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Advertising ROI calculator — what a budget could return.

Return on ad spend is a property of the plan, not of the budget. Two businesses can spend the same $10,000 and see completely different returns, because the money went to different channels. So this tool does it in the honest order: build the real channel mix first, then value each channel at its published ROAS benchmark.

Below the tool, 20 worked examples — each one a real mix from the planner, with the projected return beside it and every figure cited. The mix is a fact about the plan. The return is an estimate built on other advertisers’ results. The page keeps those two apart.

Run the calculator →See the worked examples ↓

One number on this page is a fact. The other is an estimate.

We would rather say this too early than too late, because most advertising tools blur it deliberately.

The mix — a fact

The channel split is what the planner allocates for those inputs, priced from real vendor minimums, real cost-per-thousand rates, and a real station rate card. Nothing about it is predicted. It is the plan.

The return — an estimate

The projection values that mix at published median ROAS benchmarks — results other advertisers reported. It is arithmetic on someone else’s data. It is not a forecast of your revenue, and it is not a guarantee.

The whole model is one line: projected revenue = each channel’s spend × that channel’s sourced ROAS band, added up. There is no industry coefficient, no goal coefficient, no lifetime-value multiplier, no growth-stage factor. Those existed here once — roughly 300 of them — and they were removed, because not one could be traced to a published figure. Nothing replaced them. The projection varies between plans only because the mix does.

And it is revenue, not profit. ROAS counts money in, not money kept. Your cost of goods and your margin come out of it, and no advertising tool can know those. Read a 4× as “$4 of revenue per $1 spent” — then do your own margin math.

One more thing, before the numbers talk you into something. A leads plan will project a higher ROAS than an awareness plan on this page — that does not make leads the better goal. The two aren’t a like-for-like comparison: they buy different things on different timescales, and the right goal depends on your business and what you actually need right now, not on which number is bigger.

The benchmarks

The four ROAS bands every figure on this page is built from

These are the only ROAS numbers in the model. Each is a published median or a published range, and each is carried with its citation on the references page. No figure below was chosen, adjusted, or blended by us.

Sourced ROAS bands — the complete model
Basis	Applies to	Sourced ROAS	Published source
Search	SEM / Google Search	4.5× – 5.2×	Focus Digital 5.17× median · Billo 4.52× median
Meta	Facebook + Instagram	2.19×	Trendtrack, all-industry (single published point)
TikTok	TikTok	1.41×	Billo median (single published point)
General	Every other channel — radio, CTV, OTT, display, geofencing, LinkedIn, Snapchat, YouTube, streaming audio, pre-roll, geo-video, email	2× – 4×	Cross-channel average 2.87×, published 2:1–4:1 range

The benchmark’s dollar and yours

The published benchmarks measure what the ad platform charges. Focus Digital reads Google Ads accounts; Trendtrack reads Meta accounts; Billo reads TikTok accounts. Their denominator is platform spend.

A managed search or social budget covers more than platform spend — it also covers the management that makes the spend work. So the benchmark’s dollar and your dollar are not the same dollar. Google Search returns 4.5–5.2× on the platform’s dollar. On the full budget you hand us, that same performance is 3.15–3.64×.

The higher one is what the source measured. The lower one is what it means for you.

Channels sold at a rate rather than as a share of budget — display, video, CTV, streaming audio, local radio — carry their published band unchanged. Their sources don’t state which dollar they measured, so there’s nothing to bridge from.

Why one band covers twelve channels. Because there is no credible published ROAS median for local radio, connected TV, geofencing, or email deployment, and inventing one would make this estimate look more precise while making it less true. Those channels are valued at the general benchmark, and every table below labels them so. That is also the honest reason a search-led plan projects a higher return than a broadcast-led one here — not that broadcast doesn’t work, but that search has a published number and broadcast does not.

Worked examples

20 real plans, with the return each one projects

Each block is the planner’s actual output for the inputs named above it, with the projection computed on that exact mix. The mix column is the plan. The projection beneath it is that plan valued at the bands above — an estimate from published benchmarks, not a forecast.

