The Paid Acquisition Playbook | Marketing In Action

Overview

Operating system, not a manual. The 11 sections map to a single loop: plan → launch → optimize → scale → repeat. Use this overview to orient before diving into any section.

The Operating Loop

#	Stage	What Happens	Primary Decision
1	Onboard	Capture business, offer, geo, budget, tracking state	Is this account ready to spend?
2	Track	Verify pixel + CAPI + conversion events	Don't proceed without 80%+ event match vs. analytics
3	Strategy	Pick objective, set CPA/CVR/ROAS targets, hypothesize audiences and creative themes	Define kill/scale thresholds before launch
4	Structure	Build campaign → ad set → ad hierarchy with naming convention	ABO (testing) or CBO (scaling)?
5	Audiences	Build cold + warm + hot audiences with exclusions	Which 2-3 audience hypotheses get budget
6	Creative	Brief 3 angles × 3 formats, hook variants per concept	What's the angle each ad is testing
7	Budget	Set daily floors at 3-5× target CPA per ad set	How much capital per test cell
8	Launch	Pre-launch checklist, then 72-hour hands-off	Don't touch anything for 3 days
9	Optimize	Apply diagnosis → kill rules → scale rules on rolling cycle	Kill what's broken, scale what's working
10	Report	Weekly + monthly review, document learnings	What worked, what failed, what's next
11	Scale	Vertical (more budget) + horizontal (more audiences/geos/formats)	Where to put incremental dollars

Decision Cadence

Time	Decision	What to Do
Pre-launch	Tracking gate	Verify pixel + CAPI + events. Don't launch on broken tracking
Hour 0-72	Hands off	Confirm delivery only. Resist the urge to optimize
Day 3	Creative kill	Cut ads with CTR 40-60% below average + 1× CPA spent
Day 5-7	Ad set kill	Cut ad sets with CPA 2× target + 3× CPA spent
Day 7+	Scale check	Stable CPA + good frequency → start vertical scaling
Weekly	Full optimization routine	Pull report, kill, scale, brief new creative
Bi-weekly	Audience review	Saturation check, lookalike refresh, new audience tests
Monthly	Strategy review	Funnel split, MER vs. platform attribution, budget reforecast
Quarterly	Lookalike + creative library refresh	Rebuild seed audiences, retire stale concepts

Key Numbers to Watch

Metric	What it tells you
CPA / CPL	Profitability, primary scoreboard
ROAS	Revenue efficiency (ecom)
CVR (post-click)	Whether the destination converts traffic
CTR (link)	Whether the ad earns the click
CPM	Auction pressure + creative quality
Frequency	Saturation signal
Quality Ranking	Algorithm's view of your ad vs. competitors

The Three Fundamental Questions

Before any campaign action, answer these:

1. Is the tracking trustworthy? If no, fix tracking first.
2. Is the message clear? If no, fix creative + destination before optimizing.
3. Has it had enough time + spend to learn? If no, hold the line.

If yes to all three and performance is still off, the structural issue is audience or offer, in that order.

Metric Definitions

CVR (post-click) = conversions / link clicks. Measured at the destination (landing page, lead form, product page, app store, WhatsApp, Calendly, Messenger, etc.). Use "CVR" throughout this playbook. Where logic says "fix the destination" or "audit the page," it applies to whatever the click lands on.

CPA / CPL = total spend / conversions. CPL when the conversion is a lead, CPA for any conversion event.

ROAS = revenue attributed / ad spend. Used for ecom and direct-revenue funnels.

MER = total revenue / total ad spend (across channels). Used to decide spend allocation when platform attribution is unreliable.

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Client Onboarding & Discovery

Standardized intake process. Complete before spending a dollar.

Client Information

Industry / Vertical

Website URL

Monthly Ad Budget

Primary Business Goal

Discovery Questions

Check off as you gather each answer during your discovery call.

