If your fiscal year starts in January, you’re likely deep in the final stages of planning and budgeting for 2026. Setting goals, KPIs and priorities is tough enough, but for many marketers, figuring out how to resource those plans is just as challenging.

A strong marketing budget is the strategic infrastructure that supports your goals, funds the initiatives that matter and gives you flexibility when the unexpected happens. Here are a few practical tips to help, and common traps to avoid, as you finalize your plans.

Tip: Know what you’re trying to accomplish.

You must have alignment around your marketing objectives for the year, and how they will support your business, before you put numbers to the plan. The Pepper Group Revenue Tower^® provides a perfect framework for understanding where you need to focus and how your plan supports your overall business strategy. This not only helps you prioritize, but it helps you build your case to your executive team.

Trap: Don’t get “shiny object syndrome.”

Marketing planning is exciting and can be a lot of fun. It’s a new year and the possibilities seem endless and exciting. However, focus is your friend. Really work to make sure you’re resourcing the things that are going to have the greatest impact on achieving your company’s goals, even if you have to save a few cool ideas for the future. Trends are tempting, but if they don’t directly support your objectives, they’ll pull resources from what it really takes to move the needle.

Tip: Build in flexibility and monitor frequently.

You may have heard the phrase, “Have a plan and work the plan.” At Pepper Group, we like to say, “Have a plan to change the plan.” Only one thing is guaranteed about next year: it won’t go exactly the way you thought. Having clarity on your priorities lets you make intelligent changes when the unexpected happens. If you build your budget appropriately, you’ll have the flexibility to adapt. Build in a “rainy day fund” for unplanned opportunities or emergency needs, and leave breathing room in each line item when you can. Make sure you review your budget vs. actuals vs. plan progress at least quarterly so you can correct and capitalize as needed.

Trap: Don’t use last year’s budget to determine next year’s budget.

Last year’s budget can be a guide, but never a blueprint. Instead, look at your actual marketing expenditures to make sure you know exactly where the money went; then, look at your company’s goals and other strategic priorities. If your business is in aggressive growth mode, your marketing budget will need to scale accordingly. According to Forrester, B2B companies invest, on average, 8% of their revenue in marketing (all in, including staff, agencies, technology and more). What makes sense for you will vary depending on your specific industry and your own company goals.

Tip: Be as complete as possible.

A lot of companies will be diligent about budgeting for internal employees and agency partner services, but under-resourcing hard costs is, unfortunately, really common. So think hard about what you need to produce that new trade show booth, how much your media costs are going to be, how many sales tools you need to print, how much branded swag you need to order and even how much it costs to host your company website. These items can add up quickly.

Trap: Don’t forget about technology.

Speaking of hard costs, tech isn’t optional in today’s marketing environment. Not only do you need the right tech stack to do the work; you also need the right tech stack to measure, report on and, frankly, sell the value and success of the work to others in your organization. If you’re doing everything in spreadsheets, 2026 needs to be the year you level up or get left behind.

Need help? We do this all the time! Get in touch and see how we can help you build a marketing budget that support’s your company’s goals.