Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) in marketing is a topic that can change the way you plan and spend money on marketing activities. It’s not only about saving money, but also about being more efficient and better aligning your budget with your business goals. Let’s discuss it step by step so that it’s clear how to implement ZBB and convince management to invest in marketing.
Zero-Based Budgeting in a Nutshell
Zero-based budgeting is a budgeting method in which every zloty must be justified from zero – regardless of how much was spent in previous years. No previous budget is assumed as a starting point. Instead, you start with a question: “What do we need to do to achieve our business goals?” and only then do you allocate resources.
Why ZBB in marketing?
- Eliminates inefficient spending: There is no room for activities that do not bring value.
- It fosters innovation: You focus on new ideas rather than repeating old patterns.
- Better alignment with business goals: Every zloty is spent with specific results in mind.
- Transparency: the Board sees that every budget decision is justified.
When is it a good idea to use ZBB?
- When budgets are tight: ZBB helps maximize ROI.
- When you need more flexibility: ZBB allows you to quickly adapt your budget to changing conditions.
- When you want to increase efficiency: ZBB eliminates unnecessary costs.
How to build a budget from scratch? Step by step
Step 1: Define your business goals
Budgeting starts with clearly defined goals. Without them, you don’t know what to spend your money on.
- Examples of objectives:
- Increase sales by 20% during the year.
- Gaining 10,000 new customers.
- Increase brand awareness among the target group.
- How to do it:
- Work with management and other departments to understand the company’s priorities.
- Make sure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Step 2: Identify marketing activities that will help achieve your goals
Now consider what marketing activities are needed to achieve these goals.
- Examples of activities:
- Advertising campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook Ads).
- Content marketing (blogs, e-books, webinars).
- Events and Partnerships.
- Website optimization for SEO.
- How to do it:
- Conduct an audit of your current marketing efforts.
- Identify which activities bring the most value.
- Consider new ideas that can better support your goals.
Step 3: Estimate costs and projected ROI.
For each activity, estimate the cost and expected return on investment (ROI).
- How to do it:
- Use historical data to estimate costs and efficiencies.
- If data is missing, conduct market research.
- Example: If you are planning a Google Ads campaign, estimate the cost per click (CPC) and expected conversions.
- Tools:
- Google Analytics: To analyze the effectiveness of campaigns.
- Excel/Google Sheets: For budgeting and ROI simulations.
Step 4: Prioritize activities
Not all activities are equally important. Prioritize them based on their impact on business goals and projected ROI.
- How to do it:
- Create a list of activities and assign them priorities (e.g., high, medium, low).
- Focus on the highest priority activities with the highest ROI.
- Example: If the goal is to increase sales, performance marketing campaigns may be the priority, not events.
Step 5: Prepare a budget and present it to the board.
Now is the time to prepare a detailed budget and convince the board to invest.
- How to do it:
- Prepare a presentation that shows how the budget supports business goals.
- Use data and case studies to support your proposals.
- Be ready with questions and concerns.
How do you convince management to invest in marketing?
1. speak the language of business, not marketing
Management doesn’t want to hear about “likes” and “shares.” It wants to know how marketing will affect financial results.
- How to do it:
- Show how marketing activities translate into increased sales, profits or market share.
- Use business metrics such as ROI, CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), LTV (Lifetime Value).
- Example: Instead of saying “This campaign will increase our visibility on social media,” say “This campaign will increase sales by 15%, generating an additional $500,000 in revenue.”
2. show data and case studies
Management likes numbers and evidence. Use data to justify your proposals.
- How to do it:
- Present the results of previous successful campaigns.
- Use case studies from the industry to show how similar activities have worked for other companies.
- Example: “A Google Ads campaign last year yielded a 300% ROI. I suggest increasing the budget for this channel to achieve similar results.”
3. show long-term benefits
Marketing is not just a cost, but an investment in a company’s future.
- How to do it:
- Show how marketing activities build brand value in the long run.
- Example: “Investing in content marketing will increase our visibility in search engines, which will translate into a long-term increase in website traffic.”
4. be flexible and willing to compromise
Management may not agree to all proposals. Be ready to negotiate and compromise.