Business

Revenue model (subscription, one-time, recurring, marketplace)
Average order value / deal size / LTV
Purchase / sales cycle length (days to close)
Seasonal patterns or promotional calendar
Key competitors and differentiation

Marketing

Existing funnels and landing pages
Lead magnets, offers, or promotions in use
Email list size and engagement rate
CRM / marketing automation tools in use
Content assets available (blog, video, case studies)

Historical Performance

Previous ad spend and results (CPA, ROAS)
Best-performing audiences (historical)
Top-performing creatives (historical)

Platform Access

Business Manager access granted (Admin or Advertiser)TikTok Business Center access grantedGoogle Ads MCC access grantedLinkedIn Campaign Manager access grantedSnapchat Ads Manager access granted (Public Profile linked)
Payment method on file and verified
Brand assets received (logo, fonts, colors, guidelines)

Current Performance Baseline

Total business volume across all channels (organic + paid + email + referral). Date-stamp every row. This is the reference for setting targets and measuring lift.

"Conversions" = the primary commercial action for the business model: orders (ecom/D2C), leads (lead gen), enrollments (info product), installs (app), bookings (local service), signups (SaaS trial). "Avg. value" = AOV / deal value / ASP / ARPU depending on model."Conversions" = orders / leads / enrollments / installs / bookings / signups depending on business model. "Avg. value" = AOV / deal value / ASP / ARPU depending on model."Conversions" = orders / leads / enrollments / installs / bookings / signups depending on business model. "Avg. value" = AOV / deal value / ASP / ARPU depending on model.B2B variant: capture leads → MQLs → SQLs → opps → pipeline $ across the full funnel."Conversions" = orders / leads / enrollments / installs / sign ups depending on business model. "Avg. value" = AOV / deal value / ASP / ARPU depending on model. Currency primary USD, NGN for NG-targeted campaigns.

Baseline Date

Source of Truth

Daily (last 30d avg)Daily (last 30d avg)Daily (last 30d avg)Daily (last 30d avg — leads only)Daily (last 30d avg)

Daily ConversionsDaily ConversionsDaily ConversionsDaily LeadsDaily Conversions (CTC + VTC blended)

Daily Revenue (NGN)Daily Revenue (NGN)Daily Revenue (USD)Daily MQLsDaily Revenue (USD primary, NGN for NG)

Avg. value per conversionAvg. value per conversionAvg. value per conversionDaily SQLsAvg. value per conversion

Monthly (last 3 months) — pipeline $revenuerevenuerevenuerevenue

Month -1

Month -2

Month -3

Quarterly (last 2 quarters)

Quarter -1

Quarter -2

Channel split (last 30 days, % of revenue)Channel split (last 30 days, % of revenue)Channel split (last 30 days, % of revenue)Source split (last quarter, % of pipeline $)Channel split (last 30 days, % of revenue)

Organic %Organic %Organic %Inbound %Organic %

Paid %Paid %Paid %Outbound %Paid %

Email %Email %Email %Paid %Email %

Referral %Referral %Referral %Referral %Referral %

Other %

Discovery Call Template

DISCOVERY CALL AGENDA — {{CLIENT}} Date: ___________ Platform: ___________ 1. BUSINESS OVERVIEW - What does the business do? - Revenue model and pricing - Average deal size / order value - Sales cycle length 2. MARKETING CURRENT STATE - What channels are you using today? - What has worked? What hasn't? - Existing funnels and landing pages - Email list and CRM setup 3. GOALS & KPIs - Primary goal for paid ads - Target CPA / ROAS - Monthly budget available - Timeline and milestones 4. CURRENT PERFORMANCE BASELINE - Daily conversions (orders / leads / installs / bookings) — last 30d avg - Monthly revenue or pipeline $ — last 3 months - Quarterly revenue or pipeline $ — last 2 quarters - Channel split: organic / paid / email / referral - Source of truth (Shopify / Stripe / HubSpot / Salesforce / GA4) 5. AUDIENCE - Who is the ideal customer? - Key demographics and behaviors - Customer pain points - Purchase triggers 6. CREATIVE & ASSETS - Brand guidelines available? - Existing creative assets - Testimonials / case studies - Product photography / video 7. ACCESS & LOGISTICS - Platform account access - Tracking / pixel status - Reporting cadence preference - Key stakeholders and approvals

Pixel & Tracking Setup

Ensure the technical foundation is right before spending.

