Paid Advertising#
Paid media strategy and optimization across platforms for profitable customer acquisition.
Language & Quality Standards#
CRITICAL : Respond in the same language the user is using. If Vietnamese, respond in Vietnamese. If Spanish, respond in Spanish.
Standards : Token efficiency, sacrifice grammar for concision, list unresolved questions at end.
When to Use This Skill#
Apply paid advertising expertise when:
Planning paid campaign strategy
Optimizing ad performance and ROAS
Managing budgets across platforms
Setting up tracking and attribution
Creating ad copy and creative briefs
Troubleshooting underperforming campaigns
Core Concepts#
Campaign Objectives by Goal#
Objective Use When Primary KPI Platform Features Awareness Building brand CPM, Reach Brand awareness, video views Traffic Driving site visits CPC, CTR Traffic campaigns Engagement Growing social CPE, engagement rate Engagement campaigns Leads Generating contacts CPL, lead quality Lead forms, conversions Conversions Driving sales ROAS, CPA Purchase, signup events App Installs Mobile acquisition CPI, install rate App campaigns
Funnel-Based Targeting Strategy#
TOFU (Awareness) - Cold Audiences
Broad interest targeting
Lookalike audiences (1-3%)
Video viewers (3s+)
Content: Educational, entertaining
Bid: CPM or ThruPlay
MOFU (Consideration) - Warm Audiences
Website visitors (7-30 days)
Email list matches
Engaged social audiences
Content: Case studies, comparisons
Bid: Landing page views
BOFU (Decision) - Hot Audiences
High-intent visitors (pricing, demo pages)
Cart abandoners (1-7 days)
Trial users, demo requesters
Content: Offers, urgency, testimonials
Bid: Conversions, ROAS
Platform-Specific Guidelines#
Google Ads
Campaign Type Best For Key Settings Search High intent, BOFU Exact match, SKAG Display Awareness, retargeting Placement exclusions Shopping E-commerce Feed optimization Performance Max Full-funnel automation Asset variety YouTube Awareness, TOFU Audience targeting
Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram)
Campaign Type Best For Key Settings Traffic Website visits Landing page optimization Conversions Sales, signups Pixel setup, CAPI Leads B2B, services Lead form optimization Catalog Sales E-commerce Dynamic product ads Advantage+ Automation Broad targeting
LinkedIn Ads
Campaign Type Best For Key Settings Sponsored Content Awareness, leads Job title targeting Message Ads Direct response Personalization Lead Gen Forms B2B leads Pre-filled forms Document Ads Thought leadership Gated content
Key Metrics & Benchmarks#
Metric Formula Good Range Action If Below CTR Clicks / Impressions 1-3% Improve creative/targeting CPC Spend / Clicks <$1-5 (varies) Improve quality score CPL Spend / Leads <$20-100 Optimize landing page CPA Spend / Conversions < 1/3 LTV Full funnel review ROAS Revenue / Ad Spend 3:1+ Improve AOV or CVR CVR Conversions / Clicks 2-5% Landing page optimization
Budget Allocation Framework#
70-20-10 Rule for Mature Programs :
70% to proven, profitable campaigns
20% to optimization tests
10% to new channel/audience experiments
Startup/Testing Phase :
Equal split across channels until data
Minimum viable spend per test ($500-1000)
2 weeks minimum per test
Best Practices#
Campaign Setup Excellence#
Pixel/Tracking First : Never launch without proper trackingExclusion Lists : Exclude converters, competitors, irrelevant audiencesNaming Conventions : Consistent, searchable campaign namesUTM Discipline : Track all campaigns in analytics
Creative Excellence#
Hook in 3 Seconds : Capture attention immediatelyMobile-First : Design for mobile, adapt to desktopTest Variations : 3-5 creatives per ad set minimumRefresh Regularly : Combat creative fatigue
Optimization Excellence#
Let Data Accumulate : 50+ conversions before major changesOne Variable at a Time : Isolate what's workingWeekly Review Cadence : Regular but not daily changesSegment Performance : Break down by audience, placement
Agent Integration#
Agent How They Use This Skill attraction-specialistPaid campaign strategy and setup copywriterAd copy creation researcherCompetitor ad analysis plannerBudget allocation planning
Anti-Patterns to Avoid#
Anti-Pattern Why It's Wrong Do This Instead Launching without tracking Can't measure success Pixel first, always Too broad targeting Wasted spend Start narrow, expand One creative only No learning, fatigue Test 3-5 variations Daily bid changes Disrupts algorithm Weekly optimization Ignoring landing page Blames ads for LP issues Optimize full funnel
Platform-Specific Resources#
references/meta-ads.md - Facebook/Instagram advertisingreferences/google-ads.md - Search and displayreferences/linkedin-ads.md - B2B advertisingreferences/tiktok-ads.md - TikTok advertising
Related Commands#
/content/ads - Create ad copy for platforms/analytics/roi - Calculate campaign ROI/campaign/plan - Full campaign planning
Supporting file: references/google-ads.md#
Google Ads#
Search, display, and YouTube advertising guide.
