To start with ads on Google and Instagram/Facebook, a realistic starting budget is from a few hundred euros a month in media spend, plus an agency fee for management. In other words, the total budget always splits between what you pay the platforms and what you pay for optimization. Below is how to calculate it properly, so you do not burn money without results.

What the budget consists of

Many people think an "ad budget" is a single number. In reality it is a few parts, each with its own role:

  • Media spend — the money that goes straight to Google and Meta for impressions and clicks.
  • Agency fee — for account setup, daily optimization and reporting.
  • Creatives — copy, images and video that decide how well the money performs.

Google vs Instagram/Facebook

The two channels work differently and usually complement each other. Google catches people actively searching for what you sell — high intent, but pricier clicks in competitive niches. It is ideal when demand already exists. Meta (Instagram and Facebook) creates demand through image and video and is great for visual products and retargeting — bringing back visitors who did not buy the first time. Many businesses use both: Google to harvest existing demand, Meta to create it.

How to set the right budget

Work backwards from profit, not from a random number. Ask: how much can you pay for a new customer and still profit? From there you derive your cost per click and then your monthly budget for the number of customers you want. Start controlled, let campaigns gather data for a few weeks, measure real conversions, then scale the budget only on what demonstrably works.

The costly mistake

The most common mistake is a budget too small and spread across too many campaigns at once: the algorithm never gets enough data to learn who buys and optimize delivery. The result is money spent with no direction. Better to do less, but focused on one clear goal, until you have solid numbers. A second mistake is stopping a campaign after a few days, before the platform has had time to learn — patience is part of the budget too. At shadowforge we set up campaigns with measurable goals, tested creatives and transparent reporting, so you know exactly what each euro invested brings. Message us for a custom plan for your business.