The B2B Playbook #198: B2B Marketing Budget Allocation: The Sustainable Way Small Teams Should Do It
B2B Marketing Budget Allocation: The Sustainable Way Small Teams Should Do It
If your marketing budget keeps getting cut or ignored, it’s not you—it’s the model.
In this episode, we break down a practical B2B marketing budget allocation for small teams. We explain why top-down and bottom-up alone fall apart, how to validate messaging before you buy reach, and how to shift from BOFU-only spend to a balanced brand + demand mix that compounds.
We share the path we use with our 5 BEs framework—start lean and organic, prove the message, then use paid to amplify. You’ll hear realistic ROI guardrails, when to rebalance spend, and how category (established vs new) should change your split.
Tune in and learn:
+ How to avoid the top-down and bottom-up budget traps
+ The “validate, then amplify” approach that saves cash and increases impact
+ ROI ranges and a stepwise shift from BOFU to demand + brand
If you’re a B2B marketer in a small team, this is the clearest way to plan and defend your budget—and actually deliver revenue impact.
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00:00 The B2B Budgeting Problem No One Solves Clearly
00:27 Who We Help: Small Teams, Big Revenue Goals
01:05 The 5 BEs Framework in 60 Seconds
02:30 Why Budgeting Is So Hard (Variables You Can’t Ignore)
03:45 The Trap: Overcommitting to Channels Having “Their Moment”
04:38 Top-Down Budgeting: Looks Great on a Slide, Breaks in Reality
06:05 The 95:5 Rule vs “Just Spend More on BOFU”
07:18 Bottom-Up Budgeting: Sensible… Until Leadership Says “Bigger”
09:45 Our Recommendation: Start Lean, Prove It Organically
11:30 Validate PMF & Messaging Before You Buy Reach
12:40 Paid = Amplification Once the Message Works
13:40 Evolving the Mix: From BOFU-Heavy to Balanced Demand
15:05 Setting ROI Targets You Can Defend (and Reinvesting)
16:45 Category Matters: Established vs New (Webjet vs Uber)
18:50 Build Mental Availability to Lower Future CAC
20:40 Key Takeaways & Your Next Budget Moves
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S07 E198 - The B2B Playbook
#b2b #b2bmarketing #digitalmarketing #demandgeneration #communityledgrowth