Campaign Types#
Search Campaigns#
Text ads on search results
Keyword-triggered
High intent traffic
CPC bidding
Display Campaigns#
Visual ads across web
Audience/placement targeting
Brand awareness focus
CPM or CPC bidding
Shopping Campaigns#
Product listing ads
Feed-based
E-commerce focused
High purchase intent
Video Campaigns#
YouTube ads
Multiple formats
Awareness to conversion
CPV or CPM bidding
Performance Max#
AI-optimized
All Google properties
Goal-based
Conversion focused
Keyword Match Types#
Type Symbol Example Matches Broad none running shoes Related terms Phrase "..." "running shoes" Contains phrase Exact [...] [running shoes] Exact or close
Quality Score#
Components (1-10)#
Expected CTR
Ad relevance
Landing page experience
Impact#
Ad position
Cost per click
Ad extensions eligibility
Improvement#
Tighter ad groups
Keyword-ad alignment
Landing page optimization
CTR improvement
Ad Extensions#
Extension Use Case Sitelinks Multiple landing pages Callouts Key benefits Structured Snippets Product/service types Call Phone leads Location Local businesses Price Product pricing
Bidding Strategies#
Strategy Goal Manual CPC Full control Maximize Clicks Traffic Maximize Conversions Volume Target CPA Cost control Target ROAS Efficiency
Supporting file: references/linkedin-ads.md#
LinkedIn Ads#
B2B advertising on LinkedIn.
Campaign Objectives#
Objective Use Case Brand Awareness Top of funnel reach Website Visits Traffic to site Engagement Social interaction Video Views Video content promotion Lead Generation Native lead forms Website Conversions Bottom funnel
Ad Formats#
Single image ads
Video ads
Carousel ads
Event ads
Message Ads (InMail)#
Direct message delivery
CTA button
Personal approach
Best for high-value offers
Text Ads#
Right column placement
Small image + text
Lower cost, lower CTR
Dynamic Ads#
Personalized to viewer
Follower ads
Spotlight ads
Targeting Options#
Professional Targeting#
Job title
Job function
Seniority level
Industry
Company size
Company name
Interest/Trait Targeting#
Member groups
Member interests
Member traits
Account-Based Marketing#
Company list upload
Website retargeting
Contact targeting
Best Practices#
Creative#
Professional imagery
Clear value proposition
Statistics and data
Thought leadership angle
Copy#
Speak to pain points
Business outcomes
Social proof
Professional tone
Lead Gen Forms#
Minimize fields (3-5)
Pre-filled from profile
Thank you message
CRM integration
Benchmarks#
Metric Average CTR 0.4-0.6% CPC $5-10 CPM $25-35 Lead Form CVR 10-15%
Supporting file: references/meta-ads.md#
Meta Ads#
Facebook and Instagram advertising guide.
Campaign Structure#
Hierarchy#
Campaign → Ad Set → Ad
Campaign Level#
Objective selection
Budget optimization (CBO)
A/B testing
Ad Set Level#
Audience targeting
Placements
Budget and schedule
Optimization goal
Ad Level#
Creative (image/video)
Copy and CTA
Destination URL
Tracking
Audience Types#
Core Audiences#
Demographics
Interests
Behaviors
Connections
Custom Audiences#
Website visitors
Customer list uploads
App users
Engagement audiences
Lookalike Audiences#
Based on custom audiences
1-10% similarity range
1% = most similar
Ad Formats#
Format Best For Specs Image Simple messages 1:1, 1.91:1 Video Storytelling 15-60 sec Carousel Multiple products 2-10 cards Collection E-commerce Instant experience Stories Full-screen 9:16 vertical
Optimization Tips#
Creative#
Use high contrast
Front-load value
Show product in use
Include social proof
Test multiple variants
Copy#
Hook in first line
Focus on benefits
Include CTA
Keep mobile-first
Targeting#
Start broad, narrow down
Use exclusions
Layer interests carefully
Refresh audiences regularly
Pixel Setup#
Standard Events#
PageView
ViewContent
AddToCart
InitiateCheckout
Purchase
Best Practices#
Use Conversions API
Match customer data
Test event firing
Use aggregated event measurement
Supporting file: references/paid-media-playbook.md#
Paid Advertising Playbook#
Based on research from Google Ads (opens in a new tab) , Meta Business (opens in a new tab) , WordStream (opens in a new tab) .