TikTok Pixel & Events API

Google Tag & Conversion Tracking

Snap Pixel & Conversions API

Tracking verification tip: After installing pixels, visit the site and trigger conversion events. Verify they appear in each platform's Events Manager or Tag Assistant within 15 minutes.

Campaign Strategy Framework

Map client goals to campaign objectives and funnel stages.

Objective Selection Matrix

Client Goal	Meta Objective	Optimize For	Key KPI
Brand Awareness	Awareness	Reach / Ad Recall Lift	CPM, Reach, Frequency
Traffic / Content	Traffic	Link Clicks / Landing Page Views	CPC, CTR
Lead Generation	Leads	Conversions (Lead event)	CPL, Lead Volume
eCommerce Sales	Sales	Conversions (Purchase) / Value	ROAS, CPA
App Installs	App Promotion	App Installs / App Events	CPI, In-App Events
Engagement	Engagement	Post Engagement / Video Views	CPE, ThruPlays

Client Goal	TikTok Objective	Optimize For	Key KPI
Brand Awareness	Reach	Impressions	CPM, Reach
Traffic / Content	Traffic	Clicks	CPC, CTR
Lead Generation	Lead Generation	Lead Form Submissions	CPL, Lead Volume
eCommerce Sales	Product Sales	Complete Payment	ROAS, CPA
App Installs	App Promotion	App Installs	CPI
Video Views	Video Views	6s / 2s Video Views	CPV, VTR

Client Goal	Google Campaign Type	Optimize For	Key KPI
Brand Awareness	Display / YouTube (Video)	Impressions / Views	CPM, CPV
Traffic / Content	Search / Display	Clicks	CPC, CTR
Lead Generation	Search / Demand Gen / PMax	Conversions (Lead)	CPL, Conv. Rate
eCommerce Sales	Shopping / PMax	Conversion Value	ROAS, CPA
App Installs	App Campaign	Installs / In-App Actions	CPI
Local / Calls	Local / Search	Calls / Directions	Cost Per Call

Client Goal	LinkedIn Objective	Optimize For	Key KPI
Brand Awareness	Brand Awareness	Impressions	CPM, Reach
Website Traffic	Website Visits	Landing Page Clicks	CPC, CTR
Lead Generation	Lead Gen Forms	Lead Form Opens/Submissions	CPL, Form Fill Rate
Conversions	Website Conversions	Key Page Actions	CPA, Conv. Rate
Engagement	Engagement	Social Actions	CPE, Engagement Rate
Video Views	Video Views	Video Completions	CPV, VTR

Client Goal	Snapchat Objective	Optimize For	Key KPI
Brand Awareness	Awareness	Impressions / Unique Reach	CPM, Reach
Video Views	Video Views	2s / 15s views	CPV, VTR
Website Traffic	Traffic	Swipe Ups / Landing Page Views	CPC, Swipe Up Rate
Lead Generation	Lead Generation	Form Submissions (native)	CPL
eCommerce Sales	Conversions	Purchase / Add to Cart	ROAS, CPA
Catalog Sales	Catalog Sales	Purchase from feed	ROAS
App Installs	App Installs	Install + in-app event	CPI, CPA
Engagement (AR)	Engagement	Lens plays / shares	Cost per Play, Share Rate

Funnel Mapping

TOFU — Awareness
Cold audiences. Goal: attention and traffic.

MOFU — Consideration
Warm audiences. Goal: engagement and intent signals.

BOFU — Conversion
Hot audiences. Goal: conversions and purchases.

Industry Notes: B2B SaaS

Recommended funnel: TOFU (thought leadership content) → MOFU (case studies, webinars, gated content) → BOFU (demo request, free trial)

Best platforms: LinkedIn (targeting precision), Google Search (intent capture), Meta (retargeting)

Typical cycle: 30-90 day sales cycle. Expect 3-7 touchpoints before conversion. Attribution is multi-touch.

Industry Notes: eCommerce / DTC

Recommended funnel: TOFU (product discovery, UGC) → MOFU (product comparison, reviews) → BOFU (discount, abandoned cart)

Best platforms: Meta (broad targeting + creative testing), TikTok (discovery), Google Shopping (purchase intent)

Typical cycle: 1-14 day purchase window. Creative is the #1 lever. Test 3-5 creatives per week at scale.