Read across goals with care. A calls-and-inquiries plan projects a higher ROAS than an awareness plan here, and that does not mean calls and inquiries is the better goal — ROAS across different goals is not a like-for-like comparison, because the goals buy different things on different timescales, and the right one depends on your business and its objective rather than on which figure is larger.

The two markets

Rapid City, SD — market population 299,139. Inside the 150-mile Haugo Broadcasting signal footprint, so Local Radio is eligible and priced from a real station rate card.
Des Moines, IA — market population 1,212,782. 517 miles from Rapid City — outside the 150-mile radio footprint, so the engine excludes Local Radio on geography and the budget goes to channels that can actually run there.

Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) — goal: Calls / inquiries

A furnace dies and the homeowner searches immediately. The money follows demand that already exists.

Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) · Calls / inquiries · $5,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $4,400 (88%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $600 across 1 more channel.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing), Calls / inquiries, $5,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$4,400	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Geofencing	$600	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 3.01× – 3.68×
Est. monthly revenue: $15,060 – $18,416
Est. incremental annual: $180,720 – $220,992

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $4,400 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 90% of the projected return.

Revenue, not profit. Computed as each channel’s spend × its sourced band, summed — no other coefficient. Bands and citations: references → ROAS benchmarks. Expect roughly 70–80% of these figures in the early months (warm-up).

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) · Calls / inquiries · $5,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $4,400 (88%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $600 across 1 more channel.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing), Calls / inquiries, $5,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$4,400	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Geofencing	$600	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 3.01× – 3.68×
Est. monthly revenue: $15,060 – $18,416
Est. incremental annual: $180,720 – $220,992

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $4,400 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 90% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) · Calls / inquiries · $25,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $10,220 (41%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $14,780 across 3 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing), Calls / inquiries, $25,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$10,220	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Meta	$7,480	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
Display	$3,750	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Geofencing	$3,550	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.33× – 3.11×
Est. monthly revenue: $58,237 – $77,845
Est. incremental annual: $698,844 – $934,140

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $10,220 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 52% of the projected return.

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) · Calls / inquiries · $25,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $11,640 (46%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $13,360 across 3 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing), Calls / inquiries, $25,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$11,640	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
TikTok	$8,179	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
Email Marketing	$3,031	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Geofencing	$2,150	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.21× – 2.85×
Est. monthly revenue: $55,125 – $71,191
Est. incremental annual: $661,500 – $854,292

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $11,640 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 63% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Restaurants & bars — goal: Foot traffic

Nobody searches "restaurant" three weeks out. Proximity and appetite win, so the plan buys people who are physically nearby.

Restaurants & bars · Foot traffic · $5,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $3,000 (60%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $2,000 across 1 more channel.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Restaurants & bars, Foot traffic, $5,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$3,000	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Geofencing	$2,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.69× – 3.78×
Est. monthly revenue: $13,450 – $18,920
Est. incremental annual: $161,400 – $227,040

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $3,000 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 64% of the projected return.

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

Restaurants & bars · Foot traffic · $5,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $3,000 (60%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $2,000 across 1 more channel.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Restaurants & bars, Foot traffic, $5,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$3,000	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Geofencing	$2,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.69× – 3.78×
Est. monthly revenue: $13,450 – $18,920
Est. incremental annual: $161,400 – $227,040

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $3,000 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 64% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Restaurants & bars · Foot traffic · $25,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $8,788 (35%) into Geofencing and spreads the remaining $16,212 across 4 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Restaurants & bars, Foot traffic, $25,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Geofencing	$8,788	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
GeoVideo	$8,762	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Meta	$4,250	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
TikTok	$2,000	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
SEM	$1,200	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 1.89× – 3.32×
Est. monthly revenue: $47,363 – $83,051
Est. incremental annual: $568,356 – $996,612

What drives it. Geofencing carries the projection: $8,788 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 40% of the projected return.

