It comes up in almost every first meeting: “How much should I spend?” The honest answer is that there is no universal amount. There is, however, a method to set a budget consistent with your business and avoid the two classic mistakes: spending too little to learn anything, or too fast without measuring.
Start from customer value, not a random number
Before talking about ad budget, work out what one customer brings you. Take your average margin per sale (not revenue), then ask how often a customer comes back. A dental clinic, a private school or a property developer has a very different customer value from a snack bar or a clothing shop.
That value gives you a ceiling: the maximum acquisition cost you can accept. If a customer brings 600 MAD of margin, paying 150 MAD to win them is profitable; paying 700 MAD is not.
Ad spend and agency fees are two different things
Ad spend is paid directly to Meta, Google or TikTok, usually by card. Agency fees pay for strategy, creatives, management and optimisation. At Adslik both are always listed separately in the quote so you know exactly where your money goes.
Plan a real testing phase
Ad algorithms need data to learn. A campaign run for three days on a tiny amount proves nothing either way. A good test should:
- run continuously for several weeks;
- test several ad creatives and message angles;
- rely on reliable conversion tracking;
- focus on one area and one offer at first.
Facebook or Google: where should the first dirham go?
If your customers already search for your service on Google (“dentist Kenitra”, “car rental Rabat”), start with Google Ads: intent is strong and budget goes straight to people ready to buy. If you need to create desire (fashion, food, new products, e-commerce), Facebook and Instagram Ads or TikTok Ads fit better. Our article on choosing an ad platform covers this in detail.
Mistakes that blow up the budget
- Boosting random posts from the app with no goal or precise targeting.
- Changing the campaign every day: each major edit restarts learning.
- Sending traffic to a slow page or to an Instagram profile with no clear offer. A dedicated landing page often changes everything.
- Not measuring WhatsApp messages: in Morocco many sales happen on WhatsApp. If you don’t count them, you don’t know what works.
Scale at the right time
Once a campaign reaches a stable, profitable cost per result, increase budget gradually rather than multiplying it overnight. Keep refreshing creatives: creative fatigue, more than budget, is often what drives costs up.
Summary
A good ad budget is built from customer value, a serious test phase and reliable measurement. For a budget recommendation tailored to your business, our audit and consulting gives you a clear plan, or request your free quote directly.