Industry Notes: Services / Local

Recommended funnel: TOFU (local awareness, educational content) → MOFU (testimonials, before/after) → BOFU (free consultation, quote request)

Best platforms: Google Search (high-intent local queries), Meta (local targeting + lead forms), LinkedIn (B2B services)

Typical cycle: 7-30 days. Lead forms outperform landing pages for local services. Follow up within 5 minutes.

Industry Notes: Info Products / Courses

Recommended funnel: TOFU (free value content, hooks) → MOFU (webinar, challenge, lead magnet) → BOFU (sales page, urgency offer)

Best platforms: Meta (broad + interest targeting), TikTok (organic amplification via Spark Ads), YouTube (long-form authority)

Typical cycle: 3-21 days from first touch to purchase. Webinar funnels and challenge funnels convert best for high-ticket.

Goal Setting from Baseline

Convert the baseline numbers captured in Onboard into explicit targets before running any CPA / ROAS calculation. Every metric that matters gets a Current → Target → Lift % → Timeline row. Targets here are business-level goals; the CPA/CVR/ROAS subsection below derives the unit economics needed to hit them.

Metric	Current	Target	Lift %	Timeline	Owner
Daily conversionsDaily conversionsDaily conversionsMonthly leadsDaily conversions (CTC + VTC)
Monthly revenueMonthly revenueMonthly revenueMonthly MQLsMonthly revenue
Quarterly revenueQuarterly revenueQuarterly revenueMonthly pipeline $Quarterly revenue
Paid contribution % of totalPaid contribution % of totalPaid contribution % of totalPaid contribution % of pipelinePaid contribution % of total

Rules:

Lift > 100% in 90 days requires a corresponding offer, creative, or capacity change. Don't set growth targets that assume the same inputs produce different outputs.
If Paid contribution % target requires more spend than the budget ceiling supports at current CPA, surface the gap before committing.
Quarterly target must reconcile with monthly target × 3 ± seasonality. Flag mismatches.
Pipeline targets must reconcile with sales-team capacity. A 3× lift in MQLs without SDR coverage produces dead leads, not pipeline.
Snapchat audience pools are smaller than Meta. Cap diaspora-funded NG campaigns by audience saturation (frequency > 3.5), not budget.

Setting Targets (CPA, CVR, ROAS)

Targets are constraints, not aspirations. Set them before launch so kill/scale rules have meaning. Pick the calculation method that matches the business model.

Target CPA (or CPL) — How to Calculate

Method 1: Margin-based (E-commerce, D2C)
Target CPA = AOV × Gross Margin % × Acquisition Allowance %
Example: AOV $50 × 60% margin × 30% allowance = $9 target CPA.
Acquisition allowance: 30% aggressive (high-growth), 50% defensive (profit). Remainder funds fulfillment, ops, profit.

Method 2: LTV-based (SaaS, subscription, repeat-purchase)
Target CPA ≤ LTV / 3
CAC:LTV of 1:3 is the standard. Below = unscalable. Above 1:5 = under-investing.
Example: LTV $300 → max CPA $100.

Method 3: Payback-based (subscription, infinite-LTV)
Target CPA = Monthly Net Revenue × Payback Months
B2B SaaS: 6-12 months. D2C subscription: 3-6 months.
Example: $20/month net revenue × 6 months = $120 target CPA.

Method 4: Lead-stack (B2B, high-ticket, lead gen)
Target CPL = Deal Value × Close Rate × Margin × Acquisition Allowance
Example: $5,000 deal × 20% close × 40% margin × 30% allowance = $120 target CPL.

Sanity check: if target CPA falls below 30% of platform benchmark CPA for the geo + vertical, the offer is likely not viable on paid yet. Fix the offer or LTV before scaling spend.

Target CVR — How to Set

Working from benchmarks (post-click CVR):

Funnel	Healthy CVR Range
Lead form (low-friction)	8-20%
Lead form (B2B, gated)	3-10%
Native Meta lead form (Lead-to-Sale, post-follow-up)	8-15%
E-commerce checkout (cold)	1-3%
E-commerce checkout (warm/RT)	4-8%
App install (web → store)	10-25%
Demo / consultation booking	2-5%
WhatsApp / Messenger conversion	3-10% (compound of click-to-conversation × conversation-to-sale)
Profile visit funnel (Visit-to-Sale, compound)	0.5-2% (compound of Visit-to-DM 5-15% × DM-to-Sale 15-30%)
Info product checkout	2-6%

Set target at or above the floor of the benchmark range. Below the floor signals a destination problem.

