When you’re running a startup, every decision on marketing spend can feel like a gamble. Too little, and nobody knows you exist. Too much, and you risk burning through your budget before you find a product – market fit.
The smartest founders approach marketing spend as an investment – balancing credibility-building, visibility, and lead generation across a few carefully chosen channels.
What startups usually spend on marketing
Industry research suggests many startups set aside 12–20% of their revenue for marketing. Pre-revenue startups often work with a fixed pot from funding or personal investment. But the real question isn’t just how much – it’s where to allocate it.
Breaking down the costs by channel
For new startups, digital marketing costs vary widely but typically range from £1,500 to £4,000 per month for basic needs. This usually includes a mix of SEO at £600–£2,500 per month, GEO as an emerging area of spend to ensure visibility in AI-driven search, social media management at £500–£1,500 per month, and paid advertising campaigns such as PPC, Google Ads and paid social at £500–£2,500 per month. Alongside this, PR campaigns – from launch announcements to ongoing media relations – are typically priced at £2,000 for a project or from £1,500 per month on retainer.
It’s worth stressing that these figures vary massively depending on your business model, industry, and goals. A fintech startup chasing investors will spend differently to a D2C brand building a consumer community. That’s why it’s important to discuss your budget openly with freelancers – they can recommend what level of spend will deliver meaningful results for your situation.
On Nibble, you can also find the minimum budgets we establish for each service in our Pricing and Packages section. These minimums ensure that clients work with top-tier freelancers, and that freelancers have the time and resources to deliver exceptional work and real results.
How to make your budget go further
At Nibble, we connect startups with highly recommended freelancers across PR, SEO, GEO, social media, and paid media – so you can test, learn, and scale without committing to expensive long-term agency contracts.
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