GITNUXREPORT 2026

Small Business Marketing Budget Statistics

Small business marketing budgets vary by industry but average around $25,000 annually.

Gitnux Team

Expert team of market researchers and data analysts.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

In 2023, the average small business marketing budget was $25,000 annually for businesses with 1-9 employees

Statistic 2

Small businesses allocate 7-10% of gross revenue to marketing on average, with a median of 8.2%

Statistic 3

For U.S. small businesses under $1M revenue, average marketing spend is $15,400 per year

Statistic 4

Micro-businesses (1-4 employees) spend an average of 11% of revenue on marketing, totaling $18,000 yearly

Statistic 5

Service-based small businesses average $22,500 marketing budget in 2023

Statistic 6

Retail small businesses budget $30,000 on average for marketing annually

Statistic 7

Tech startups under 50 employees spend $45,000 average on marketing

Statistic 8

Food and beverage small businesses allocate $28,000 yearly marketing budget

Statistic 9

Consulting firms average 9.5% of revenue or $35,000 for marketing

Statistic 10

E-commerce small businesses spend $40,000 average annually on marketing

Statistic 11

Construction small businesses budget $20,000 for marketing per year

Statistic 12

Healthcare small practices average $25,500 marketing spend

Statistic 13

Real estate agencies under 10 agents spend $32,000 yearly

Statistic 14

Fitness studios budget $18,750 on average for marketing

Statistic 15

Beauty salons allocate $12,000 annual marketing budget

Statistic 16

Automotive repair shops spend $22,000 average yearly

Statistic 17

Non-profits small orgs budget 5-7% or $15,000 for marketing

Statistic 18

Manufacturing SMBs average $28,500 marketing spend

Statistic 19

Education/tutoring services $19,000 annual budget

Statistic 20

Hospitality SMBs spend $35,000 on average yearly

Statistic 21

Legal small firms budget $40,500 annually

Statistic 22

Accounting SMBs average $24,000 marketing spend

Statistic 23

Event planning businesses $26,000 yearly average

Statistic 24

Pet services small biz $16,500 budget

Statistic 25

Cleaning services $14,000 annual average

Statistic 26

Landscaping SMBs $21,000 marketing budget

Statistic 27

Photography studios $17,500 yearly spend

Statistic 28

Graphic design firms $29,000 average

Statistic 29

Travel agencies $23,000 budget annually

Statistic 30

Digital agencies SMB $50,000 average marketing

Statistic 31

Small businesses spend 46% of marketing budget on digital channels like SEO and PPC

Statistic 32

28% of small business marketing budgets go to social media advertising

Statistic 33

Email marketing receives 19% of SMB marketing budgets on average

Statistic 34

Content marketing accounts for 24% of small business budgets

Statistic 35

Traditional media like print/TV gets 12% of SMB budgets

Statistic 36

15% of budgets allocated to influencer marketing by SMBs

Statistic 37

Video marketing takes 18% of small business marketing spend

Statistic 38

SEO/PPC combined 35% of SMB digital budgets

Statistic 39

Events and networking 11% of small business budgets

Statistic 40

22% to paid social media ads for SMBs under $500k revenue

Statistic 41

Organic social 9% of marketing budgets in SMBs

Statistic 42

Website development/maintenance 14% allocation

Statistic 43

PR and media relations 8% of SMB budgets

Statistic 44

16% to direct mail and local advertising

Statistic 45

Affiliate marketing 7% for e-com SMBs

Statistic 46

Mobile marketing apps 10% of budgets

Statistic 47

Branding and creative 13% average SMB allocation

Statistic 48

Lead gen tools/software 17% of budgets

Statistic 49

Analytics and tools 6% SMB spend

Statistic 50

Trade shows/expos 9% for B2B SMBs

Statistic 51

Referral programs 5% allocation

Statistic 52

20% to Google Ads specifically in SMB budgets

Statistic 53

Facebook/Instagram ads 25% of social budget portion

Statistic 54

LinkedIn ads 12% for B2B small businesses

Statistic 55

TikTok marketing 8% emerging for retail SMBs

Statistic 56

Podcast advertising 4% SMB allocation

Statistic 57

Retail SMBs allocate 32% to digital, 18% to traditional

Statistic 58

Service SMBs 40% digital, 10% events

Statistic 59

Retail small businesses average 12% of revenue on marketing, higher than services at 8%

