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name: marketing-paid-advertising description: Paid advertising strategy for Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn - campaign structure, bidding, audiences, creative, measurement, and budget allocation.

PAID ADVERTISING — CAMPAIGN OS (OPERATIONAL)

Built as a no-fluff execution skill for paid acquisition across Google, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Structure: Core paid advertising fundamentals first. Platform-specific tactics in dedicated sections. AI automation in clearly labeled "Optional: AI / Automation" sections.

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Modern Best Practices (January 2026)

• Google Ads: https://support.google.com/google-ads/
• Meta Business Help: https://www.facebook.com/business/help
• TikTok Ads Manager: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/
• LinkedIn Campaign Manager: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions

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When to Use This Skill

• New campaigns: Structure, audiences, bidding, creative strategy
• Scaling spend: Budget allocation, ROAS targets, diminishing returns
• Platform selection: Which channels for which goals
• Creative strategy: Ad formats, hooks, testing frameworks
• Measurement: Attribution, incrementality, cross-platform tracking

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Core: Platform Selection Matrix

Platform	Best For	Avg CPL (B2B)	Avg CPL (B2C)	Targeting Strength
Google Search	High intent, ready-to-buy	$30-80	$15-40	Intent-based
Google Display	Awareness, retargeting	$10-30	$5-15	Contextual
Meta (FB/IG)	B2C, visual products, awareness	$20-60	$5-25	Interest/behavior
LinkedIn	B2B, enterprise, high ACV	$50-150	N/A	Professional
TikTok	Gen Z/Millennial, viral potential	$15-40	$3-15	Interest/behavior
YouTube	Education, demos, brand	$20-50	$8-20	Intent + interest

Platform Selection Decision Tree

HIGH INTENT (ready to buy)?
├─ YES → Google Search (always include)
│        └─ Add branded terms + competitor terms
└─ NO → What's your goal?
         ├─ Awareness/Brand → Meta, TikTok, YouTube
         ├─ B2B/Enterprise → LinkedIn, Google Search
         ├─ E-commerce → Meta, Google Shopping, TikTok
         └─ App installs → Meta, TikTok, Google UAC

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Core: Campaign Structure Framework

Google Ads Structure

ACCOUNT
├─ Campaign 1: Brand (Search)
│   ├─ Ad Group: Exact brand terms
│   └─ Ad Group: Brand + product
│
├─ Campaign 2: Non-Brand (Search)
│   ├─ Ad Group: Pain/problem keywords
│   ├─ Ad Group: Solution keywords
│   └─ Ad Group: Competitor keywords
│
├─ Campaign 3: Retargeting (Display)
│   ├─ Ad Group: Site visitors (7d)
│   ├─ Ad Group: Site visitors (30d)
│   └─ Ad Group: Cart abandoners
│
└─ Campaign 4: Performance Max (if applicable)
    └─ Asset group by product/service line

Meta Ads Structure

ACCOUNT
├─ Campaign 1: Prospecting (Conversions)
│   ├─ Ad Set: Lookalike 1% (customers)
│   ├─ Ad Set: Interest targeting
│   └─ Ad Set: Broad targeting (Advantage+)
│
├─ Campaign 2: Retargeting (Conversions)
│   ├─ Ad Set: Website visitors (7d)
│   ├─ Ad Set: Engaged (video/page 30d)
│   └─ Ad Set: Cart abandoners
│
└─ Campaign 3: Testing (CBO or ABO)
    ├─ Ad Set: Creative test A
    ├─ Ad Set: Creative test B
    └─ Ad Set: Creative test C

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Core: Bidding Strategy Guide

Strategy	When to Use	Risk Level	Best For
Manual CPC	New campaigns, learning	Low	Control freaks, testing
Target CPA	Stable conversion history	Medium	Lead gen, consistent volume
Target ROAS	E-commerce, known value	Medium	Revenue optimization
Maximize Conversions	Volume priority	High	Scale quickly, less control
Maximize Clicks	Traffic/awareness	Low	Brand campaigns

Bidding Decision Tree

CONVERSION HISTORY?
├─ <50 conversions/month → Manual CPC or Max Clicks
├─ 50-100 conversions → Target CPA (start conservative)
└─ >100 conversions → Target CPA/ROAS (optimize for efficiency)

BUDGET CONSTRAINED?
├─ YES → Manual CPC or Target CPA (strict)
└─ NO → Maximize Conversions (let algorithm spend)

Do (Bidding)

• Start with manual/conservative bids to gather data
• Set realistic CPA/ROAS targets based on unit economics
• Allow 2-4 weeks for learning phase before judging
• Use bid adjustments for device, location, time

Avoid (Bidding)

• Changing bids daily (resets learning)
• Setting unrealistic CPA targets (algorithm won't spend)
• Using ROAS bidding without accurate conversion values
• Ignoring seasonality effects on performance

