Spend a little and test the waters or go all in with a big splash? Our clients often ask us how much they should spend on ads, so we figured we would share the inside intel on successful ads and what they really cost.

Established business

• Been in business for a year or longer
• Generating at least $2,000 a month in revenue
• Have an email list of about a thousand or more contacts to leverage

How much to spend on ads: You probably only need about $3,000 to allocate towards Facebook and Instagram ad spend per month.

Startup or small business

• Don’t have a large email list
• No strong social following

How much to spend on ads: You really need to allocate about $5,000 per month in Facebook ads. The primary priority at this stage is to at least cover the split testing of buyer personas, audiences, copywriting, and creatives like images, videos, and ad types. 

Different options available

If you cannot allocate $3,000 – $5,000 to ads a month, is it possible to spend less and still see results on Facebook and Instagram?

Yes, it is – depending on where your business fits within that range.

Whether you will be able to work with a provider who knows what they’re doing and can actually set up and manage effective campaigns is another story… Unless you’re going to spend 2 – 5 times more for an agency to work with the limited budget.

You could DIY your ads, but the harsh truth is that you’re probably not going to see the results that you expect without the necessary expertise. Basically, if you’re going to work with any kind of provider for Facebook and Instagram ad campaign management, you need to be able to allocate $3,000 – $5,000 per month in ad spend, depending on the parameters of your business.