Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is a key metric for any business aiming to understand the financial efficiency of its sales and marketing strategies.

To calculate CAC, simply add up all marketing and sales expenses for a given period—such as ad spend, team salaries, creative services, technology, and production costs—and divide that total by the number of new customers acquired during the same period.

For example, if a company spent $10,000 and gained 100 customers, its CAC would be $100 per customer.​

Benefits of Understanding Customer Acquisition Cost

Budget Optimization

By knowing your CAC, you can better allocate your marketing budget to the channels that bring in customers most cost-effectively. If a particular channel has a lower CAC, you might choose to invest more in that channel.

Marketing Efficiency

Tracking CAC over time allows you to measure the efficiency of your marketing strategies. If your CAC is decreasing, it indicates that your marketing is becoming more efficient.

Benchmarking

Knowing your CAC allows you to benchmark against industry standards or competitors. This can provide insight into how well your marketing strategies are performing relative to others in your field.

Long-term Planning

CAC is crucial for long-term business planning. It helps in forecasting future expenses and revenue, which is essential for scaling your business sustainably.

Conclusion

Calculating and understanding your Customer Acquisition Cost is vital for making informed business decisions. It allows you to optimize your marketing efforts, budget effectively, and ensure that your strategies are cost-efficient. By regularly monitoring CAC, you can continually refine your approach to acquiring new customers, leading to sustainable growth and profitability.