Of course this is depending on budget and the type of business you have, but as a guide, a small to medium sized business that is committed to growing their business and gaining real market share, should invest anywhere between 5% and 10% of gross sales to marketing.

It really comes down to how comfortable you are with your budget, and investing your marketing budget in the right practises. It is vital that you test and measure EVERYTHING. You cannot afford any costly mistakes.

Once you have identified who your target market is and how to best reach them, there is a wide range of options available to you to market your business and brand.

This can be categorised as:

• Corporate Identity
• Content Marketing including articles, case studies and ebooks
• Website or e-commerce sites, blog, webinars
• Social Media
• Print Advertising including brochures, reports, flyers
• Media Release/PR
• Advertising
• Special Events, sponsorship, seminars
• Direct Marketing
• E-newsleters
• Partner Marketing and Strategic Alliances
• Price
• Unique Selling Proposition
  

And these methods can be further categorised as either inbound or outbound marketing. Inbound referring to any tactic used when customers are looking for a product or service, whereas outbound marketing refers to any activities that seeks out customers before they come looking.

It is good to have a mix of both tactics when attracting clients and potential clients to your business. The most affordable and essential marketing items that you must always concentrate on would be your corporate identity, business' website, content marketing, blog and social media.

If you think you need a hand with any of these items, (and it's most likely that you do if you read to the bottom of the list!), then please contact us and we can have an obligation-free chat.