₹50,000 a month, split three ways
A Kochi coaching centre spent ₹50,000 a month on one Meta lead campaign. Costs crept up and lead quality fell.
We split it: ₹35,000 for prospecting (lead ads and reels), ₹10,000 for retargeting website and video viewers with testimonials, and ₹5,000 for Google brand and course-name searches.
Total leads stayed similar, but qualified leads rose 30%, because warm people saw proof before calling.
Illustrative example based on a common pattern in Kerala e-commerce accounts. Numbers rounded.
What a full-funnel budget is
Small budgets need fewer splits. Below about ₹30,000 a month, one prospecting campaign plus a small retargeting ad set is usually enough.
The right split depends on audience size: if retargeting frequency is very high, the warm pool is too small for its budget.
Starting split ≈ 70% prospecting · 20% retargeting · 10% retention / brand
Starting budget splits
Suggested splits by monthly budget
| Monthly budget | Starting split |
|---|---|
| Under ₹30,000 | 1 prospecting campaign (+ small retargeting ad set) |
| ₹30,000–₹1,00,000 | 70% prospecting · 20% retargeting · 10% brand/retention |
| ₹1,00,000+ | 60–70% prospecting · 15–25% retargeting · 10–15% retention, plus tests |
How experienced marketers use Full-funnel budget split
1. Plan monthly budgets
Give each stage a clear job and metric.
2. Explain budgets to clients
Show how prospecting feeds the rest of the funnel.
3. Fix rising costs
Rebalance when retargeting frequency or prospecting costs climb.
What good looks like
| Business type | Starting rule | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prospecting | 60–80% | Starting rule. |
| Retargeting | 10–25% | Limited by warm audience size. |
| Retention / brand | 5–15% | Higher for repeat-purchase businesses. |
When the number lies
- Platform ROAS by stage
- Retargeting always looks best on last click. Use MER to judge the whole split.
- Automated campaigns blur stages
- Advantage+ and PMax mix new and existing customers; check new-customer reporting.
Mistakes to avoid
Moving everything to retargeting
Warm audiences shrink and total sales fall.
Too many campaigns on a small budget
None get enough data to learn.
Never revisiting the split
Budget stays where it was, not where it works.
Related terms
Questions people ask about a full-funnel budget
How should I split my ad budget?
A common starting point is about 70% prospecting, 20% retargeting and 10% retention or brand, adjusted with results.
What is full-funnel marketing?
Running marketing for every stage of the customer journey, from first awareness to repeat purchase.
How much should I spend on retargeting?
Usually 10–25% of the budget, limited by how many warm people you have.
Should small budgets split across the funnel?
Keep it simple: one main prospecting campaign plus a small retargeting ad set.
Put it into practice
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