Customer Marketing often requires marketing budget. What do you find in a typical percentage of the total marketing budget that should be allocated to Customer Marketing?

This is a tough question, as it depends. For example, what is your growth strategy for the year? What percentage of your revenue are you expecting from existing customers and what type of motions are needed to drive that growth? Based on that, you can determine the right budget.

With that said, more often than not, in my experience, there isn't dedicated budget for customer growth. To offset that, I recommend you think about your customers as a segment you need to extend your marketing efforts to.

For example, are you creating a campaign centered around a specific product? If so, tweak the messaging so it resonates with your existing customers but those who don't have that particular product. Or if you are already creating blog content or thought leadership, put together a nurture or perhaps a newsletter that touches your customers.

I recommend reframing this question to, how much do you need to allocate based on your goals? What is the priority for customer marketing compared to your other marketing activities? This is going to vary based on the business, industry, go-to-market motion and goals. Said differently, of the total marketing budget, how do you allocate it best to drive impact and your desired outcomes?

If this is a focus for you based on your priorities, I would consider how much you need to support this channel. This is another tool in your “marketing toolbox” and to get it right, you want it to be specific to your current needs (which is subject to change).