- How to do it:
- Have alternative budget scenarios prepared.
- Example: “If we can’t increase the budget for Google Ads, we can move funds from less effective channels.”
Summary
Zero-based budgeting in marketing is a powerful tool to better align the budget with business goals and eliminate inefficient spending. The key is to define goals, identify activities that deliver the most value, and convince management to invest in marketing by showing data and long-term benefits.
TOOLS
Budget building and management tools
1. Excel/Google Sheets
It is an essential tool that allows you to create detailed budgets, simulations and analysis.
- How to use:
- Create a spreadsheet with a list of marketing activities, their costs and projected ROI.
- Use formulas to calculate total costs and reimbursements.
- Create different budget scenarios to show management the options.
- Example: you can create a sheet with columns: Action, Cost, Expected ROI, Priority.
2. project management tools
Tools such as Asana, Trello and Monday.com can help plan and track marketing efforts.
- How to use:
- Create designs for each marketing activity.
- Assign tasks, deadlines and budgets.
- Track progress and costs in real time.
- Example: In Asana, you can create a project “Google Ads Campaign” and assign tasks such as “Preparing creatives”, “Setting up the campaign”, “Monitoring results”.
3. data analysis tools
Tools such as Google Analytics, Tableau or Power BI will help you analyze campaign performance and predict ROI.
- How to use:
- Collect campaign performance data (e.g., clicks, conversions, costs).
- Analyze data to understand which activities bring the most value.
- Create reports and visualizations to show results to management.
- Example: In Tableau, you can create a dashboard that shows costs and returns from different campaigns in real time.
The process of building a budget from scratch
Step 1: Gather data and conduct an audit
Before you start building a budget, you need to understand what marketing activities are currently in place and what results they are producing.
- How to do it:
- Conduct an audit of all marketing activities.
- Gather data on the costs and results of each activity.
- Identify the activities that bring the most value and those that are ineffective.
- Tools: Google Analytics, Excel, project management tools.
Step 2: Define goals and priorities
Every marketing activity must be linked to a specific business goal.
- How to do it:
- Work with management and other departments to understand the company’s priorities.
- Define marketing objectives that support these priorities.
- Assign priorities to each marketing activity.
- Tools: Excel, project management tools.
Step 3: Estimate costs and projected ROI.
For each marketing activity, estimate the cost and expected return on investment.
- How to do it:
- Use historical data to estimate costs and efficiencies.
- If data is missing, conduct market research.
- Example: If you are planning a Google Ads campaign, estimate the cost per click (CPC) and expected conversions.
- Tools: Excel, Google Analytics, Tableau.
Step 4: Prepare a budget and present it to the board.
Now is the time to prepare a detailed budget and convince the board to invest.
- How to do it:
- Prepare a presentation that shows how the budget supports business goals.
- Use data and case studies to support your proposals.
- Be ready with questions and concerns.
- Tools: PowerPoint, Google Slides, Tableau.
Real-time budget management techniques
1. regular budget reviews
The budget is not fixed once and for all. Review it regularly and adjust it as conditions change.
- How to do it:
- Conduct monthly budget reviews.
- Analyze performance and adjust resource allocation based on efficiency.
- Tools: Excel, Tableau, project management tools.
2. automation of reporting
Automate reporting so you always have up-to-date data on expenses and results.
- How to do it:
- Use report automation tools such as Google Data Studio, Tableau.
- Create dashboards that show key metrics in real time.
- Example: In Google Data Studio, you can create a dashboard that shows costs and returns from different campaigns.
3. flexibility and readiness for change
In marketing, conditions can change quickly. Be ready to adjust your budget in response to new opportunities or threats.
- How to do it:
- Reserve some of your budget for unforeseen expenses.
- Have alternative budget scenarios prepared.
- Example: If your Google Ads campaign is performing better than expected, you can move funds from less effective channels.
Summary
Zero-based budgeting in marketing requires precise planning, data analysis and flexibility. Key tools include Excel, Google Analytics, Tableau and project management tools. Regular budget reviews, reporting automation and readiness for change are essential to effectively manage budgets in real time.
