10 Must-Do Prep Tasks Before Creating Your Marketing Budget

Author’s Note: As part of The Good Lemon’s 10-year anniversary celebration, we’re taking time to share what we’ve learned through various experiences throughout the years. Drawing on this combined decade of experience, this series is packed with the tips, tricks, and insights we’ve gathered along the way—designed to help you work smarter and strengthen your strategy. In our last installment, we shared 10 ways to keep your marketing strategy fresh, flexible, and focused. This series is both a reflection on our journey and a guide to the approaches that continue to shape our success, and can support yours, too!

Let’s be real: Budget planning is often overwhelming — especially when you’re balancing limited resources, big goals, and more ideas than time. Whether you’re building your first real marketing budget or just trying to make the most of what you’ve got, it’s easy to get stuck wondering, “Where do we even start?”

Here’s your answer. We’ve outlined 10 smart planning tips that will help you determine exactly where to start, what you should prioritize, and how to get the job done without burning yourself  out.

This list isn’t about line items or spreadsheets (not yet, anyway). It’s about setting yourself up with clarity, intention, and a few smart moves that will save you time, energy, and yes — money. Because budgeting shouldn’t just be about spending. It should be about strategizing.

Now, let’s talk budget-planning!

1. Explore What You Can Do for Free

Before spending a dime, tap into what’s already at your fingertips: your email list, blog, partner networks, and social media accounts. Strategic use of these low-cost platforms, like cross-promoting with peers or engaging in community forums, can deliver meaningful reach without adding to your budget.

Don’t forget to consider existing subscriptions you may already have access to, like design tools, stock photo libraries, or marketing platforms that often go underutilized. And if capacity is tight, think about bringing on interns or volunteers who can help with content creation, social media, or research, offering valuable experience for them and support for you.

2. Audit and Activate Internal Resources

Take stock of your internal resources. What templates, tools, past campaigns, or creative skills are sitting unused? Do you have team members who enjoy writing, designing, or content planning? 

To get a clear picture, consider sending a simple survey to your team asking about skills, interests, and available time, or hold a meeting with another department to uncover any hidden talents and resources.

A resource audit can help you uncover strengths you didn’t realize were hiding in plain sight and save you from outsourcing unnecessarily.

3. Understand Who You’re Trying to Reach

Your budget should follow your audience. Clarify who they are, where they spend time, and what types of content actually drive them to engage or take action. When you know your audience, you’re less likely to waste money on channels or content that don’t connect.

4. Match Strategy to Audience Needs

Once you’ve identified your audience (the people you’re really trying to reach), build your strategy around them. Are you targeting community members, donors and philanthropists, or corporate decision-makers?

Different audiences respond to different content types, tones, and platforms. Avoid simply copying last year’s strategy. Instead, adapt it thoughtfully, whether that means a general refresh or tailoring your approach for each platform.

5. Prioritize Original Photography and Video

Strong visuals can make even simple content stand out. If you can, carve out a budget for photo or video shoots that capture your people, your work, and your impact. These assets go a long way across platforms, in reports, in ads, and help build connection and trust.

If a custom shoot isn’t feasible right now, consider using stock media to fill the gap. Free platforms like Unsplash offer quality photos you can use without cost, while paid options like iStock provide access to a broader library of photos, videos, and music, all royalty-free and ready to elevate your content. Investing in a premium stock media account can be a budget-friendly way to access professional assets while you work toward creating more original visuals.

6. Don’t Lean Too Hard on AI-Generated Visuals

On the topic of graphics… AI has its place, but it shouldn’t define your brand’s visual identity. If you’re working in a values-driven or human-centered space, authenticity matters. And chances are, your audience can tell the difference between AI and real, lived experience.

Use AI to fill small gaps or test ideas, but always pair it with a human touch. Your visuals should reflect the people, mission, and impact behind your work, not just what's fast or trendy.

7. Choose Cost-Effective Tools That Fit Your Workflow

Before you invest in a subscription for the newest marketing platform, take a pause. Does it solve a real problem? Can your team learn it quickly and integrate it smoothly?

The best tools aren’t always the most expensive; they’re the ones that work for you and save you time and energy. And remember: time is money. If a tool saves your team hours each month, that's budget well spent.

8. Budget Around the Platforms that Matter Most

Being everywhere sounds good in theory, but it’s rarely necessary. Focus on the platforms your audience already uses. Whether that’s LinkedIn, Instagram, email, or YouTube,  prioritize what works, not what’s trendy.

Budgeting to create content on platforms where your audience is not active is a waste of time and money. Once you’ve mastered one platform or content type, you can gradually allocate resources to experiment on others, play around, and see what might resonate next.

We’ve learned this one firsthand. Trying to do it all? Exhausting. 

Choosing your strongest channels? Empowering.

9. Build a Content Calendar Before Building a Budget

A calendar helps you plan for seasonality, campaigns, and evergreen needs before you’re mid-launch and overspending on rush jobs. Map out the year at a high level so you can identify where you’ll need support and where you can DIY.

10. Track What’s Working — and What Isn’t

Finally, make sure you’re tracking performance regularly. Metrics don’t have to be overwhelming! Even simple engagement data can show you what’s resonating. 

Let the numbers help you refine your priorities and reallocate budget throughout the year if needed. Tracking what is most important in the eyes of your audience will help you allocate where to be spending way more efficiently.

The smartest marketing budgets don’t start with “What should we spend?” They start with “Which non-negotiables do we need to spend on—and why?”

Let this checklist guide your prep process and help you build a plan that reflects your strategy, your audience, and your actual capacity. A little intention goes a long way.

Want more practical marketing advice like this? Subscribe to our newsletter! We love to share bite-sized tips, timely trends, real-world examples, and FREE resources to help you get more out of your marketing (without burning out your budget) 😉.

Next up in our 10-year anniversary series: 10 Work From Home Struggles We All Relate To. Because sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in the way of your to-do list… is the pile of laundry in the next room 😬.