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Core: Audience Strategy

Google Audiences

Audience Type	Description	Use Case
In-Market	Actively researching/buying	Prospecting
Affinity	Long-term interests	Awareness
Custom Intent	Your keywords, competitor URLs	Prospecting
Remarketing	Your site visitors	Retargeting
Customer Match	Email list upload	Lookalikes, exclusion
Similar	Lookalikes of your lists	Prospecting

Meta Audiences

Audience Type	Description	Best Practice
Lookalike 1%	Most similar to source	Highest quality
Lookalike 1-3%	Moderate similarity	Volume + quality
Interest	Based on behavior/pages	Test broadly
Custom	Site visitors, engagers	Retargeting
Advantage+	AI-optimized broad	Let Meta find

Audience Strategy Framework

FUNNEL STAGE
├─ Top (Awareness)
│   ├─ Google: In-Market, Affinity, Display
│   ├─ Meta: Broad, Interest, Lookalike 1-5%
│   └─ TikTok: Interest, Hashtag
│
├─ Middle (Consideration)
│   ├─ Google: Custom Intent, Search
│   ├─ Meta: Lookalike 1-2%, Engaged visitors
│   └─ TikTok: Custom audiences, Retargeting
│
└─ Bottom (Decision)
    ├─ Google: Brand Search, RLSA
    ├─ Meta: Retargeting 7-14d, Cart abandoners
    └─ All: Email list retargeting

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Core: Creative Strategy

Ad Format Selection

Format	Platform	Best For	CPM Range
Responsive Search	Google	High intent	$1-5
Image (static)	Meta, Display	Simple message	$3-10
Carousel	Meta, LinkedIn	Multiple products/features	$5-12
Video (15-30s)	All	Engagement, brand	$8-20
UGC-style	Meta, TikTok	Authenticity	$5-15
Document	LinkedIn	B2B thought leadership	$10-25

Creative Testing Framework

Test ONE variable at a time:

Week 1-2: Hook Test
├─ Creative A: Pain hook ("Tired of...")
├─ Creative B: Result hook ("Get X in Y days")
└─ Creative C: Social proof hook ("Join 10,000+")

Week 3-4: Format Test (winner hook)
├─ Creative A: Static image
├─ Creative B: Video (15s)
└─ Creative C: Carousel

Week 5-6: CTA Test (winner format)
├─ Creative A: "Start Free Trial"
├─ Creative B: "Book a Demo"
└─ Creative C: "See Pricing"

Creative Best Practices by Platform

Google Search:

• Include keywords in headlines
• Use all 15 headlines, 4 descriptions
• Pin important messages to positions 1-2
• Include numbers, urgency, benefits

Meta:

• First 3 seconds = hook (video)
• Native/UGC style outperforms polished
• 1:1 for feed, 9:16 for stories/reels
• Text: <125 chars primary, 40 headline

TikTok:

• Native TikTok aesthetic (not ads)
• Hook in first 1 second
• Creator/UGC content performs best
• Trending sounds can boost reach

LinkedIn:

• Professional tone, specific value
• Document ads for thought leadership
• Video: talking head with captions
• Longer copy acceptable (pain + solution)

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Core: Budget Allocation Framework

Budget by Funnel Stage

Stage	% of Budget	Goal
Brand	10-20%	Protect brand terms, low CPL
Prospecting	40-60%	New customer acquisition
Retargeting	20-30%	Convert warm audiences
Testing	10-15%	New creative/audience tests

Budget Allocation by Platform

Starter Budget ($5-10k/month):

Google Search (brand + non-brand): 60%
Meta (prospecting + retargeting): 30%
Testing budget: 10%

Growth Budget ($10-50k/month):

Google Search: 40%
Meta: 35%
TikTok or LinkedIn: 15%
Testing: 10%

Scale Budget ($50k+/month):

Google (Search + PMax + YouTube): 35%
Meta: 30%
TikTok: 15%
LinkedIn (if B2B): 10%
Testing: 10%

Diminishing Returns Detection

Signal	What It Means	Action
CPL increasing >20%	Audience saturation	Expand audiences, add channels
Frequency >3 (Meta)	Ad fatigue	New creative, expand audience
Impression share <80%	Budget limited	Increase budget or narrow targeting
CTR declining	Creative fatigue	Test new hooks, formats

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Quick Reference

Task	Template	Location
Campaign setup	Campaign structure template	templates/campaign-structure.md
Budget planning	Budget allocation worksheet	templates/budget-allocation.md
Creative brief	Ad creative brief	templates/creative-brief.md
A/B testing	Creative test plan	templates/creative-test-plan.md
Performance review	Weekly/monthly review	templates/performance-review.md

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Decision Tree (Campaign Triage)

CPL too high?
├─ Check audience size → Too narrow = expand; too broad = tighten
├─ Check creative CTR → Below 1% = new creative needed
├─ Check landing page CVR → Below 2% = landing page issue (see marketing-cro)
└─ Check bid strategy → May need to increase bids or change strategy

