Applying the 70-20-10 rule to SME marketing budgets

If you are spending between £3.5k and £9.5k a month on marketing, the 70-20-10 rule helps stop that budget leaking away on “a bit of everything.” A typical split we recommend is:

• 70% core

• 20% growth

• 10% experimental

Core: proven lead drivers and hygiene

Core covers your essential channels that reliably generate leads:

• SEO

• Website optimisation

• Key PPC campaigns

• Always-on content

This ensures your base marketing continues to perform consistently.

Growth: scaling channels with potential

Growth funding backs channels that show promise but are not yet fully scaled. Allocate around 20% of your budget to experiment with scaling initiatives that have early indicators of ROI.

Experimental: testing new formats and platforms

Experimental marketing is where you test new formats or platforms without committing the full budget. Examples include video campaigns, emerging ad platforms, or innovative content ideas. This usually takes 10% of your total spend.

Examples of the 70-20-10 split

• £5k/month: £3.5k on proven lead generators, £1k on scaling what’s working next, £500 on new ideas.

• £9k/month: £6.3k core, £1.8k growth, £900 to test new channels such as video or a new ad platform.

We set these numbers against your sales targets, diagnose bottlenecks, and align channels so every pound has a job.

Final thoughts

If you want a clear, no-nonsense view of how to apply 70-20-10 in your SME, book an exploratory call. We’ll walk through your current spend, highlight the biggest leaks, and outline three practical steps to increase ROI.

If you would like to see how your marketing shapes up, take our FREE marketing assessment here.

Or give us a call.