How to know where to spend your marketing budget in 2026 #podcast #marketing

Splitting your marketing budget 50/50 between inbound and outbound is quietly killing your pipeline. In this video, I'm showing you the 80/20 budget split that actually works for SMEs—and the 4 questions that tell you which strategy deserves 80% of your spend. Most SMEs don't have a marketing problem—they have a decision problem. They're spreading their budget across inbound, outbound, ads, content, SEO, social, events, and outreach. A little bit of everything. It sounds sensible until you look at the results. Your marketing feels busy, dashboards look full, but your pipeline is still unpredictable. I'm Clare, and I help SME business leaders generate leads, improve their brand, and build marketing clarity. In this episode, I'm breaking down why diluted marketing budgets fail and exactly how to fix yours using the 80/20 rule. 🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: ✅ Why 50/50 budget splits are killing your results ✅ The 4 questions that determine your primary strategy ✅ How to allocate 120K, 60K, or 34K budgets using 80/20 ✅ Outbound vs Inbound: When to use each one ✅ Realistic timelines for seeing results ✅ Why switching strategies too soon is your biggest mistake ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction: The Budget Split Problem 1:20 - Why Most SMEs Have a Decision Problem, Not a Marketing Problem 2:45 - The Reality of Limited Budgets (120K = 10K/month) 4:10 - What Is Inbound vs Outbound (Clear Definitions) 6:15 - Why You Need 80/20, Not 50/50 7:30 - Question 1: How Quickly Do You Need Leads? 9:20 - Question 2: What's Your Average Deal Size? 11:15 - Question 3: Do You Know What Sells? 13:00 - Question 4: What Are You Actually Good At? 15:10 - The Money Breakdown: 120K Budget Examples 17:30 - Option 1: 80% Outbound (96K out, 24K in) 19:00 - Option 2: 80% Inbound (96K in, 24K out) 20:40 - Timeline Expectations: When Results Should Show 22:15 - The Switching Strategy Trap 23:45 - Your Takeaway: Pick, Commit, Execute 💡 KEY INSIGHTS: 120K/year = 10K/month, 60K/year = 5K/month, 34K/year = under 3K/month At those numbers, you can do ONE thing properly, not everything Outbound = You go to market (ads, outreach, sales, events) Inbound = Market comes to you (content, SEO, organic, podcasts) Both work, but not evenly and not at the same time You need a primary strategy: 80/20, not 50/50 Outbound is fast but expensive—switch it on, conversations start; switch it off, they stop Inbound is slow at start, compounds later If you need pipeline in 90 days, outbound is the answer If pipeline is healthy, build long-term leverage with inbound 🧮 THE 4 DECISION QUESTIONS: 1. How quickly do you need leads? (Pipeline in 90 days = Outbound) 2. What's your average deal size? (High value = Outbound, Lower value = Inbound) 3. Do you actually know what sells? (Clear messaging = Outbound, Still refining = Inbound) 4. What are you actually good at? (Sales/relationships = Outbound, Expertise/thought leadership = Inbound) 💰 BUDGET BREAKDOWN EXAMPLES: 120K Annual Budget: Option 1 (80% Outbound): 96K outbound, 24K inbound Outbound: ads, outreach, tools, sales time, events Inbound: supports credibility when prospects check you out Option 2 (80% Inbound): 96K inbound, 24K outbound Inbound: content, SEO, email, visibility Outbound: light outreach, retargeting, strategic touchpoints ⏰ REALISTIC TIMELINES: Outbound should produce conversations within 2 months Inbound should show traction within 3 months If that's not happening, something is wrong (usually messaging or execution) DON'T switch strategies—fix the problem first ❌ THE BIGGEST MISTAKE: Switching strategy instead of fixing execution. Most businesses panic and change direction when they should be optimizing what they're already doing. ✅ YOUR ACTION PLAN: 1. Look at your pipeline 2. Look at your deal size 3. Look at your strengths 4. Pick inbound OR outbound as your primary 5. Allocate 80/20 6. Commit for 6 months minimum 🎁 THE TAKEAWAY: Fewer channels with more focus. That's how you stop marketing looking busy and start it behaving like a system. One engine, one support channel. 👋 ABOUT THE REASON WHY PODCAST: I'm Clare, and I help SME business leaders cut through the noise and build marketing strategies that generate real leads and real revenue. This podcast delivers practical, actionable marketing for small and medium businesses—not theory for massive brands with six-figure budgets. 📧 CONNECT WITH CLARE: 💼 LinkedIn:   / clarelpatterson   📸 Instagram: @reasonwhygrowth 🌐 Website: www.reasonwhy.co.uk ✉️ Email: [email protected] 💬 Which strategy are you picking—inbound or outbound? Drop your answer in the comments! 🔔 Subscribe for weekly SME marketing strategies that actually work. Hit that notification bell! 👍 If this helped you make a decision about your marketing budget, LIKE and SHARE with another business owner stuck in 50/50 split hell. #MarketingBudget #InboundMarketing #OutboundMarketing #SMEMarketing #MarketingStrategy