> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sourcemedium.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Marketing Costs

> How to enter marketing spend via the Configuration Sheet and how it impacts blended metrics like CPA and ROAS

Marketing costs entered via the Configuration Sheet ensure your reporting includes **complete spend**—including sources that aren't directly integrated with SourceMedium.

## Why Add Marketing Costs Manually?

SourceMedium integrates with major ad platforms (Meta, Google, TikTok, etc.), but some spend sources require manual entry:

| Source Type           | Examples                        |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **Influencer spend**  | Creator payments, gifting costs |
| **Podcast ads**       | Sponsorships, host-read ads     |
| **Affiliate payouts** | Commission payments             |
| **Traditional media** | TV, radio, print                |
| **Offline marketing** | Events, direct mail             |

<Warning>
  If you have significant untracked spend, your blended ROAS and CPA metrics will be inflated. Adding all spend gives you accurate efficiency metrics.
</Warning>

## Where Marketing Costs Appear

| Module             | Impact                        |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| Executive Summary  | Blended ROAS, total spend     |
| Marketing Overview | Channel-level spend breakdown |
| CPA metrics        | Cost per acquisition accuracy |

## Setting Up Marketing Costs

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify untracked spend">
    List all marketing spend not captured by integrations
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Configuration Sheet">
    Navigate to the marketing costs tab
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter spend data">
    Add spend by date, channel, and optionally subchannel
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Data Format

Enter marketing costs with these fields:

| Field      | Required | Example                    |
| ---------- | -------- | -------------------------- |
| Date       | Yes      | `2026-01-15`               |
| Channel    | Yes      | `Influencer`               |
| Subchannel | No       | `TikTok Creators`          |
| Spend      | Yes      | `5000`                     |
| Notes      | No       | `January creator campaign` |

## Common Use Cases

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Influencer marketing">
    Track creator payments to understand true influencer CAC and ROAS.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Podcast sponsorships">
    Add podcast spend with promo codes to measure attribution.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Affiliate commissions">
    Include payouts to calculate true affiliate channel efficiency.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add marketing spend" icon="dollar-sign" href="/data-inputs/configuration-sheet/how-do-i-include-marketing-spend-through-the-cost-tab-of-the-configuration-sheet">
    Step-by-step setup guide
  </Card>

  <Card title="Track influencers" icon="user-group" href="/data-inputs/configuration-sheet/how-can-i-track-influencer-spend-and-performance">
    Influencer tracking best practices
  </Card>
</CardGroup>