A practical starting-point budget framework for Bellarine and Surf Coast businesses running their first, or their next, paid campaigns.
Never increase ad spend into a page that isn't converting at least at benchmark for your industry. You'll just pay more to prove the same problem, faster.
Google Ads captures people already searching for what you do: high intent, generally higher cost per click. Meta and TikTok are better for building awareness and retargeting people who've already shown interest, at a lower cost per impression.
Set your minimum test budget based on your industry's typical cost per lead (see our trade benchmarks), multiplied by at least 10-15 leads, so you get a statistically meaningful test rather than a single lucky or unlucky week.
Surf Coast and Bellarine businesses often see 2-4x demand swings between shoulder season and peak summer. Plan budget increases ahead of the season, not reactively once it's already busy.