SKILL.md
Strategic Paid Advertising Plan
Strategic planning is where the 10-Principle Thinking Framework (see
ads/references/thinking-framework.md) earns its weight. THINK and
CONNECT (Lateral) dominate — first-principles unit economics combined
with cross-platform leverage are what make a plan strategic rather than
prescriptive. FEEL gates the messaging and audience choices; ACCEPT
gates the constraints (budget, timeline, team capacity).
Process
1. Discovery
- Business type, products/services, target audience
- Current advertising status (active platforms, spend, performance)
- Goals: brand awareness, lead generation, e-commerce sales, app installs
- Budget range (monthly/quarterly)
- Timeline and urgency
- In-house team capacity vs agency needs
2. Competitive Analysis
- Identify top 3-5 competitors
- Analyze their ad presence across platforms (Google Ads Transparency, Meta Ad Library)
- Estimate competitor spend levels and platform mix
- Identify messaging themes and creative approaches
- Note keyword/audience gaps (opportunities competitors are missing)
3. Platform Selection
- Load industry template from
assets/directory
- Match business type to recommended platform mix
- Read
ads/references/budget-allocation.mdfor platform selection matrix
- Read
ads/references/conversion-tracking.mdfor tracking setup requirements
- Assess platform fit based on:
- Target audience demographics per platform
- Product/service type suitability
- Budget requirements per platform (minimums)
- Sales cycle length and attribution needs
- Creative capabilities and content availability
4. Campaign Architecture
#### Naming Convention
[Platform]_[Objective]_[Audience]_[Geo]_[Date]Example: META_CONV_Prospecting_US_2026Q1
#### Campaign Structure Template
Account
├── Brand Campaign (always-on, protect brand terms)
├── Non-Brand Prospecting
│ ├── Campaign 1: [Top Funnel - Awareness]
│ │ ├── Ad Group/Set 1: [Audience A]
│ │ └── Ad Group/Set 2: [Audience B]
│ ├── Campaign 2: [Mid Funnel - Consideration]
│ │ ├── Ad Group/Set 1: [Interest-based]
│ │ └── Ad Group/Set 2: [Lookalike/Similar]
│ └── Campaign 3: [Bottom Funnel - Conversion]
│ ├── Ad Group/Set 1: [High-intent]
│ └── Ad Group/Set 2: [Custom audience]
├── Retargeting
│ ├── Website Visitors (7-30 days)
│ ├── Engaged Users (video views, social engagement)
│ └── Cart Abandoners / Form Starters
└── Testing
└── New audiences, formats, or messaging5. Budget Planning
#### Monthly Budget Distribution
Read ads/references/budget-allocation.md for the 70/20/10 framework.
Tier
Allocation
Purpose
Proven (70%)
Primary platforms with proven ROI
Revenue engine
Scaling (20%)
Platforms showing promise
Growth engine
Testing (10%)
New platforms or strategies
Innovation
#### Budget Pacing
- Month 1-2: heavy testing, expect higher CPA (learning)
- Month 3-4: optimize based on data, tighten targeting
- Month 5-6: scale winners, kill losers, expand
- Ongoing: 70/20/10 maintenance with quarterly reviews
6. Creative Strategy
#### Content Pillars
- Pain Point: address specific problems your audience faces
- Social Proof: testimonials, case studies, reviews
- Product Demo: show the product/service in action
- Offer: promotions, free trials, lead magnets
- Education: teach something valuable related to your product
#### Creative Production Plan
Priority
Asset Type
Platforms
Quantity
P1
Product/service videos (15-30s)
Meta, TikTok, YouTube
5-10
P2
Static images with copy
Google, Meta, LinkedIn
10-15
P3
Carousel/collection
Meta, LinkedIn
3-5
P4
UGC/testimonial video
TikTok, Meta
3-5
P5
Long-form video (1-3 min)
YouTube
2-3
7. Tracking Setup Plan
Before launching any ads, ensure tracking is configured:
Platform
Client-Side
Server-Side
Priority
gtag.js
Enhanced Conversions, GTM SS
P1
Meta
Pixel
CAPI
P1
Insight Tag
CAPI (2025)
P2
TikTok
Pixel
Events API + ttclid
P2
Microsoft
UET Tag
Enhanced Conversions
P2
8. Implementation Roadmap
#### Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-2)
- Install all tracking pixels and server-side tracking
- Set up conversion events and goals
- Create campaign structure and naming conventions
- Build initial audiences (custom, lookalike/predictive)
- Produce first batch of creative assets
#### Phase 2: Launch (Weeks 3-4)
- Launch campaigns on primary platform(s) first
- Set conservative budgets and bidding (Maximize Clicks / Lowest Cost)
- Monitor daily for the first 7 days
- Verify conversion tracking is firing correctly
#### Phase 3: Optimize (Weeks 5-8)
- Analyze initial data (minimum 2 weeks of data)
- Adjust bidding strategies based on conversion volume
- Kill underperforming ad groups/creatives (3x Kill Rule)
- Launch secondary platforms
- Begin A/B testing (creative, landing pages, audiences)
#### Phase 4: Scale (Weeks 9-12)
- Scale winning campaigns (20% rule)
- Expand to testing platforms (10% budget)
- Implement advanced strategies (ABM, Shopping feeds, Smart+)
- Monthly performance reviews
Industry Templates
Load from assets/ directory based on detected or specified business type:
saas.md: SaaS companies
ecommerce.md: E-commerce stores
local-service.md: Local service businesses
b2b-enterprise.md: B2B enterprise
info-products.md: Info products and courses
mobile-app.md: Mobile app companies
real-estate.md: Real estate
healthcare.md: Healthcare
finance.md: Financial services
agency.md: Marketing agencies
generic.md: General business template
Output
Deliverables
ADS-STRATEGY.md: Complete strategic advertising plan
CAMPAIGN-ARCHITECTURE.md: Campaign structure with naming conventions
BUDGET-PLAN.md: Budget allocation with monthly pacing
CREATIVE-BRIEF.md: Creative production plan with specifications
TRACKING-SETUP.md: Tracking implementation checklist
IMPLEMENTATION-ROADMAP.md: Phased rollout timeline
KPI Targets
Metric
Month 1
Month 3
Month 6
Month 12
ROAS
Baseline
Target -20%
Target
Target +20%
CPA
Baseline
Target +30%
Target
Target -10%
CVR
Baseline
+10%
+20%
+30%
CTR
Baseline
+15%
+25%
+30%
Budget
Testing
Optimizing
Scaling
Maintaining