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

Restaurants & bars · Foot traffic · $25,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $10,000 (40%) into Geofencing and spreads the remaining $15,000 across 3 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Restaurants & bars, Foot traffic, $25,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Geofencing	$10,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
TikTok	$8,778	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
Meta	$5,022	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
SEM	$1,200	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 1.61× – 2.43×
Est. monthly revenue: $40,154 – $60,742
Est. incremental annual: $481,848 – $728,904

What drives it. Geofencing carries the projection: $10,000 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 58% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Healthcare & clinics — goal: Awareness

People choose a clinic before they need one. Awareness plans buy memory, not clicks.

Healthcare & clinics · Awareness · $5,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $2,703 (54%) into CTV and spreads the remaining $2,297 across 2 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Healthcare & clinics, Awareness, $5,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
CTV	$2,703	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
OTT	$1,947	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Local Radio	$350	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2× – 4×
Est. monthly revenue: $10,000 – $20,000
Est. incremental annual: $120,000 – $240,000

What drives it. CTV carries the projection: $2,703 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 54% of the projected return.

Local Radio is seated because this market sits inside the station footprint. It carries the general benchmark, not a radio-specific one — no published radio ROAS median exists.

Healthcare & clinics · Awareness · $5,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $2,600 (52%) into CTV and spreads the remaining $2,400 across 2 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Healthcare & clinics, Awareness, $5,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
CTV	$2,600	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Email Marketing	$1,200	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
SEM	$1,200	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.28× – 3.91×
Est. monthly revenue: $11,380 – $19,568
Est. incremental annual: $136,560 – $234,816

What drives it. CTV carries the projection: $2,600 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 50% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Healthcare & clinics · Awareness · $25,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $7,497 (30%) into OTT and spreads the remaining $17,503 across 6 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Healthcare & clinics, Awareness, $25,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
OTT	$7,497	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
CTV	$6,999	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Streaming Audio	$3,731	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Meta	$2,000	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
Local Radio	$1,750	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Pre-Roll Video	$1,685	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Display	$1,338	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 1.96× – 3.8×
Est. monthly revenue: $49,060 – $95,060
Est. incremental annual: $588,720 – $1,140,720

What drives it. OTT carries the projection: $7,497 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 31% of the projected return.

Local Radio is seated because this market sits inside the station footprint. It carries the general benchmark, not a radio-specific one — no published radio ROAS median exists.

Healthcare & clinics · Awareness · $25,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $12,500 (50%) into CTV and spreads the remaining $12,500 across 3 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Healthcare & clinics, Awareness, $25,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
CTV	$12,500	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Pre-Roll Video	$7,462	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Display	$3,899	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Email Marketing	$1,139	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2× – 4×
Est. monthly revenue: $50,000 – $100,000
Est. incremental annual: $600,000 – $1,200,000

What drives it. CTV carries the projection: $12,500 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 50% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

B2B services — goal: Calls / inquiries

A small, specific buying committee — the plan concentrates on the channels that can actually target them.

B2B services · Calls / inquiries · $5,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $2,005 (40%) into LinkedIn and spreads the remaining $2,995 across 2 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, B2B services, Calls / inquiries, $5,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
LinkedIn	$2,005	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Geofencing	$1,795	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
SEM	$1,200	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.28× – 3.91×
Est. monthly revenue: $11,380 – $19,568
Est. incremental annual: $136,560 – $234,816

What drives it. LinkedIn carries the projection: $2,005 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 38% of the projected return.

