Budget allocation template

Plan smarter, spend better, and prove your marketing ROI – all in one spreadsheet.

Whether you're mapping out next year's budget or adjusting this quarter’s spend, this template helps you build and manage a flexible, data-driven marketing budget.

What is a budget allocation template?

This is your go-to spreadsheet for planning, tracking, and justifying your marketing budget across channels, teams, and scenarios. It includes everything from high-level budget summaries to monthly pacing and ROI tracking – so you’re not just spending, you’re investing.

Inside, you’ll find:

• A budget overview tab to compare historical spend, proposed budgets, and A/B scenarios
• A monthly breakdown to help you manage pacing and avoid over- or underspending
• An ROI & metrics tracker so you can calculate cost per lead, track influenced pipeline, and measure ROI
• A dashboard view for quick, executive-friendly summaries

Use it to take the guesswork out of where your budget’s going – and show the board exactly what they’re getting in return.

Who is it for?

This template is designed for CMOs, heads of marketing, and anyone responsible for budget planning or reporting.

Whether you're...

• Building an annual budget from scratch
• Modeling multiple funding scenarios for leadership
• Managing cash flow across paid, owned, and earned channels
• Reporting back to the board or finance team

…this template keeps everything clear, consistent, and justifiable.

Bonus: It also helps cross-functional teams (hello, finance and sales!) get visibility into how marketing dollars are being spent – and what they’re driving.

How to use the template

Using the template is super straightforward—no MBA in finance required.

1. Start with the “Budget overview”
   Compare last year’s spend with your proposed numbers. Use Scenario A/B to plan for different funding levels. Add notes to explain changes and win over finance with context they can’t argue with.
2. Move to “Monthly breakdown”
   Plan your monthly spend across each channel. This helps forecast cash flow, monitor burn rate, and avoid accidentally blowing your budget in Q1 (unless that’s the plan!).
3. Track ROI in real-time
   Use the “ROI & metrics” tab to log leads, calculate cost per lead, and measure pipeline influence. This is where you connect budget with business impact—making you look like the strategic genius you are.
4. Use the “Dashboard” for quick wins
   Perfect for board meetings, investor calls, or quick internal updates. It gives you a snapshot of budget, spend-to-date, and performance breakdowns by channel.

Get your budget allocation template

Budget allocation template

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