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💰📈 What’s a Good Budget for Running Ads as a Small Brand in India? 🎯 🚀

  • Writer: The Click Umbrella
    The Click Umbrella
  • Jul 22
  • 4 min read

 "💭 How much should I really spend on ads each month? 🤔💸" We get this question all the time from small business owners, startup founders, and even creators who are just stepping into the world of digital advertising. And truthfully—it's one of the most important decisions you’ll make. So what's a good budget for running ads ?


If you're unsure whether ₹5,000 is enough, or wondering if you really need to invest ₹30K+ every month in Meta or Google Ads—you’re not alone.

Setting the right monthly ad budget for your brand is like choosing the right diet plan for your fitness goals: too little, and nothing changes. Too much (without direction), and it backfires.

This guide is your practical cheat sheet. You’ll learn:

✅ Budget brackets for every stage

✅ What to expect in terms of results

✅ Suggested spends for different industries

✅ Why higher budgets perform better

✅ Platform mix and pro tips to improve ROAS


📊 How Much Should You Spend on Ads Per Month?

Let’s break it down by ranges:

Monthly Budget

What to Expect

Best For

Platform Mix

₹5K–₹10K

Great for brand awareness, basic testing. Very limited reach.

Creators, local businesses testing waters

100% Meta or YouTube Shorts

₹10K–₹17K

Entry-level conversions, audience testing, remarketing setup

Cafes, coaches, service providers

70% Meta, 30% Google

₹17K–₹25K

Moderate scale, ROAS of 1–2x, stronger audience signals

Clinics, fitness brands, skincare

60% Meta, 40% Google

₹25K–₹40K

Full-funnel strategy, scaling conversions, creative testing

Fashion, skincare, service-based leads

50% Meta, 50% Google

₹40K+

Scaling across platforms, detailed testing, strong ROAS possible

E-commerce, SaaS, multi-product D2C

Depends on goals; split testing advised


🔍 Learning Period: Why Results Take Time

Think of digital ads like going to the gym.You won’t see abs on Day 5. But consistency and testing = results.


🌀 Learning Phase

Every campaign starts by learning what works. The first few weeks are about gathering data—what your audience clicks, who engages, what ad creatives work best.


📉 Low ROAS at Start Is Normal

Expect ROAS of 1–2x in Month 1. You’ll break even or slightly better. By Month 2–3, with optimized creatives and audience data, you can scale profitably.


🚀 Consistency > Spikes

Inconsistent ₹1K boosts spread over 5 days won’t help. Ads need momentum to convert. A well-planned ₹30K/month consistently brings better ROAS than 5K random bursts.


Suggested Budgets by Industry💰📈

Industry

Recommended Monthly Budget

Why It Works

Fashion & Apparel (D2C)

₹25K–₹40K

Creative-heavy, needs remarketing and UGC ( user generated content)

E-commerce (Multi-SKU)

₹30K–₹50K+

Conversion tracking + catalog optimization

Healthcare / Clinics

₹17K–₹25K

Lead gen with local targeting and credibility

Fitness / Wellness

₹17K–₹30K

Geo-targeting, testimonials, offer-led ads

Cafes / Local Food Brands

₹10K–₹17K

Menu views, WhatsApp click ads

Creators / Artists

₹5K–₹15K

Awareness, profile visits, DM-led growth

Skincare / Beauty Brands

₹20K–₹35K

Influencer-style content, strong social proof


💡 Why Higher Budgets Bring Better Results

📈 Higher budgets mean:

  • Faster learning (you gather more data, faster)

  • Enough for re-marketing + lookalike campaigns

  • Room to test multiple creatives

  • Algorithm works better with more data

  • You don’t reset learning every 3 days


💭 It’s like the gym:You won’t build muscle doing 5 pushups once a week. Real results come with consistency, volume, and improvement. Same with ad budgets.


🔥 Why Small Budgets Often Fail

🚫 Here’s where small, inconsistent budgets go wrong:

  • ❌ Ads don’t run long enough to learn

  • ❌ No room to test creatives

  • ❌ No remarketing (missed conversions)

  • ❌ You feel like “ads don’t work” too soon

  • ❌ Harder to track ROAS and make decisions

Instead, start with a realistic, steady monthly ad spend and scale with strategy.


🎯 Pro Tips to Maximize ROAS

✅ Run 1–2 strong campaigns, not 10 scattered ones

✅ Use UGC (user-generated content) + reviews in ads

✅ Track conversions using GA4 or Meta Pixel

✅ Use lookalike audiences after 100+ purchases/leads

✅ Don’t change creatives too quickly—let them breathe

✅ Split test headlines, thumbnails, and CTAs


🙋‍♀️ FAQs: Your Budget Doubts Answered


Q: Is ₹5,000/month too low for ads, whats a good budget for running ads?

A: Yes—it’s fine for testing or awareness, but don’t expect sales unless you’re super niche or local.


Q: How do I divide budget across Google and Meta?

A: Start 60:40 (Meta:Google) for visual-first brands like fashion/beauty; reverse it for search-intent businesses like clinics or services.


Q: Can I get ROI on ₹20K/month?

A: Yes! If you focus on your bestsellers, optimize creatives, and use retargeting—you can definitely see positive ROAS.


Q: What’s a good CTR for ads?

A: Aim for 1%+ on Google Search, 0.9–1.5% on Meta (depending on niche).


Q: What’s a good cost per acquisition (CPA)?

A:This varies by industry:

  • E-com: ₹100–₹300 per sale

  • Leads: ₹30–₹100 per lead

  • High-ticket: ₹200–₹500 is still okay


📞 Need Help Planning Your Ad Budget?

If you're confused about what to spend or want a solid strategy that actually works for your brand—we’d love to help.

💼 Work with The Click Umbrella → www.theclickumbrella.com

📥 Or DM us on Instagram → @theclickumbrella

Let’s build campaigns that don’t just spend—but convert.

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