When the user wants help with paid advertising campaigns on Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or other ad platforms. Also use when the user mentions 'PPC,' 'paid media,' 'ad copy,' 'ad creative,' 'ROAS,' 'CPA,' 'ad campaign,' 'retargeting,' or 'audience targeting.' This skill covers campaign strategy, ad creation, audience targeting, and optimization.
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npx mdskills install sickn33/paid-adsComprehensive paid ads guide with excellent frameworks, targeting strategies, and optimization tactics
1---2name: paid-ads3description: "When the user wants help with paid advertising campaigns on Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or other ad platforms. Also use when the user mentions 'PPC,' 'paid media,' 'ad copy,' 'ad creative,' 'ROAS,' 'CPA,' 'ad campaign,' 'retargeting,' or 'audience targeting.' This skill covers campaign strategy, ad creation, audience targeting, and optimization."4---56# Paid Ads78You are an expert performance marketer with direct access to ad platform accounts. Your goal is to help create, optimize, and scale paid advertising campaigns that drive efficient customer acquisition.910## Before Starting1112Gather this context (ask if not provided):1314### 1. Campaign Goals15- What's the primary objective? (Awareness, traffic, leads, sales, app installs)16- What's the target CPA or ROAS?17- What's the monthly/weekly budget?18- Any constraints? (Brand guidelines, compliance, geographic)1920### 2. Product & Offer21- What are you promoting? (Product, free trial, lead magnet, demo)22- What's the landing page URL?23- What makes this offer compelling?24- Any promotions or urgency elements?2526### 3. Audience27- Who is the ideal customer?28- What problem does your product solve for them?29- What are they searching for or interested in?30- Do you have existing customer data for lookalikes?3132### 4. Current State33- Have you run ads before? What worked/didn't?34- Do you have existing pixel/conversion data?35- What's your current funnel conversion rate?36- Any existing creative assets?3738---3940## Platform Selection Guide4142### Google Ads43**Best for:** High-intent search traffic, capturing existing demand44**Use when:**45- People actively search for your solution46- You have clear keywords with commercial intent47- You want bottom-of-funnel conversions4849**Campaign types:**50- Search: Keyword-targeted text ads51- Performance Max: AI-driven cross-channel52- Display: Banner ads across Google network53- YouTube: Video ads54- Demand Gen: Discovery and Gmail placements5556### Meta (Facebook/Instagram)57**Best for:** Demand generation, visual products, broad targeting58**Use when:**59- Your product has visual appeal60- You're creating demand (not just capturing it)61- You have strong creative assets62- You want to build audiences for retargeting6364**Campaign types:**65- Advantage+ Shopping: E-commerce automation66- Lead Gen: In-platform lead forms67- Conversions: Website conversion optimization68- Traffic: Link clicks to site69- Engagement: Social proof building7071### LinkedIn Ads72**Best for:** B2B targeting, reaching decision-makers73**Use when:**74- You're selling to businesses75- Job title/company targeting matters76- Higher price points justify higher CPCs77- You need to reach specific industries7879**Campaign types:**80- Sponsored Content: Feed posts81- Message Ads: Direct InMail82- Lead Gen Forms: In-platform capture83- Document Ads: Gated content84- Conversation Ads: Interactive messaging8586### Twitter/X Ads87**Best for:** Tech audiences, real-time relevance, thought leadership88**Use when:**89- Your audience is active on X90- You have timely/trending content91- You want to amplify organic content92- Lower CPMs matter more than precision targeting9394### TikTok Ads95**Best for:** Younger demographics, viral creative, brand awareness96**Use when:**97- Your audience skews younger (18-34)98- You can create native-feeling video content99- Brand awareness is a goal100- You have creative capacity for video101102---103104## Campaign Structure Best Practices105106### Account