Allocate monthly budget across campaigns, launches, and evergreen activity.
Inputs
Allocation
Bucket
%
Amount
Notes
If launches included
Total monthly
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vs Base budget
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About this calculator
Marketing budgets need monthly allocation, not just annual. Within any given month, spend should split across always-on evergreen activity, time-bound campaigns, and experimental tests. The right split varies by month — Q4 leans heavily campaigns; January-February lean evergreen.
This calculator allocates monthly budget across the 60/30/10 default split (evergreen/campaigns/experimental) and adds launch-month boosts when applicable. The output is a campaign-by-campaign budget breakdown that becomes the working plan for the month.
The discipline is sticking to the allocation. Operators tend to let evergreen spend creep upward (it\'s the easy default) and starve campaign and experimental buckets. Result: predictable mediocrity. Forced allocation across buckets creates space for new tests and campaign-specific lift events.
Pair with the Seasonal Budget Planner (annual allocation across months) and the BFCM Planner (peak-season specifics). Most successful brands plan budget at quarterly cycles, refine monthly, and review weekly.
Frequently asked questions
How should I split monthly budget?
Typical: 60-70% evergreen always-on (consistent paid spend), 20-30% campaigns (specific promotions, launches), 10% experimental (new channels, tests). The split shifts in Q4 — campaigns can hit 50% of budget during BFCM weeks.
How much for product launches?
New SKU launches typically need 1.5-3× normal monthly spend during launch month, then taper to baseline. Plan for $5-25K extra per launch depending on brand size. Skipping the launch boost means slow ramp; over-investing means inefficient spend on unproven product.
How do I plan around seasonal events?
BFCM (Black Friday/Cyber Monday): 20-35% of annual budget concentrated in 2 weeks. Mother's Day, Valentine's, etc.: 1.5-2× normal monthly spend during 2-3 week run-up. Prime Day (mid-July if Amazon-relevant): 1.5× normal during the event window.
Should I cut spend in slow months?
Cut, don't eliminate. Maintaining 60-70% of normal spend in slow months keeps the algorithm warm and brand visible. Going dark for 30+ days creates re-learning costs that exceed the savings.
How do I track this monthly?
Allocate budget by campaign type at month start. Track actual spend vs budget weekly. End-of-month variance: under 5% off plan = on track; 10%+ off = something's changed (campaign mix, performance) and the next month's plan should reflect it.