Statistic 60

Tech SMBs spend 15% of revenue on marketing

Statistic 61

Healthcare small practices 7% revenue to marketing

Statistic 62

Construction firms 5% of revenue average marketing spend

Statistic 63

Restaurants allocate 3-6% or $25k-$50k yearly

Statistic 64

E-commerce SMBs 10-20% revenue on marketing

Statistic 65

Real estate agencies 8% revenue marketing budget

Statistic 66

Manufacturing SMBs 6% of revenue

Statistic 67

Professional services 9% revenue allocation

Statistic 68

Non-profits SMBs 4% of total budget to marketing

Statistic 69

Fitness/wellness 11% revenue marketing spend

Statistic 70

Automotive repair 4.5% revenue average

Statistic 71

Beauty/personal care 10% revenue

Statistic 72

Legal services small firms 7.5% revenue

Statistic 73

Accounting/tax prep 6% revenue marketing

Statistic 74

Travel/tourism SMBs 12% revenue spend

Statistic 75

Education services 8% revenue average

Statistic 76

Pet care businesses 9% revenue marketing

Statistic 77

Home services (plumbing etc.) 5.5% revenue

Statistic 78

Food trucks/mobile 15% revenue allocation

Statistic 79

Apparel retail SMBs 14% revenue

Statistic 80

Software SaaS SMBs 18% revenue marketing

Statistic 81

Event planning 11% revenue spend

Statistic 82

Landscaping 6% revenue average

Statistic 83

Photography/videography 13% revenue

Statistic 84

Cleaning/janitorial 4% revenue marketing

Statistic 85

Consulting/coaching 10% revenue allocation

Statistic 86

Email marketing ROI at 42:中国1 average for SMBs

Statistic 87

PPC ads deliver $2 return per $1 spent for small businesses

Statistic 88

Content marketing generates 3x leads at 62% less cost than others for SMBs

Statistic 89

SEO ROI averages 12.2x for small businesses over time

Statistic 90

Social media marketing ROI 5.78x for SMBs

Statistic 91

Influencer campaigns yield 11x ROI for small brands

Statistic 92

Video marketing boosts ROI by 49% over static images

Statistic 93

Email marketing has $36 ROI per $1 spent for SMBs

Statistic 94

61% of SMBs report positive ROI from digital ads

Statistic 95

Organic search drives 53% more traffic at lower cost

Statistic 96

Referral marketing ROI 10x higher than paid

Statistic 97

Events yield 4:1 ROI for B2B SMBs

Statistic 98

PR efforts provide 6.5x ROI on average

Statistic 99

Direct mail ROI 29% higher than email for SMBs

Statistic 100

Mobile marketing ROI 2.8x average

Statistic 101

Analytics tools improve ROI by 20% via optimization

Statistic 102

70% of SMBs see ROI within 6 months on digital spend

Statistic 103

Lead gen software ROI 4.5:1 for small businesses

Statistic 104

Branding investments return 23x over 5 years

Statistic 105

TikTok ads ROI 1.5x higher for Gen Z targeting SMBs

Statistic 106

LinkedIn ROI 80% higher for B2B than other platforms

Statistic 107

Facebook ads average $5.78 ROI per dollar for SMBs

Statistic 108

Podcast sponsorships ROI 4:1 for niche SMBs

Statistic 109

Small business marketing budgets increased by 14% from 2022 to 2023

Statistic 110

Digital marketing spend in SMBs rose 22% YoY in 2023

Statistic 111

Social media budgets up 28% for small businesses in 2023

Statistic 112

SEO budgets increased 18% YoY for SMBs

Statistic 113

Email marketing spend steady at +5% YoY growth

Statistic 114

Content marketing budgets grew 16% in 2023 for small biz

Statistic 115

PPC advertising up 25% YoY in SMB sector

Statistic 116

Influencer marketing budgets +30% YoY for SMBs

Statistic 117

Video content spend rose 20% from 2022-2023

Statistic 118

Traditional media budgets down 8% YoY in SMBs

Statistic 119

Event marketing budgets rebounded +15% post-COVID

Statistic 120

Overall SMB marketing budgets +12% in 2023 vs 2022

Statistic 121

Retail SMB digital spend +19% YoY

Statistic 122

B2B SMBs saw 11% budget increase YoY

Statistic 123

E-commerce marketing budgets surged 27% in 2023

Statistic 124

Service industry SMB budgets +9% YoY growth

Statistic 125

Tech SMB marketing spend +21% from prior year

Statistic 126

Hospitality budgets recovered +17% YoY

Statistic 127

Non-profit SMB marketing +7% increase

Statistic 128

Construction marketing budgets +6% YoY

Statistic 129

Healthcare SMB spend +10% year-over-year

Statistic 130

Real estate marketing +13% YoY growth

Statistic 131

Fitness SMB budgets +14% rebound

Statistic 132

Automotive repair +5% YoY marketing

Statistic 133

Beauty industry SMB +12% budget growth

Statistic 134

Legal small firms +8% YoY spend

Statistic 135

Projected 2024 SMB budgets to rise 10-15% overall

Statistic 136

SMB ROI on marketing averaged 5:1 in 2023, up from 4.2:1 in 2022

Statistic 137

Social media ROI for SMBs improved 15% YoY

1/137

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While some small businesses spend as little as $12,000 a year on marketing and others invest over $50,000, navigating the right budget for your specific industry, size, and goals is the key to unlocking serious growth.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, the average small business marketing budget was $25,000 annually for businesses with 1-9 employees