ROAS below target?
├─ Check conversion tracking → Missing conversions = attribution issue
├─ Check audience quality → Low quality = tighten targeting
├─ Check offer → Weak offer = test new value prop
└─ Check funnel → Leaky funnel = fix downstream conversion

Volume too low?
├─ Check budget → Daily budget limiting impressions
├─ Check bid → Bids too low to win auctions
├─ Check audience → Audience too narrow
└─ Check creative → Low relevance score/quality score

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Operational SOPs

Campaign Launch SOP

1. Pre-launch (Day -7 to -1)

   • Define KPIs: CPL target, ROAS target, volume goals
   • Build audiences: custom, lookalike, remarketing
   • Create campaign structure per framework
   • Upload creative assets (3-5 variants minimum)
   • Set up conversion tracking and verify
   • Configure UTM parameters

2. Launch (Day 0)

   • Start with conservative bids (20% below target CPA)
   • Enable all ad sets/ad groups
   • Set daily budget caps
   • Document baseline metrics

3. Learning Phase (Day 1-14)

   • DO NOT make major changes
   • Monitor for errors only (disapprovals, tracking issues)
   • Document performance daily

4. Optimization (Day 14+)

   • Pause underperformers (>2x CPA target)
   • Increase budget on winners (+20% increments)
   • Launch creative tests
   • Expand audiences gradually

Weekly Review SOP

Monday (30 minutes):

• Pull weekly metrics: spend, CPL, ROAS, conversions
• Compare to targets and previous week
• Identify top 3 actions for the week

Thursday (15 minutes):

• Mid-week check on pacing
• Pause any disasters (>3x CPA)
• Note creative fatigue signals

Monthly Review SOP

1. Performance Summary

   • Spend vs budget
   • CPL/CPA by campaign, platform
   • ROAS by campaign, platform
   • Conversion volume and quality

2. Audience Insights

   • Best performing audiences
   • Audiences to exclude
   • New audience opportunities

3. Creative Insights

   • Top performing creatives
   • Fatigue indicators
   • Next month's test plan

4. Budget Reallocation

   • Shift budget from losers to winners
   • Adjust platform mix based on results
   • Plan next month's tests

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Metrics & KPIs

Primary Metrics

Metric	Definition	Target Range
CPL	Cost per lead	Industry dependent
CPA	Cost per acquisition	< LTV/3
ROAS	Revenue / Ad spend	> 3:1 for e-com
CAC	Full acquisition cost	< LTV/3

Secondary Metrics

Metric	Definition	Watch For
CTR	Clicks / Impressions	<1% = creative issue
CVR	Conversions / Clicks	<2% = landing issue
Frequency	Avg impressions/user	>3 = fatigue
Quality Score	Google relevance	<6 = improve relevance
Relevance Score	Meta relevance	<5 = improve relevance

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Platform-Specific Guides

Google Ads Specifics

See resources/google-ads-guide.md

Meta Ads Specifics

See resources/meta-ads-guide.md

TikTok Ads Specifics

See resources/tiktok-ads-guide.md

LinkedIn Ads Specifics

See resources/linkedin-ads-guide.md

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Templates

Template	Purpose
campaign-structure.md	Campaign hierarchy template
budget-allocation.md	Budget planning worksheet
creative-brief.md	Ad creative specification
creative-test-plan.md	A/B testing framework
performance-review.md	Weekly/monthly review template

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Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	Instead
Changing bids daily	Resets algorithm learning	Wait 2-4 weeks
Too many audiences	Splits budget, no learnings	3-5 audiences max
Single creative	No testing, quick fatigue	3-5 variants minimum
No negative keywords	Wasted spend on irrelevant	Build negatives weekly
Ignoring Quality Score	Higher CPCs, lower reach	Improve relevance
Platform FOMO	Spreading too thin	Master 1-2 platforms first
No exclusions	Showing to existing customers	Exclude converters

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Optional: AI / Automation

Note: Core paid advertising fundamentals above work without AI. This section covers optional automation capabilities.

AI-Powered Features

Feature	Platform	Use Case
Performance Max	Google	Full-funnel automation
Advantage+	Meta	Automated targeting
Smart Campaigns	TikTok	Automated optimization
Value-Based Bidding	All	Bid on predicted LTV

When to Use AI Features

HAVE 100+ conversions/month?
├─ YES → Consider Performance Max, Advantage+
└─ NO → Stick to manual campaigns for control

CLEAR CONVERSION VALUES?
├─ YES → Value-based bidding can optimize for revenue
└─ NO → Use CPA bidding instead

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Related Skills

• marketing-leads-generation — Lead capture and nurture
• marketing-cro — Landing page optimization
• marketing-content-strategy — Content for ads
• startup-go-to-market — Channel strategy

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Usage Notes (Claude)

• Stay operational: return campaign structures, budgets, creative specs
• Include platform-specific requirements (sizes, specs, limits)
• Always recommend starting conservative and scaling
• Cite current platform documentation when possible
• Do not invent benchmark data; use ranges or state "varies by industry"