Module 5: Building Your Marketing Budget

Let’s talk money. I know this might bring up some anxiety, especially if you’re just starting out or bootstrapping your business. But here’s the good news: effective marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

The Reality About Marketing Budgets

First, let me be really clear: you can absolutely start marketing your fashion brand with zero dollars. Organic social media, email marketing, and word-of-mouth are all free (they just cost your time).

But as you grow, you’ll probably want to invest some money into marketing because it can accelerate your growth. The question is: how much, and where?

The General Rule

Most established businesses spend between 5-10% of their revenue on marketing. So if you’re making $50,000 a year, that would be $2,500-$5,000 on marketing annually.

But when you’re just starting out and don’t have revenue yet? This rule doesn’t really apply. You might invest a small amount upfront to get things going, or you might stick to free methods until you start making sales.

Budget Categories for Fashion Designers

Let’s break down where marketing money typically goes:

Content Creation ($0-500+/month):

  • Photography (product photos, lifestyle shots, behind-the-scenes)
  • Photo editing tools
  • Content planning tools
  • Props or styling items

    • You can start by taking your own photos with your smartphone. As you grow, you might hire a photographer for seasonal shoots.

    Social Media ($0-300/month):

  • Scheduling tools (Later, Planoly, etc. – many have free tiers)
  • Paid ads (if you choose to run them)
  • Graphic design tools (Canva has a free version)

    • Email Marketing ($0-50/month):

  • Email service provider (Mailchimp, MailerLite, etc. – free up to a certain number of subscribers)

    • Website & E-commerce ($20-100/month):

  • Domain name (~$15/year)
  • Website hosting or Shopify subscription
  • Website plugins or apps

    • Advertising ($0-1000+/month):

  • Social media ads (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
  • Google ads
  • Pinterest ads

    • Collaborations & Influencer Marketing ($0-500+/month):

  • Product gifting (your cost of goods)
  • Paid influencer partnerships
  • Affiliate commissions

    • Starting with Zero: Your Free Marketing Stack

    Let me show you what a completely free marketing setup looks like:

  • Instagram (free to post)
  • TikTok (free to post)
  • Pinterest (free to pin)
  • Email marketing with Mailchimp free tier (up to 500 subscribers)
  • Canva free version for graphics
  • Your smartphone for photos
  • Natural light and simple backgrounds for product photography

    • Seriously, you can build a solid marketing foundation without spending a dime. It just requires your time and consistency.

    When to Start Spending Money

    Consider investing in paid marketing when:

  • You have validated that people actually want to buy your products (don’t spend on ads before you’ve made organic sales)
  • You have your operations figured out (you can fulfill orders reliably)
  • You have some cash flow or savings set aside specifically for marketing
  • You’ve maxed out what you can do with organic methods
  • You’re ready to scale and grow faster

    • How to Allocate Your Budget

    Let’s say you have $200/month to spend on marketing. Here’s one way you might allocate it:

  • $50 for a monthly Canva Pro subscription (better templates and features)
  • $100 for social media ads to test what works
  • $30 for an email marketing tool (once you outgrow the free tier)
  • $20 for stock photos or props for content

    • Or maybe you decide to spend it differently:

  • $150 for a quarterly professional photoshoot
  • $50 for trying out paid ads

There’s no perfect formula. It depends on your strengths, your goals, and what’s working for your specific brand.

Testing Small Before Scaling

Here’s a mistake I see all the time: designers who save up $1,000 and then blow it all on Instagram ads in one week without knowing what they’re doing.

Don’t do that.

Start small. Test with $5/day on ads for a week. See what happens. Learn from it. Adjust. Test again. Then when you find something that works, you can increase the budget.

Think of your first marketing dollars as tuition for learning what works for your brand, not as a magic button that will instantly bring sales.

Tracking Your ROI

ROI means Return on Investment. Basically: are you making more money than you’re spending?

If you spend $100 on Instagram ads and make $300 in sales from those ads, your ROI is positive. You’re making $3 for every $1 spent. That’s great!

If you spend $100 and make $50 in sales, your ROI is negative. Time to figure out what’s not working.

Track every dollar you spend on marketing and connect it to results as best you can. This helps you make smarter decisions about where to invest.

The Time vs. Money Trade-Off

Here’s something nobody talks about enough: your time has value too.

Organic marketing is “free” but it takes hours of your time. If you could spend $200 on ads and get the same result as spending 20 hours on organic content, and your time is worth more than $10/hour to you, the ads might actually be the better investment.

This is why as your business grows, you often shift toward investing more money in marketing. Your time becomes more valuable, and you’d rather spend it designing or fulfilling orders.

Your First Marketing Budget

Here’s what I’d recommend if you’re just starting:

Months 1-3: $0-50/month
Focus on organic methods. Maybe invest in Canva Pro or a basic email tool. Learn what content resonates with your audience.

Months 4-6: $50-200/month
Start testing small amounts of paid ads. Maybe do a professional photoshoot for better content.

Months 6-12: $200-500/month
Scale what’s working. Invest more in ads, better tools, maybe some influencer partnerships.

But remember: these are just suggestions. Your actual budget depends on your revenue, your goals, and your personal situation. The most important thing is to start somewhere and be strategic about how you invest both your time and money.

—