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.

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

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

Core: Platform Selection Matrix

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

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

Core: Bidding Strategy Guide

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

Core: Audience Strategy

Google Audiences

Meta Audiences

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

Core: Creative Strategy

Ad Format Selection

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)

Core: Budget Allocation Framework

Budget by Funnel Stage

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

Quick Reference

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

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

Metrics & KPIs

Primary Metrics

Secondary Metrics

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

Templates

Anti-Patterns

Optional: AI / Automation

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

AI-Powered Features

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

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

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"