Small businesses allocate 7-10% of gross revenue to marketing on average, with a median of 8.2%
For U.S. small businesses under $1M revenue, average marketing spend is $15,400 per year
Small businesses spend 46% of marketing budget on digital channels like SEO and PPC
28% of small business marketing budgets go to social media advertising
Email marketing receives 19% of SMB marketing budgets on average
Retail small businesses average 12% of revenue on marketing, higher than services at 8%
Tech SMBs spend 15% of revenue on marketing
Healthcare small practices 7% revenue to marketing
Small business marketing budgets increased by 14% from 2022 to 2023
Digital marketing spend in SMBs rose 22% YoY in 2023
Social media budgets up 28% for small businesses in 2023
Email marketing ROI at 42:中国1 average for SMBs
PPC ads deliver $2 return per $1 spent for small businesses
Content marketing generates 3x leads at 62% less cost than others for SMBs

Small business marketing budgets vary by industry but average around $25,000 annually.

Average Annual Budgets

In 2023, the average small business marketing budget was $25,000 annually for businesses with 1-9 employees
Small businesses allocate 7-10% of gross revenue to marketing on average, with a median of 8.2%
For U.S. small businesses under $1M revenue, average marketing spend is $15,400 per year
Micro-businesses (1-4 employees) spend an average of 11% of revenue on marketing, totaling $18,000 yearly
Service-based small businesses average $22,500 marketing budget in 2023
Retail small businesses budget $30,000 on average for marketing annually
Tech startups under 50 employees spend $45,000 average on marketing
Food and beverage small businesses allocate $28,000 yearly marketing budget
Consulting firms average 9.5% of revenue or $35,000 for marketing
E-commerce small businesses spend $40,000 average annually on marketing
Construction small businesses budget $20,000 for marketing per year
Healthcare small practices average $25,500 marketing spend
Real estate agencies under 10 agents spend $32,000 yearly
Fitness studios budget $18,750 on average for marketing
Beauty salons allocate $12,000 annual marketing budget
Automotive repair shops spend $22,000 average yearly
Non-profits small orgs budget 5-7% or $15,000 for marketing
Manufacturing SMBs average $28,500 marketing spend
Education/tutoring services $19,000 annual budget
Hospitality SMBs spend $35,000 on average yearly
Legal small firms budget $40,500 annually
Accounting SMBs average $24,000 marketing spend
Event planning businesses $26,000 yearly average
Pet services small biz $16,500 budget
Cleaning services $14,000 annual average
Landscaping SMBs $21,000 marketing budget
Photography studios $17,500 yearly spend
Graphic design firms $29,000 average
Travel agencies $23,000 budget annually
Digital agencies SMB $50,000 average marketing

Average Annual Budgets Interpretation

For a small business owner, the only thing more dizzying than trying to decide between SEO and social media is realizing that your marketing budget is essentially an industry-specific personality test, where a tech startup's casual $45,000 is a salon owner's aspirational dream.

Budget Allocation Percentages

Small businesses spend 46% of marketing budget on digital channels like SEO and PPC
28% of small business marketing budgets go to social media advertising
Email marketing receives 19% of SMB marketing budgets on average
Content marketing accounts for 24% of small business budgets
Traditional media like print/TV gets 12% of SMB budgets
15% of budgets allocated to influencer marketing by SMBs
Video marketing takes 18% of small business marketing spend
SEO/PPC combined 35% of SMB digital budgets
Events and networking 11% of small business budgets
22% to paid social media ads for SMBs under $500k revenue
Organic social 9% of marketing budgets in SMBs
Website development/maintenance 14% allocation
PR and media relations 8% of SMB budgets
16% to direct mail and local advertising
Affiliate marketing 7% for e-com SMBs
Mobile marketing apps 10% of budgets
Branding and creative 13% average SMB allocation
Lead gen tools/software 17% of budgets
Analytics and tools 6% SMB spend
Trade shows/expos 9% for B2B SMBs
Referral programs 5% allocation
20% to Google Ads specifically in SMB budgets
Facebook/Instagram ads 25% of social budget portion
LinkedIn ads 12% for B2B small businesses
TikTok marketing 8% emerging for retail SMBs
Podcast advertising 4% SMB allocation
Retail SMBs allocate 32% to digital, 18% to traditional
Service SMBs 40% digital, 10% events

Budget Allocation Percentages Interpretation

Small businesses have clearly taken their marketing battle stations online, pouring nearly half their budgets into digital arsenals like SEO and PPC, while social media and email become their new town squares, though they still keep a respectful 12% in the old guard's coffers for print and TV.

