Marketing ROI Calculator
Calculate the return on investment for any marketing campaign. Compare revenue generated against total marketing spend to evaluate campaign effectiveness and guide budget decisions.
📊 Marketing💼 Marketing ROI = (Revenue − Marketing Cost) / Cost × 100
Revenue attributed to campaign ($)
Total marketing spend ($)
Please enter valid values.
Formula & Reference
| Variable | Formula | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing ROI Calculator | Marketing ROI = (Revenue − Marketing Cost) / Cost × 100 | % |
Step-by-Step Examples
Example 1
Google Ads
$50k revenue, $10k spend.
- ROI = ($50k-$10k)/$10k = 400%
- ROAS = 5x
✓ 400% ROI, 5x ROAS
Example 2
Brand Campaign
$25k revenue, $8k spend.
- ROI = ($25k-$8k)/$8k = 212.5%
- ROAS = 3.1x
✓ 212.5% ROI, 3.1x ROAS
Example 3
Loss-Making Channel
$5k revenue, $8k spend.
- ROI = ($5k-$8k)/$8k = -37.5%
- ROAS = 0.63x — losing money
- Pause or redesign this channel
✓ Negative ROI — channel not profitable
Real-World Applications
Campaign Analysis
Evaluate which marketing channels deserve more budget.
CMO Reporting
Standard ROI metric for board and executive presentations.
Budget Allocation
Shift budget toward highest-ROI channels.
Agency Reports
Hold agencies accountable with clear ROI targets.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
⚠️
Not attributing revenue correctly
Multi-touch attribution is complex. Last-click attribution undervalues top-of-funnel channels; first-click undervalues closers.
⚠️
Measuring too early
B2B campaigns can take 90–180 days to close deals. Measure ROI over the full sales cycle.
⚠️
Including brand awareness campaigns in direct ROI
Brand campaigns build long-term equity that doesn't show up in short-term direct revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good marketing ROI? ▾
General benchmark: 400–500% ROI (5x ROAS) for digital advertising. However, target ROI depends on your margin — a 10% margin business needs much higher ROAS than a 70% margin business.
ROI vs ROAS — what's the difference? ▾
ROAS = Revenue / Ad Spend (ignores cost of goods). ROI = (Revenue − All Costs) / All Costs (includes COGS and overhead). ROI is more complete.
What's a minimum viable ROAS for most businesses? ▾
Depends on gross margin. Break-even ROAS = 1 / Gross Margin %. At 50% margin, break-even ROAS = 2x. Target 3–5x for profitable scaling.
How do I attribute revenue to specific campaigns? ▾
UTM parameters in URLs, CRM pipeline stages, coupon codes, and platform attribution tools all help. No attribution model is perfect.
What marketing channels have highest typical ROI? ▾
Email marketing consistently shows highest ROI (median 36–40x). Organic SEO is high ROI long-term. Paid social and display advertising typically 2–6x ROAS.