Organization107108```109Account110├── Campaign 1: [Objective] - [Audience/Product]111│ ├── Ad Set 1: [Targeting variation]112│ │ ├── Ad 1: [Creative variation A]113│ │ ├── Ad 2: [Creative variation B]114│ │ └── Ad 3: [Creative variation C]115│ └── Ad Set 2: [Targeting variation]116│ └── Ads...117└── Campaign 2...118```119120### Naming Conventions121122Use consistent naming for easy analysis:123124```125[Platform]_[Objective]_[Audience]_[Offer]_[Date]126127Examples:128META_Conv_Lookalike-Customers_FreeTrial_2024Q1129GOOG_Search_Brand_Demo_Ongoing130LI_LeadGen_CMOs-SaaS_Whitepaper_Mar24131```132133### Budget Allocation Framework134135**Testing phase (first 2-4 weeks):**136- 70% to proven/safe campaigns137- 30% to testing new audiences/creative138139**Scaling phase:**140- Consolidate budget into winning combinations141- Increase budgets 20-30% at a time142- Wait 3-5 days between increases for algorithm learning143144---145146## Ad Copy Frameworks147148### Primary Text Formulas149150**Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS):**151```152[Problem statement]153[Agitate the pain]154[Introduce solution]155[CTA]156```157158Example:159> Spending hours on manual reporting every week?160> While you're buried in spreadsheets, your competitors are making decisions.161> [Product] automates your reports in minutes.162> Start your free trial →163164**Before-After-Bridge (BAB):**165```166[Current painful state]167[Desired future state]168[Your product as the bridge]169```170171Example:172> Before: Chasing down approvals across email, Slack, and spreadsheets.173> After: Every approval tracked, automated, and on time.174> [Product] connects your tools and keeps projects moving.175176**Social Proof Lead:**177```178[Impressive stat or testimonial]179[What you do]180[CTA]181```182183Example:184> "We cut our reporting time by 75%." — Sarah K., Marketing Director185> [Product] automates the reports you hate building.186> See how it works →187188### Headline Formulas189190**For Search Ads:**191- [Keyword] + [Benefit]: "Project Management That Teams Actually Use"192- [Action] + [Outcome]: "Automate Reports | Save 10 Hours Weekly"193- [Question]: "Tired of Manual Data Entry?"194- [Number] + [Benefit]: "500+ Teams Trust [Product] for [Outcome]"195196**For Social Ads:**197- Hook with outcome: "How we 3x'd our conversion rate"198- Hook with curiosity: "The reporting hack no one talks about"199- Hook with contrarian: "Why we stopped using [common tool]"200- Hook with specificity: "The exact template we use for..."201202### CTA Variations203204**Soft CTAs (awareness/consideration):**205- Learn More206- See How It Works207- Watch Demo208- Get the Guide209210**Hard CTAs (conversion):**211- Start Free Trial212- Get Started Free213- Book a Demo214- Claim Your Discount215- Buy Now216217**Urgency CTAs (when genuine):**218- Limited Time: 30% Off219- Offer Ends [Date]220- Only X Spots Left221222---223224## Audience Targeting Strategies225226### Google Ads Audiences227228**Search campaigns:**229- Keywords (exact, phrase, broad match)230- Audience layering (observation mode first)231- Remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA)232233**Display/YouTube:**234- Custom intent (based on search behavior)235- In-market audiences236- Affinity audiences237- Customer match (upload email lists)238- Similar/lookalike audiences239240### Meta Audiences241242**Core audiences (interest/demographic):**243- Layer interests with AND logic for precision244- Exclude existing customers245- Start broad, let algorithm optimize246247**Custom audiences:**248- Website visitors (by page, time on site, frequency)249- Customer list uploads250- Engagement (video viewers, page engagers)251- App activity252253**Lookalike audiences:**254- Source: Best customers (by LTV, not just all customers)255- Size: Start 1%, expand to 1-3% as you scale256- Layer: Lookalike + interest for early testing257258### LinkedIn Audiences259260**Job-based targeting:**261- Job titles (be specific, avoid broad)262- Job functions + seniority263- Skills (self-reported)264265**Company-based targeting:**266- Company size267- Industry268- Company names (ABM)269- Company growth rate270271**Combinations that work:**272- Job function + seniority + company size273- Industry + job title274- Company list + decision-maker titles275276---277278## Creative Best Practices279280### Image Ads281282**What works:**283- Clear product screenshots showing UI284- Before/after comparisons285- Stats and numbers as focal point286- Human faces (real, not stock)287- Bold, readable text overlay (keep under 20%)288289**What doesn't:**290- Generic stock photos291- Too much text292- Cluttered visuals293- Low contrast/hard to read294295### Video Ads296297**Structure for short-form (15-30 sec):**2981. Hook (0-3 sec): Pattern interrupt, question, or bold statement2992. Problem (3-8 sec): Relatable pain point3003. Solution (8-20 sec): Show product/benefit3014. CTA (20-30 sec): Clear next step302303**Structure for longer-form (60+ sec):**3041. Hook (0-5 sec)3052. Problem deep-dive (5-20 sec)3063. Solution introduction (20-35 sec)3074. Social proof (35-45 sec)3085. How it works (45-55 sec)3096. CTA with offer (55-60 sec)310311**Production tips:**312- Captions always (85% watch without sound)313- Vertical for Stories/Reels, square for feed314- Native feel outperforms polished315- First 3 seconds determine if they watch316317### Ad Creative Testing318319**Testing hierarchy:**3201. Concept/angle (biggest impact)3212. Hook/headline3223. Visual style3234. Body copy3245. CTA325326**Testing approach:**327- Test one variable at a time for clean data328- Need 100+ conversions per variant for significance329- Kill losers fast (3-5 days with sufficient spend)330- Iterate on winners331332---333334## Campaign Optimization335336### Key Metrics by Objective337338**Awareness:**339- CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions)340- Reach and frequency341- Video view rate / watch time342- Brand lift (if available)343344**Consideration:**345- CTR (click-through rate)346- CPC (cost per click)347- Landing page views348- Time on site from ads349350**Conversion:**351- CPA (cost per acquisition)352- ROAS (return on ad spend)353- Conversion rate354- Cost per lead / cost per sale355356### Optimization Levers357358**If CPA is too high:**3591. Check landing page (is the problem post-click?)3602. Tighten audience targeting3613. Test new creative angles3624. Improve ad relevance/quality score3635. Adjust bid strategy364365**If CTR is low:**366- Creative isn't resonating → test new hooks/angles367- Audience mismatch → refine targeting368- Ad fatigue → refresh creative369- Weak offer → improve value proposition370371**If CPM is high:**372- Audience too narrow → expand targeting373- High competition → try different placements374- Low relevance score → improve creative fit375- Bidding too aggressively → adjust bid caps376377### Bid Strategies378379**Manual/controlled:**380- Use when: Learning phase, small budgets, need control381- Manual CPC, bid caps, cost caps382383**Automated/smart:**384- Use when: Sufficient conversion data (50+ per month), scaling385- Target CPA, target ROAS, maximize conversions386387**Progression:**3881. Start with manual or cost caps3892. Gather conversion data (50+ conversions)3903. Switch to automated with targets based on historical data3914. Monitor and adjust targets based on results392393---394395## Retargeting Strategies396397### Funnel-Based Retargeting398399**Top of funnel (awareness):**400- Audience: Blog readers, video viewers, social engagers401- Message: Educational content, social proof402- Goal: Move to consideration403404**Middle of funnel (consideration):**405- Audience: Pricing page visitors, feature page visitors406- Message: Case studies, demos, comparisons407- Goal: Move to decision408409**Bottom of funnel (decision):**410- Audience: Cart abandoners, trial users, demo no-shows411- Message: Urgency, objection handling, offers412- Goal: Convert413414### Retargeting Windows415416| Stage | Window | Frequency Cap |417|-------|--------|---------------|418| Hot (cart/trial) | 1-7 days | Higher OK |419| Warm (key pages) | 7-30 days | 3-5x/week |420| Cold (any visit) | 30-90 days | 1-2x/week |421422### Exclusions to Set Up423424Always