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 tracking
- •Exclusion Lists: Exclude converters, competitors, irrelevant audiences
- •Naming Conventions: Consistent, searchable campaign names
- •UTM Discipline: Track all campaigns in analytics
Creative Excellence
- •Hook in 3 Seconds: Capture attention immediately
- •Mobile-First: Design for mobile, adapt to desktop
- •Test Variations: 3-5 creatives per ad set minimum
- •Refresh Regularly: Combat creative fatigue
Optimization Excellence
- •Let Data Accumulate: 50+ conversions before major changes
- •One Variable at a Time: Isolate what's working
- •Weekly Review Cadence: Regular but not daily changes
- •Segment Performance: Break down by audience, placement
Agent Integration
| Agent | How They Use This Skill |
|---|---|
attraction-specialist | Paid campaign strategy and setup |
copywriter | Ad copy creation |
researcher | Competitor ad analysis |
planner | Budget 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 advertising - •
references/google-ads.md- Search and display - •
references/linkedin-ads.md- B2B advertising - •
references/tiktok-ads.md- TikTok advertising
Related Commands
- •
/content/ads- Create ad copy for platforms - •
/analytics/roi- Calculate campaign ROI - •
/campaign/plan- Full campaign planning