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

B2B services · Calls / inquiries · $5,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $2,500 (50%) into LinkedIn and spreads the remaining $2,500 across 2 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, B2B services, Calls / inquiries, $5,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
LinkedIn	$2,500	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
SEM	$1,750	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Geofencing	$750	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.4× – 3.87×
Est. monthly revenue: $12,013 – $19,370
Est. incremental annual: $144,156 – $232,440

What drives it. LinkedIn carries the projection: $2,500 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 47% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

B2B services · Calls / inquiries · $25,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $3,584 (14%) into Meta and spreads the remaining $21,416 across 8 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, B2B services, Calls / inquiries, $25,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Meta	$3,584	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
GeoVideo	$3,340	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Geofencing	$3,245	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Display	$3,082	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
OTT	$2,855	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
TikTok	$2,447	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
Snapchat	$2,447	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
SEM	$2,000	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
LinkedIn	$2,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 1.93× – 3.32×
Est. monthly revenue: $48,145 – $83,063
Est. incremental annual: $577,740 – $996,756

What drives it. GeoVideo carries the projection: $3,340 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 15% of the projected return.

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

B2B services · Calls / inquiries · $25,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $5,800 (23%) into Geofencing and spreads the remaining $19,200 across 6 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, B2B services, Calls / inquiries, $25,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Geofencing	$5,800	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
SEM	$4,550	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
GeoVideo	$4,084	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Meta	$3,310	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
LinkedIn	$3,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
TikTok	$2,256	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
Snapchat	$2,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.06× – 3.34×
Est. monthly revenue: $51,398 – $83,395
Est. incremental annual: $616,776 – $1,000,740

What drives it. Geofencing carries the projection: $5,800 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 25% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Manufacturing & industrial — goal: Recruiting

The hardest thing to buy is a qualified applicant. Recruiting plans target workers, not customers.

Manufacturing & industrial · Recruiting · $5,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $2,352 (47%) into Snapchat and spreads the remaining $2,648 across 2 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Manufacturing & industrial, Recruiting, $5,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Snapchat	$2,352	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
LinkedIn	$2,000	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Local Radio	$648	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2× – 4×
Est. monthly revenue: $10,000 – $20,000
Est. incremental annual: $120,000 – $240,000

What drives it. Snapchat carries the projection: $2,352 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 47% of the projected return.

Local Radio is seated because this market sits inside the station footprint. It carries the general benchmark, not a radio-specific one — no published radio ROAS median exists.

Manufacturing & industrial · Recruiting · $5,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Growth plan

At $5,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $2,511 (50%) into SEM and spreads the remaining $2,489 across 1 more channel.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Manufacturing & industrial, Recruiting, $5,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
SEM	$2,511	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
LinkedIn	$2,489	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$5,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 2.58× – 3.82×
Est. monthly revenue: $12,888 – $19,096
Est. incremental annual: $154,656 – $229,152

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $2,511 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 54% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Manufacturing & industrial · Recruiting · $25,000/mo · Rapid City, SD · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Rapid City, SD, the plan puts $6,905 (28%) into Meta and spreads the remaining $18,095 across 5 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Manufacturing & industrial, Recruiting, $25,000/mo, Rapid City, SD
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Meta	$6,905	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
LinkedIn	$4,400	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
TikTok	$4,266	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
Display	$4,032	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Snapchat	$3,047	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
SEM	$2,350	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 1.81× – 2.77×
Est. monthly revenue: $45,149 – $69,258
Est. incremental annual: $541,788 – $831,096

What drives it. LinkedIn carries the projection: $4,400 of the budget valued at the 2–4× General cross-channel benchmark (2.87× avg; 2:1–4:1 range), which is 23% of the projected return.

Local Radio is available in this market but did not earn a seat for this goal at this budget.

Manufacturing & industrial · Recruiting · $25,000/mo · Des Moines, IA · Scale plan

At $25,000/mo in Des Moines, IA, the plan puts $9,107 (36%) into Meta and spreads the remaining $15,893 across 4 more channels.

