Gartner Survey Shows U.S. Digital Marketing Budgets Average 2.5 Percent Of Company Revenue

Digital marketing spending averages 2.5 percent of company revenue, and these budgets are expected to increase 9 percent in 2013, according to a survey of U.S. marketing executives by Gartner, Inc. The survey found that, on average, companies spent 10.4 percent of their annual 2012 revenue on overall marketing activities; these expenses include salaries, advertising research, agencies and software as a service.

These findings are included in Gartner's U.S. Digital Marketing Spending report that is based on a survey of more than 250 marketers from U.S.-based companies with more than $500 million in annual revenue, across six industries (financial services and insurance, high-tech, manufacturing, media, retail and healthcare). The survey was conducted in November and December of 2012. The report examines how marketers are allocating their budgets, what activities are contributing to marketing success and other factors.

"While digital marketing has been a growing area of investment in many organizations for a decade, the scope is increasing and the techniques are maturing," said Yvonne Genovese, managing vice president of Gartner for Marketing Leaders. "However, increased funding is a double-edged sword as it brings new opportunities, but it also puts more pressure on marketers to measure and attribute investments to revenue and profit growth."

The majority of survey respondents are spending between 10 percent and 50 percent of their marketing budget on digital marketing activities, with the average at 25 percent.

"Digital advertising accounts for the largest share of digital marketing budgets at 12.5 percent, while content creation and management account for the second-largest share," said Laura McLellan, research vice president at Gartner. "Marketers today are emphasizing the use of content marketing as part of a shift to drive more inbound marketing. While outbound marketing emphasizes finding audiences and delivering messages to them (for example, digital advertising and email marketing), inbound marketing focuses on techniques to get found by potential customers and create an ongoing dialogue with them (for example, social marketing and communities)."

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