SmartHelping / Recurring Revenue Analysis / Excel
Marketing Spend ROI Tracker
Track the revenue generated by each month's sales and marketing spend. Follow monthly customer acquisition cohorts for up to 10 years, then compare ROI, IRR, and the time it takes revenue to cover the initial spend.
The template is available to download immediately after purchase. By purchasing, you agree to the Terms of Service.
Video walkthrough & spreadsheet preview
See how marketing spend connects with later revenue.
One row for each month's spend
Follow the revenue from each acquisition cohort over time.
Customers acquired through one month's marketing may generate revenue across many later months. Each row keeps that month's spend and its associated revenue together.
Enter the sales and marketing spend
Record the amount spent in a given month. That row becomes a monthly cohort for tracking the return on that investment.
Enter the revenue attributable to that cohort
Add the monthly revenue directly associated with customers acquired through that spend. The template displays data for up to 10 years at once.
Review returns as revenue accumulates
Follow the cohort's ROI, IRR, and payback months as you enter revenue over time. Continuing revenue changes the return earned on the original spend.
Return, timing & recovery of spend
Review the main marketing return measures together.
Return on investment
Review each monthly cohort's ROI using the marketing spend and attributed revenue entered for that cohort.
Internal rate of return
Review IRR to account for the timing of the revenue earned after the initial marketing investment.
Revenue payback months
See how many months it takes for cumulative attributed revenue to cover the initial marketing spend.
Average results
Review averages for ROI, IRR, and months to pay back marketing spend across the analysis.
Conditional formatting
Spot positive returns and compare payback timing.
Positive and negative ROI / IRR
Conditional formatting highlights whether ROI and IRR are above or below zero.
Payback color tiers
Red, yellow, and green formatting distinguishes payback results based on the number of months required to recover the marketing spend through revenue.
Recurring revenue & repeat customers
Track returns when customer revenue arrives over time.
The template is useful when the revenue associated with an acquisition effort extends beyond the month in which you paid for it.
Recurring revenue businesses
Follow ongoing revenue from customers acquired through a particular month's marketing investment.
Professional services firms
Track irregular repeat revenue from acquired clients, such as legal or accounting clients whose work may occur over a longer period.
Understand the revenue behind the return
Keep each month's acquisition spend connected to its customers' revenue.
You enter the spend and the monthly revenue attributable to it. The template then shows the resulting return and timing measures. Payback identifies when that entered revenue has covered the original marketing investment.
More SmartHelping planning tools
Explore recurring revenue models and the full template collection.
Questions before you start
A few useful details.
What is a monthly marketing cohort?
It is the customers associated with a particular month's acquisition spend. Each row tracks that month's spend and the monthly revenue directly attributed to those customers.
How much history can I view?
The template displays data for up to 10 years at once.
What do I enter into the template?
Enter sales and marketing spend for a given month and the monthly revenue directly derived from that spend. You determine and enter the revenue attribution.
What does the payback calculation measure?
It measures the number of months required for the cohort's cumulative attributed revenue to cover its initial marketing spend.
Can it track irregular repeat revenue?
Yes. Enter the revenue in the months it occurs for the relevant cohort. This can help professional services firms track returns from clients who generate revenue at irregular intervals.
Which metrics are included?
Each cohort has ROI, IRR, and months to pay back marketing spend. The template also includes averages for these measures and conditional formatting for returns and payback.
How do I receive the template?
The Excel template is available to download immediately after the $45 USD one-time purchase. Contact SmartHelping if you have a question before purchasing.
Marketing spend & the revenue it generates
See how each month's acquisition investment performs over time.
Track monthly cohorts, compare returns, and review revenue payback in Excel.
