What is MROI and how to calculate it?

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MROI

What is a MROI?

Marketing Return on Investment (MROI) measures the revenue from marketing efforts compared to the costs. You can calculate MROI by subtracting the marketing spend from the sales growth. Then, divide the result by the marketing spending. For example, if you spend $10,000 and generate $50,000 in sales, your MROI is 4, or 400%.
MROI is crucial because it shows the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. A high MROI indicates that your marketing strategies work well and generate revenue. Analyzing MROI helps marketers identify which campaigns are most profitable. This lets them improve budget allocation. There are several approaches to optimize MROI. You need to focus on high-performing campaigns and eliminate underperforming ones. It also makes sense to test new strategies continually.
By improving MROI, marketers can ensure they get the most out of their marketing investments. This leads to increased profitability and growth.

How to calculate MROI?

To calculate MROI, subtract the marketing spend from the sales growth, then divide the result by the marketing spend. For example, if sales growth is $50,000 and marketing spend is $10,000, MROI is 4 (or 400%).

(Sales Growth - Marketing Spend) / Marketing Spend

What is bad MROI?

A bad MROI is typically below 2:1, indicating inefficient marketing spend. For example, in e-commerce, an MROI below 3:1 is concerning, while in B2B services, below 2:1 is poor. Factors defining a bad MROI include ineffective campaigns, high costs, and low returns. Benchmarks: Retail aims for 10:1, SaaS targets 5:1, and healthcare seeks at least 3:1. Regularly comparing your MROI to these benchmarks helps identify underperforming areas. As a result, you can adjust strategies to improve profitability.

What is good MROI?

A good MROI varies by industry, but an MROI above 5:1 is generally considered excellent. For example, in e-commerce, a 10:1 MROI is common, while in B2B services, a 5:1 MROI is typical. Factors defining a good MROI include industry standards, campaign goals, and market competition. Benchmarks: Retail aims for 10:1, SaaS targets 5:1, and healthcare often sees 3:1. Regularly comparing your MROI to these benchmarks ensures your marketing efforts are effective.

Our key templates to track MROI

PPC multi-channel dashboard in Looker Studio

Get a comprehensive PPC reporting tool to track the performance of your campaigns launched at multiple advertising platforms.

Web analytics dashboard in Looker Studio

Use the insights based on the data from GA4 to monitor your website traffic and discover which pages resonate most with your audience.

All-in-one marketing dashboard in Looker Studio

Monitor all your marketing channels with an all-in-one dashboard providing performance overviews of web analytics, ad campaigns, SEO, social media, and emails.

See all dashboards

How to improve MROI?

Focus on High-ROI Channels

Identify and invest more in marketing channels that deliver the highest returns. Analyze past performance data to find which channels have the best MROI and allocate more of the budget there. This ensures your marketing spend is used efficiently.

Optimize Campaign Targeting

Refine your audience targeting to reach the most relevant prospects. Use analytics to understand your ideal customer profiles and tailor your campaigns accordingly. Better targeting leads to higher conversion rates and improved MROI.

Continuously Test and Iterate

Regularly test different marketing strategies, creatives, and messaging. Use A/B testing to identify what works best and optimize based on results. Continuous iteration helps you fine-tune campaigns for better performance and higher MROI.