In Parts One and Two of our series on understanding marketing costs, we dealt with getting a handle on the financial impact of your marketing programs and  using key metrics to make sure your business does not overspend on marketing. Those first two articles were geared towards existing businesses who wanted to optimize their marketing spend.

Now we’re going to switch gears and tackle another question I hear frequently.

“I’m just getting started with my business. How much do I need to spend on marketing?”

Of course, different types of businesses have different needs. But let’s go through the top seven typical marketing projects a small busines might need to get done right from the start.

Disclaimers: Prices quoted represent a rough ballpark figure from high-quality marketing service providers in a medium-sized city. Marketing professionals in larger markets tend to charge more. Also note that these represent costs that a small business typically pays; large corporations and public companies work with national-caliber ad agencies and design firms which add a zero or two to these costs. Finally, these cost do not include printing or other production, nor do they include media costs.

Project #1: Research & Positioning

One of the first tasks you need to undertake is to understand who your customers are, what they want, who else they could do business with (besides you), and how you are going to differentiate your company from the competition (i.e. “Brand Position” or Unique Selling Proposition). A marketing consultant might charge $5K-$10K for this.

Project #2: Brand ID Package

Next you need to translate your Brand Position into something tangible. A Brand ID package would include naming, logo design, signage, brand colors, business cards/stationery templates, invoices, forms, and some consulting about how your store or office should look. Cost: $5K-$10K. Yes, I know you can go online and find someone who will knock out a logo for you for a couple of hundred bucks or less –  but these logos will be generic and not represent your brand position. They are just not worth it.

Project #3: Marketing Blueprint

You can call this a “Marketing Plan” if you prefer, but I find that a action-oriented Marketing Blueprint is much more useful than a 40 page document that gets stuffed in a drawer some place. The Marketing Blueprint has three main sections: Strategy, Tactics, and Measurement — and outlines pretty much what marketing activities you’ll focus on for the next year. Cost: $2.5K-$4K.

Project #4: Basic Print Collateral Package

Your business may need a brochure, folder, product info sheets, staff photos, store photos, yard signs, door hangers, or other basic print collateral. If you decide to invest in a Yellow Pages ad, throw that in the mix as well. Cost: $3K-$10K.

Project #5: Website: Design/Writing/Coding

A basic SEO-optimized site, either hand-coded or (better yet) built on the WordPress platform should run you between $5K-$10K. Note that this is for an informational, lead generating website — not a heavy-duty e-commerce or other database intensive site.

Project #6: Social Media Start-up & Training

The Holy Trinity of Social Media is Facebook, Twitter, and your Blog. If you are not adept at these tools, hire someone to set you up, build customized pages and graphics, outline a 90 day content plan, and train you or someone on your team to use social media to build better customer relationships and get leads. Cost: $5K-$7.5K.

Project #7: Video Package

In case you haven’t noticed, video is taking over the Internet. YouTube is now the #2 most widely used search engine — and the number of online video viewers grew over 10% YOY to 141 million unique viewers in February 2010 (according to Nielsen). This means that nearly every business could benefit from a package of short videos that allows potential customers to learn about you and why you are great — from the comfort of their own laptop. Cost: $10K-$20K.

So there we go. Seven fundamental marketing projects to get a brand new business off the ground.

Did I miss anything? Leeave a comment below.