Platform Comparison#
Audience & Intent#
Platform Audience Intent Level Google Search Active searchers Very High Google Display Passive browsers Low Meta (FB/IG) Social users Medium LinkedIn Professionals Medium-High TikTok Entertainment seekers Low-Medium YouTube Video viewers Medium Programmatic Across web Low
Best Use Cases#
Platform Best For Google Search High-intent capture, B2B, local Google Display Retargeting, brand awareness Meta B2C, e-commerce, lookalikes LinkedIn B2B, enterprise, recruiting TikTok Gen Z, D2C, viral YouTube Brand, tutorials, reviews Twitter/X Tech, events, announcements
Google Ads#
Campaign Types#
Type Best For Bidding Search High-intent keywords CPC, Target CPA Display Retargeting, awareness CPM, CPA Performance Max Full funnel automation Target ROAS Video (YouTube) Brand, tutorials CPV, CPM Shopping E-commerce CPC App Mobile installs CPI
Search Structure#
TEXT · 5 LINES Copy Account
└── Campaign (Budget, Settings)
└── Ad Group (Keywords, Ads)
├── Keywords
└── Ads (Headlines, Descriptions)Match Types#
Match Type Symbol Behavior Broad none Wide reach, AI matching Phrase "keyword" Contains phrase Exact [keyword] Exact or close variants
Quality Score Factors#
Factor Weight Improvement CTR High Better ad copy Ad relevance Medium Match keywords to copy Landing page Medium Relevance, speed, UX
Google Ads Benchmarks (Search)#
Industry Avg CTR Avg CPC Avg CVR B2B 2.4% $3.33 3.0% Technology 2.1% $3.80 2.9% E-commerce 2.7% $1.16 2.8% Finance 2.9% $3.44 5.1% SaaS 2.0% $4.50 2.5%
Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram)#
Campaign Objectives#
Objective Optimization Use Case Awareness Reach, impressions Brand building Traffic Link clicks Site visits Engagement Reactions, comments Social proof Leads Form submissions Lead gen Sales Purchases E-commerce App promotion Installs Mobile apps
Audience Types#
Type Description Best For Core Demographics, interests Prospecting Custom Your data (email, site) Retargeting Lookalike Similar to custom Scaling Saved Pre-built combinations Efficiency
Lookalike Strategy#
Source Audience Lookalike % Purpose Customers 1% Highest quality Purchasers 1-2% Best converters Leads 2-3% More volume Engagers 3-5% Broader reach
Ad Formats#
Format Best For Specs Single image Simple message 1080x1080, 1080x1350 Carousel Multiple products 3-10 cards Video Storytelling 15-60s Collection E-commerce Hero + products Stories Mobile, casual 1080x1920 Reels Entertainment 9:16 vertical
Meta Ads Benchmarks#
Objective Avg CTR Avg CPC Avg CPM Awareness 0.5-1% $0.50-1.00 $5-10 Traffic 1-2% $0.30-0.80 $8-15 Conversions 1-3% $0.50-2.00 $10-20 Lead gen 2-5% $2-10 $15-30
LinkedIn Ads#
Campaign Objectives#
Objective Optimization Brand awareness Impressions Website visits Link clicks Engagement Reactions, comments Lead generation Lead form submissions Conversions Website actions
Targeting Options#
Category Options Company Industry, size, name Job Title, function, seniority Education Degree, field, school Demographics Age, gender, location Interests Groups, skills Matched Email lists, retargeting
Ad Formats#
Format Best For Single image Standard promotion Carousel Multiple messages Video Brand storytelling Document Lead magnets Message Direct outreach Text Simple, cost-effective
LinkedIn Benchmarks#
Metric B2B Average CTR 0.4-0.6% CPC $5-10 CPM $30-50 CVR (leads) 5-15% CPL $50-200
Bidding Strategies#
By Objective#
Goal Strategy Platform Awareness CPM, Reach All Traffic CPC All Conversions Target CPA Google, Meta Revenue Target ROAS Google, Meta Efficiency Maximize conversions Google
Bidding Progression#
TEXT · 4 LINES Copy Start: Manual CPC → Understand baseline
Then: Maximize clicks → Volume
Then: Target CPA → Efficiency
Scale: Target ROAS → ProfitabilityBudget Pacing#
