What to budget for digital marketing as a manufacturer

Fibvo editorial · 14 November 2023 · 4 min read

A manufacturer's digital marketing budget should be sized around one number: the value of a typical won order, multiplied by how many new ones you actually need this year. That framing produces a very different budget than a generic percentage-of-revenue rule.

What the spend usually needs to cover

• Website maintenance and product page additions, an ongoing rather than one-time cost.
• SEO content for new product families as they launch.
• Targeted Google Ads on specification-level terms for priority product lines.
• Trade directory and marketplace listing upkeep (IndiaMART, TradeIndia, GeM).

Why manufacturing budgets skew toward content and SEO over ads

Because the sales cycle is long and searches are specific, well-built specification pages keep earning enquiries for years after the initial cost, unlike ad spend which stops producing the moment it is paused. A sensible split weights toward getting the site content right first, then layering ads on top.

A well-built specification page keeps earning enquiries long after the invoice for building it is paid.

Adjusting for new product launches

Budget extra in the quarter a new product family launches — new pages, a dedicated ads test and updated collateral — then taper to a maintenance level once the product has an established search presence.

---

Written by Fibvo — Bengaluru and Erode, India — working with clients in other time zones. Questions, or think we have it wrong? Tell us.