Industry-Specific Budgets

Retail small businesses average 12% of revenue on marketing, higher than services at 8%
Tech SMBs spend 15% of revenue on marketing
Healthcare small practices 7% revenue to marketing
Construction firms 5% of revenue average marketing spend
Restaurants allocate 3-6% or $25k-$50k yearly
E-commerce SMBs 10-20% revenue on marketing
Real estate agencies 8% revenue marketing budget
Manufacturing SMBs 6% of revenue
Professional services 9% revenue allocation
Non-profits SMBs 4% of total budget to marketing
Fitness/wellness 11% revenue marketing spend
Automotive repair 4.5% revenue average
Beauty/personal care 10% revenue
Legal services small firms 7.5% revenue
Accounting/tax prep 6% revenue marketing
Travel/tourism SMBs 12% revenue spend
Education services 8% revenue average
Pet care businesses 9% revenue marketing
Home services (plumbing etc.) 5.5% revenue
Food trucks/mobile 15% revenue allocation
Apparel retail SMBs 14% revenue
Software SaaS SMBs 18% revenue marketing
Event planning 11% revenue spend
Landscaping 6% revenue average
Photography/videography 13% revenue
Cleaning/janitorial 4% revenue marketing
Consulting/coaching 10% revenue allocation

Industry-Specific Budgets Interpretation

From tech's flashy 18% to construction's pragmatic 5%, the marketing budget is a business's fingerprint, revealing whether it's shouting in a crowded market or quietly fixing a leak.

ROI and Efficiency Metrics

Email marketing ROI at 42:中国1 average for SMBs
PPC ads deliver $2 return per $1 spent for small businesses
Content marketing generates 3x leads at 62% less cost than others for SMBs
SEO ROI averages 12.2x for small businesses over time
Social media marketing ROI 5.78x for SMBs
Influencer campaigns yield 11x ROI for small brands
Video marketing boosts ROI by 49% over static images
Email marketing has $36 ROI per $1 spent for SMBs
61% of SMBs report positive ROI from digital ads
Organic search drives 53% more traffic at lower cost
Referral marketing ROI 10x higher than paid
Events yield 4:1 ROI for B2B SMBs
PR efforts provide 6.5x ROI on average
Direct mail ROI 29% higher than email for SMBs
Mobile marketing ROI 2.8x average
Analytics tools improve ROI by 20% via optimization
70% of SMBs see ROI within 6 months on digital spend
Lead gen software ROI 4.5:1 for small businesses
Branding investments return 23x over 5 years
TikTok ads ROI 1.5x higher for Gen Z targeting SMBs
LinkedIn ROI 80% higher for B2B than other platforms
Facebook ads average $5.78 ROI per dollar for SMBs
Podcast sponsorships ROI 4:1 for niche SMBs

ROI and Efficiency Metrics Interpretation

While a dazzling TikTok dance might grab Gen Z's attention, the real marketing treasure for small businesses lies in the quietly compounding returns of email and SEO, proving that sometimes the most unglamorous tools build the sturdiest profits.

Year-Over-Year Changes

Small business marketing budgets increased by 14% from 2022 to 2023
Digital marketing spend in SMBs rose 22% YoY in 2023
Social media budgets up 28% for small businesses in 2023
SEO budgets increased 18% YoY for SMBs
Email marketing spend steady at +5% YoY growth
Content marketing budgets grew 16% in 2023 for small biz
PPC advertising up 25% YoY in SMB sector
Influencer marketing budgets +30% YoY for SMBs
Video content spend rose 20% from 2022-2023
Traditional media budgets down 8% YoY in SMBs
Event marketing budgets rebounded +15% post-COVID
Overall SMB marketing budgets +12% in 2023 vs 2022
Retail SMB digital spend +19% YoY
B2B SMBs saw 11% budget increase YoY
E-commerce marketing budgets surged 27% in 2023
Service industry SMB budgets +9% YoY growth
Tech SMB marketing spend +21% from prior year
Hospitality budgets recovered +17% YoY
Non-profit SMB marketing +7% increase
Construction marketing budgets +6% YoY
Healthcare SMB spend +10% year-over-year
Real estate marketing +13% YoY growth
Fitness SMB budgets +14% rebound
Automotive repair +5% YoY marketing
Beauty industry SMB +12% budget growth
Legal small firms +8% YoY spend
Projected 2024 SMB budgets to rise 10-15% overall
SMB ROI on marketing averaged 5:1 in 2023, up from 4.2:1 in 2022
Social media ROI for SMBs improved 15% YoY

Year-Over-Year Changes Interpretation

Small businesses are placing remarkably human bets on digital trends, throwing impressive money at influencers and social media, but only because the return on investment numbers are finally giving them the courage to do it.

Sources & References

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