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Although the goal in a budgeting process is to allocate resources based on expected results, many marketing budgets lack measurability. This creates uncertainty about whether resource use is sufficient or if cuts are needed. As a result, many companies end up simply copying last year’s marketing budget. In the worst case, spending is rationalized using vague terms like brand building.
– At Kommunikasjonshuset, we want to help our clients reach the business goals they have set. This requires a more conscious approach to resource allocation and marketing budgets that reflect the ambition level within new sales, upselling, and recruitment, says Aleksander Knapskog, Managing Director of Kommunikasjonshuset.
In marketing, you can measure a lot, but not everything. Especially in B2B sales processes, it can be difficult to calculate Return on Investment (ROI). Unlike the consumer market, the business market often has lower sales volumes, varying margins, and a person-dependent sales process that stretches over longer periods.
For example, it can be hard to tell afterward if it was financially worthwhile to have a booth at a conference — the relationships built there may not yield returns until next year.
When it’s difficult to measure results in monetary terms, you should think differently about how you measure progress.
Based on the company’s business goals, agree on some key results you want to achieve in 2025. The key results should be concrete and show progress toward the business goals but do not necessarily need to be a direct ROI.
If the company has a goal to increase revenue by 30%, examples of key results might be:
Instead of guessing whether it was financially worthwhile to attend conferences, you can give the sales team key results to achieve at next year’s conferences:
Contact 10 new companies, book meetings with 5 of these, send proposals to 2.
Achieving these key results will move you closer to the business goal of increasing revenue by 30%.
At Kommunikasjonshuset, we often see companies set goals within three different areas: new sales, upselling, and recruitment.
So why are most marketing budgets divided only into line items like Facebook ads, content production, video, and conferences?
The 2025 marketing budget should reflect the ambition level within these three areas. Therefore, we suggest using the autumn to anchor concrete goals and manage resource use according to these priorities. Ideally, you will focus more effort on some areas than others.
After all, it’s better to stretch far in one direction than a little in three. It also becomes easier to get through when you focus on a few key messages.
In uncertain economic times, it’s wise to avoid risks in budgets. Yet many companies allocate large sums to paid advertising. The problem with buying visibility this way is that you are only visible as long as you pay.
A safer alternative is to focus on organic content. This type of content naturally generates engagement on social media and can help you rank high on search engines like Google — without paying for placement.
Every krone you invest in organic content is an investment. Unlike advertising, where you lose visibility as soon as you cut budgets, genuine and engaging content gives you visibility independent of spending. Good content that creates organic visibility is not necessarily cheap, but you can view it more as a long-term investment — not a cost.
Finally, if you are unsure whether to invest in organic content, ask yourself a control question:
– When was the last time you clicked on one of the top sponsored links on Google?
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