going anywhere.
The issue is that most CEOs don’t account for the top-heavy marketing costs in their 5% investment.
The early stage of marketing is filled to the brim with new content, new campaigns, and constant testing.
You need a heavier investment at this stage to build the momentum on the marketing flywheel.
Once it takes off, you can taper into a lighter, steadier rhythm.
Think maintenance spending rather than momentum spending.
But you can’t skip the heavy lifting, jump to a soft 5%, and expect results.
If you’ve tried that, it may be why you feel “burned” by marketing.
To become the marketing leader your company needs, start with the numbers.
Our Metrics to Prove Marketing ROI guide provides the KPI benchmarks to determine whether your increased investment is actually working.
Keeping track of these is how you avoid overspending out of fear and underspending out of habit.