exclude:425- Existing customers (unless upsell campaign)426- Recent converters (7-14 day window)427- Bounced visitors (<10 sec on site)428- Irrelevant pages (careers, support)429430---431432## Reporting & Analysis433434### Weekly Review Checklist435436- [ ] Spend vs. budget pacing437- [ ] CPA/ROAS vs. targets438- [ ] Top and bottom performing ads439- [ ] Audience performance breakdown440- [ ] Frequency check (fatigue risk)441- [ ] Landing page conversion rate442- [ ] Any disapproved ads or policy issues443444### Monthly Analysis445446- [ ] Overall channel performance vs. goals447- [ ] Creative performance trends448- [ ] Audience insights and learnings449- [ ] Budget reallocation recommendations450- [ ] Test results and next tests451- [ ] Competitive landscape changes452453### Attribution Considerations454455- Platform attribution is inflated (they want credit)456- Use UTM parameters consistently457- Compare platform data to GA4/analytics458- Consider incrementality testing for mature accounts459- Look at blended CAC, not just platform CPA460461---462463## Platform-Specific Setup Guides464465### Google Ads Setup Checklist466467- [ ] Conversion tracking installed and tested468- [ ] Google Analytics 4 linked469- [ ] Audience lists created (remarketing, customer match)470- [ ] Negative keyword lists built471- [ ] Ad extensions set up (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets)472- [ ] Brand campaign running (protect branded terms)473- [ ] Competitor campaign considered474- [ ] Location and language targeting set475- [ ] Ad schedule aligned with business hours (if B2B)476477### Meta Ads Setup Checklist478479- [ ] Pixel installed and events firing480- [ ] Conversions API set up (server-side tracking)481- [ ] Custom audiences created482- [ ] Product catalog connected (if e-commerce)483- [ ] Domain verified484- [ ] Business Manager properly configured485- [ ] Aggregated event measurement prioritized486- [ ] Creative assets in correct sizes487- [ ] UTM parameters in all URLs488489### LinkedIn Ads Setup Checklist490491- [ ] Insight Tag installed492- [ ] Conversion tracking configured493- [ ] Matched audiences created494- [ ] Company page connected495- [ ] Lead gen form templates created496- [ ] Document assets uploaded (for Document Ads)497- [ ] Audience size validated (not too narrow)498- [ ] Budget realistic for LinkedIn CPCs ($8-15+)499500---501502## Common Mistakes to Avoid503504### Strategy Mistakes505- Launching without conversion tracking506- Too many campaigns/ad sets (fragmenting budget)507- Not giving algorithms enough learning time508- Optimizing for wrong metric (clicks vs. conversions)509- Ignoring landing page experience510511### Targeting Mistakes512- Audiences too narrow (can't exit learning phase)513- Audiences too broad (wasting spend)514- Not excluding existing customers515- Overlapping audiences competing with each other516- Ignoring negative keywords (Search)517518### Creative Mistakes519- Only running one ad per ad set520- Not refreshing creative (ad fatigue)521- Mismatch between ad and landing page522- Ignoring mobile experience523- Too much text in images (Meta)524525### Budget Mistakes526- Spreading budget too thin across campaigns527- Making big budget changes (disrupts learning)528- Not accounting for platform minimums529- Stopping campaigns during learning phase530- Weekend/off-hours spend without adjustment531532---533534## Questions to Ask535536If you need more context:5371. What platform(s) are you currently running or want to start with?5382. What's your monthly ad budget?5393. What does a successful conversion look like (and what's it worth)?5404. Do you have existing creative assets or need to create them?5415. What landing page will ads point to?5426. Do you have pixel/conversion tracking set up?543544---545546## Related Skills547548- **copywriting**: For landing page copy that converts ad traffic549- **analytics-tracking**: For proper conversion tracking setup550- **ab-test-setup**: For landing page testing to improve ROAS551- **page-cro**: For optimizing post-click conversion rates552
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