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
1---2name: paid-advertising3description: Paid media strategy and optimization across platforms. Use when planning paid campaigns, optimizing ad performance, managing budgets, or setting up tracking for paid channels.4---5
6# Paid Advertising
7
8Paid media strategy and optimization across platforms for profitable customer acquisition.
9
10## Language & Quality Standards
11
12**CRITICAL**: Respond in the same language the user is using. If Vietnamese, respond in Vietnamese. If Spanish, respond in Spanish.
13
14**Standards**: Token efficiency, sacrifice grammar for concision, list unresolved questions at end.
15
16---
17
18## When to Use This Skill
19
20Apply paid advertising expertise when:
21- Planning paid campaign strategy
22- Optimizing ad performance and ROAS
23- Managing budgets across platforms
24- Setting up tracking and attribution
25- Creating ad copy and creative briefs
26- Troubleshooting underperforming campaigns
27
28## Core Concepts
29
30### Campaign Objectives by Goal
31
32| Objective | Use When | Primary KPI | Platform Features |
33|-----------|----------|-------------|-------------------|
34| Awareness | Building brand | CPM, Reach | Brand awareness, video views |
35| Traffic | Driving site visits | CPC, CTR | Traffic campaigns |
36| Engagement | Growing social | CPE, engagement rate | Engagement campaigns |
37| Leads | Generating contacts | CPL, lead quality | Lead forms, conversions |
38| Conversions | Driving sales | ROAS, CPA | Purchase, signup events |
39| App Installs | Mobile acquisition | CPI, install rate | App campaigns |
40
41### Funnel-Based Targeting Strategy
42
43**TOFU (Awareness) - Cold Audiences**
44- Broad interest targeting
45- Lookalike audiences (1-3%)
46- Video viewers (3s+)
47- Content: Educational, entertaining
48- Bid: CPM or ThruPlay
49
50**MOFU (Consideration) - Warm Audiences**
51- Website visitors (7-30 days)
52- Email list matches
53- Engaged social audiences
54- Content: Case studies, comparisons
55- Bid: Landing page views
56
57**BOFU (Decision) - Hot Audiences**
58- High-intent visitors (pricing, demo pages)
59- Cart abandoners (1-7 days)
60- Trial users, demo requesters
61- Content: Offers, urgency, testimonials
62- Bid: Conversions, ROAS
63
64### Platform-Specific Guidelines
65
66**Google Ads**
67| Campaign Type | Best For | Key Settings |
68|---------------|----------|--------------|
69| Search | High intent, BOFU | Exact match, SKAG |
70| Display | Awareness, retargeting | Placement exclusions |
71| Shopping | E-commerce | Feed optimization |
72| Performance Max | Full-funnel automation | Asset variety |
73| YouTube | Awareness, TOFU | Audience targeting |
74
75**Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram)**
76| Campaign Type | Best For | Key Settings |
77|---------------|----------|--------------|
78| Traffic | Website visits | Landing page optimization |
79| Conversions | Sales, signups | Pixel setup, CAPI |
80| Leads | B2B, services | Lead form optimization |
81| Catalog Sales | E-commerce | Dynamic product ads |
82| Advantage+ | Automation | Broad targeting |
83
84**LinkedIn Ads**
85| Campaign Type | Best For | Key Settings |
86|---------------|----------|--------------|
87| Sponsored Content | Awareness, leads | Job title targeting |
88| Message Ads | Direct response | Personalization |
89| Lead Gen Forms | B2B leads | Pre-filled forms |
90| Document Ads | Thought leadership | Gated content |
91
92### Key Metrics & Benchmarks
93
94| Metric | Formula | Good Range | Action If Below |
95|--------|---------|------------|-----------------|
96| CTR | Clicks / Impressions | 1-3% | Improve creative/targeting |
97| CPC | Spend / Clicks | <$1-5 (varies) | Improve quality score |
98| CPL | Spend / Leads | <$20-100 | Optimize landing page |
99| CPA | Spend / Conversions | < 1/3 LTV | Full funnel review |
100| ROAS | Revenue / Ad Spend | 3:1+ | Improve AOV or CVR |
101| CVR | Conversions / Clicks | 2-5% | Landing page optimization |
102
103### Budget Allocation Framework
104
105**70-20-10 Rule for Mature Programs**:
106- 70% to proven, profitable campaigns
107- 20% to optimization tests
108- 10% to new channel/audience experiments
109
110**Startup/Testing Phase**:
111- Equal split across channels until data
112- Minimum viable spend per test ($500-1000)
113- 2 weeks minimum per test
114
115## Best Practices
116
117### Campaign Setup Excellence
1181. **Pixel/Tracking First**: Never launch without proper tracking
1192. **Exclusion Lists**: Exclude converters, competitors, irrelevant audiences
1203. **Naming Conventions**: Consistent, searchable campaign names
1214. **UTM Discipline**: Track all campaigns in analytics
122
123### Creative Excellence
1241. **Hook in 3 Seconds**: Capture attention immediately
1252. **Mobile-First**: Design for mobile, adapt to desktop
1263. **Test Variations**: 3-5 creatives per ad set minimum
1274. **Refresh Regularly**: Combat creative fatigue
128
129### Optimization Excellence
1301. **Let Data Accumulate**: 50+ conversions before major changes
1312. **One Variable at a Time**: Isolate what's working
1323. **Weekly Review Cadence**: Regular but not daily changes
1334. **Segment Performance**: Break down by audience, placement
134
135## Agent Integration
136
137| Agent | How They Use This Skill |
138|-------|------------------------|
139| `attraction-specialist` | Paid campaign strategy and setup |
140| `copywriter` | Ad copy creation |
141| `researcher` | Competitor ad analysis |
142| `planner` | Budget allocation planning |
143
144## Anti-Patterns to Avoid
145
146| Anti-Pattern | Why It's Wrong | Do This Instead |
147|--------------|----------------|-----------------|
148| Launching without tracking | Can't measure success | Pixel first, always |
149| Too broad targeting | Wasted spend | Start narrow, expand |
150| One creative only | No learning, fatigue | Test 3-5 variations |
151| Daily bid changes | Disrupts algorithm | Weekly optimization |
152| Ignoring landing page | Blames ads for LP issues | Optimize full funnel |
153
154## Platform-Specific Resources
155
156- `references/meta-ads.md` - Facebook/Instagram advertising
157- `references/google-ads.md` - Search and display
158- `references/linkedin-ads.md` - B2B advertising
159- `references/tiktok-ads.md` - TikTok advertising
160
161## Related Commands
162
163- `/content/ads` - Create ad copy for platforms
164- `/analytics/roi` - Calculate campaign ROI
165- `/campaign/plan` - Full campaign planning