The mix (fact) — recommended monthly media mix, Manufacturing & industrial, Recruiting, $25,000/mo, Des Moines, IA
Channel	Monthly spend	Sourced ROAS	Basis
Meta	$9,107	1.53×	Meta benchmark (Trendtrack)
TikTok	$5,214	0.99×	TikTok benchmark (Billo)
SEM	$4,549	3.15–3.64×	Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo)
Snapchat	$3,123	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
LinkedIn	$3,007	2–4×	general benchmark no published per-channel ROAS
Total budget	$25,000	—

Projected return — modeled estimate, not a forecast

Blended ROAS: 1.83× – 2.41×
Est. monthly revenue: $45,685 – $60,174
Est. incremental annual: $548,220 – $722,088

What drives it. SEM carries the projection: $4,549 of the budget valued at the 3.15–3.64× Google Search benchmark (Focus Digital / Billo), which is 30% of the projected return.

Local Radio is absent because this market is outside the station footprint — the engine excludes it on geography, not preference.

Where this estimate is weakest

An estimate you can’t poke holes in is one that hasn’t been examined. Here are the holes.

The benchmarks lean on ecommerce. Published ROAS data comes largely from advertisers who track revenue at an online checkout. A plumber’s revenue arrives as a phone call and a truck roll. The mechanism that produces the sale is the same; the measurement is much harder, and a benchmark drawn from checkout data may not transfer cleanly.

There is no universal “good” ROAS. Published figures across industries range from well under 1× to nearly 7×. A 2× return can be excellent on a high-margin service and a loss on a thin-margin product. The band tells you what other advertisers saw — not whether it clears your bar.

Twelve channels share one band. Radio, CTV, display, email and the rest are valued at the general cross-channel benchmark because no published per-channel median exists for them. That is a real limitation of the estimate, and we would rather show it than hide it behind an invented number.

What the projection is good for: comparing plans. Because every plan is valued by the same sourced bands with nothing added, the difference between two projections is a real consequence of the two different mixes — which is exactly the question the tool exists to answer.

Common questions

What is ROAS?

ROAS is return on ad spend: revenue divided by what you spent to get it. A 4× ROAS means $4 of revenue for every $1 of ads. It is revenue, not profit — your cost of goods and your margin come out of that $4, and they are yours, not something an advertising tool can know.

Is a projected ROI a prediction of what I will earn?

No, and this is the most important thing on the page. The projection takes the real channel mix the planner produces and values it at published ROAS benchmarks — median results other advertisers reported, drawn largely from cross-industry ecommerce data. It is arithmetic on someone else's numbers. Your actual return depends on your offer, your pricing, your close rate, and your creative, none of which the benchmark knows about.

Why does the projected ROI change between plans?

Because the mix changes, and different channels carry different sourced benchmarks. Google Search benchmarks at roughly 4.5–5.2×, well above the general cross-channel benchmark of about 2.87×. Meta benchmarks at 2.19× and TikTok at 1.41×. So a calls-and-inquiries plan — which the engine funds heavily into search — projects a higher blended return than an awareness plan built on broadcast channels. That difference is produced by the engine's allocation, not by any coefficient added on top of it.

Why is the same benchmark used for radio, CTV, display, and email?

Because no credible published ROAS figure exists for them, so we refuse to invent one. Search, Meta, and TikTok have published medians and are valued at those. Every other channel is valued at the general cross-channel benchmark, and the tables below say so on every line. Making up a channel-specific number would produce a more confident-looking estimate and a less honest one.

Should I expect these numbers in month one?

No. The benchmarks are a warmed-up run rate. New campaigns typically deliver about 70–80% of benchmark in the early months, with performance peaking somewhere around months four to nine as targeting, creative, and bidding settle.

What would make this estimate wrong for me?

Several things, honestly. The benchmarks lean on ecommerce data, where revenue is tracked at checkout; local-service revenue arrives as calls and walk-ins and is harder to attribute. Local-service margins differ from retail margins, and returns vary widely by industry. And there is no single "good" ROAS — a 2× return can be excellent on a high-margin service and a loss on a low-margin product.

More budget tools

Advertising budget calculator — the full planner: budget size, then the channel mix.
Media mix calculator — the same 20 plans, with the channel split explained in full.
References & citations — every benchmark on this page, with its published source.

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