Setting Use Case Standard Even spend throughout day Accelerated Time-sensitive campaigns Lifetime Flexible daily spend Daily Strict daily control
Creative Best Practices#
Ad Copy Framework#
TEXT · 3 LINES Copy Headline: [Pain point or benefit]
Primary text: [Problem] → [Solution] → [Proof] → [CTA]
CTA: [Action verb] + [What they get]Video Ad Structure#
Time Content 0-3s Hook (stop scroll) 3-15s Problem/pain point 15-30s Solution intro 30-45s Proof/demo 45-60s CTA
Creative Testing Framework#
Variable Test Variations Visual Image vs video, UGC vs branded Headline Benefit vs pain, question vs statement CTA Different actions Format Single vs carousel Length Short vs long copy
Ad Fatigue Signs#
CTR declining
Frequency >3 (prospecting)
Frequency >7 (retargeting)
CPM increasing
Conversion rate dropping
Retargeting Strategy#
Audience Segments#
Segment Window Priority Cart abandoners 1-7 days Highest Product viewers 7-14 days High Site visitors 14-30 days Medium Engaged (video, social) 30-60 days Medium Past customers 90-180 days Low
Retargeting Exclusions#
Exclude From Purchasers Conversion campaigns Recent converters Short-term Bouncers (<10s) All Spam/bot traffic All
Sequential Retargeting#
TEXT · 5 LINES Copy Day 1-3: Reminder ad (simple)
Day 4-7: Benefit ad (value)
Day 8-14: Social proof ad (testimonial)
Day 15-21: Offer ad (incentive)
Day 22+: Last chance ad (urgency)Measurement & Optimization#
Key Metrics#
Metric Formula Target CTR Clicks / Impressions >1% (search), >0.5% (display) CPC Spend / Clicks Varies CVR Conversions / Clicks >2% CPA Spend / Conversions < LTV/3 ROAS Revenue / Spend >3x Quality Score Google metric >7/10
Optimization Checklist#
Frequency Action Daily Check spend, pause losers Weekly Bid adjustments, add negatives Bi-weekly Creative refresh Monthly Structure review, strategy Quarterly Full audit
Attribution Windows#
Platform Default Options Google 30-day click 1-90 days Meta 7-day click, 1-day view 1-28 days LinkedIn 30-day click, 7-day view Various
Budget Allocation#
New Campaign Testing#
Phase Budget Duration Test 10-20% of total 2-4 weeks Validate 30-40% of total 4-8 weeks Scale 50-70% of total Ongoing
Channel Mix by Goal#
Goal Search Social Display Awareness 10% 60% 30% Consideration 30% 50% 20% Conversion 60% 30% 10%
Scaling Rules#
Signal Action CPA < Target, Volume < Goal Increase budget 20% CPA at Target, Volume at Goal Maintain CPA > Target Optimize before scaling Diminishing returns Diversify channels
Supporting file: references/tiktok-ads.md#
TikTok Ads#
Advertising on TikTok.
Ad Formats#
In-Feed Ads#
Native format
Up to 60 seconds
Full-screen vertical
Swipe up CTA
TopView#
First ad seen
Premium placement
Up to 60 seconds
High impact, high cost
Branded Hashtag Challenge#
User participation
Viral potential
High engagement
Significant investment
Branded Effects#
Custom filters/stickers
Interactive experiences
Brand awareness focus
Spark Ads#
Boost organic posts
Native appearance
Higher engagement
Lower production cost
Targeting Options#
Demographics#
Age
Gender
Location
Language
Interests & Behaviors#
Interest categories
Video interactions
Creator interactions
Hashtag interactions
Custom Audiences#
Customer file upload
App activity
Website traffic
Engagement audiences
Creative Best Practices#
Format#
9:16 vertical
15-30 seconds optimal
Native TikTok style
Sound on design
Content#
Hook in first 3 seconds
Show product in action
Use trending sounds
Include captions
Clear CTA
Style#
Authentic, not polished
User-generated aesthetic
Humor and entertainment
Trend participation
TikTok Pixel#
Events to Track#
PageView
ViewContent
AddToCart
CompletePayment
SubmitForm
Best Practices#
Use Events Manager
Set up CAPI
Test event firing
Use UTM parameters
Performance Benchmarks#
Metric Benchmark CTR 1-3% CPM $5-15 CVR 1-3% VCR 15-25%