Algebraic check: Target CVR = Target CPC / Target CPA. If the math returns a CVR outside the benchmark range, one of CPA or CPC targets is unrealistic.

Target ROAS — How to Set

Breakeven ROAS = 1 / Gross Margin %
Target ROAS = Breakeven ROAS × 1.5 to 2x
Example: 50% margin → breakeven 2.0x → target 3.0-4.0x.
High-margin info products (80%+ margin) have breakeven of 1.25x but target should still be 2-3x to fund overhead, refunds, growth.

Funnel-Aware Target Translation

Target CPA is the cost-per-sale ceiling. The platform does not always report cost-per-sale — the metric in the dashboard depends on the campaign objective and funnel destination. Translate Target CPA to the metric the platform surfaces using the multipliers below.

Funnel Type	Meta Reports	Formula	Mental Shortcut
Direct purchase (Sales objective → checkout)	Cost Per Purchase	Target CPA itself	25-30% of AOV (physical), 40-50% (digital/service)
Website Traffic (ad → LP → action)	Cost Per Link Click	Target CPA × Click-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 50 (cold), ÷ 25 (warm/RT)
Lead Gen (ad → native form → follow-up)	Cost Per Lead	Target CPA × Lead-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 10
Click-to-WhatsApp (ad → DM → sale)	Cost Per Conversation	Target CPA × DM-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 4 (retail), ÷ 7 (B2B)
Profile Visit (ad → IG profile → DM → sale)	Cost Per Profile Visit	Target CPA × DM-to-Sale × Visit-to-DM	Target CPA ÷ 40 (retail), ÷ 67 (B2B)

Default Nigerian SMB conversion rates: Click-to-Sale (Traffic objective) 2% cold / 4% warm/RT / 1% broad-geo splash; Lead-to-Sale (Meta native lead form) 10%; DM-to-Sale 25% retail / 15% B2B wholesale; Profile-Visit-to-DM 10% optimized profile / 5% unoptimized.

Critical: Objective Choice Drives Translation. If pixel + purchase event installed, Sales objective beats Traffic objective by 40-60% effective CPA without any other change. Same destination, different optimization. Most NG SMBs run the wrong objective for their funnel — switching is the cheapest Month 1 win available.

Funnel Type	TikTok Reports	Formula	Mental Shortcut
Direct purchase (Sales → TikTok Shop or Web Conversions)	Cost Per Purchase	Target CPA itself	25-30% of AOV (physical), 40-50% (digital/service)
Website Traffic (ad → LP → action)	Cost Per Link Click	Target CPA × Click-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 50 (cold), ÷ 25 (warm/RT)
Lead Gen (ad → native form → follow-up)	Cost Per Lead	Target CPA × Lead-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 12 (lead quality typically weaker than Meta)
Click-to-WhatsApp / Messages (ad → DM → sale)	Cost Per Conversation	Target CPA × DM-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 4 (retail), ÷ 7 (B2B)
Profile Visit / Bio Link (ad → profile → DM → sale)	Cost Per Profile Visit / CPC on Bio Link	Target CPA × DM-to-Sale × Visit-to-DM	Target CPA ÷ 50 (retail, lower than IG), ÷ 80 (B2B)

Default conversion rates (TikTok-adjusted): Click-to-Sale (Traffic) 1.5% cold / 3% warm/RT (lower than Meta — audience skews entertainment-first); Lead-to-Sale (TikTok native lead form) 8%; DM-to-Sale 25% retail / 15% B2B; Profile-Visit-to-DM 7% optimized / 3% unoptimized.

Critical: TikTok audience is entertainment-first. Same offer that converts at 2% on Meta Traffic typically converts at 1-1.5% on TikTok Traffic. If using TikTok for direct response, default to Sales objective with TikTok Shop or pixel-tracked checkout. Lead Gen and Traffic produce volume but soft intent.

Funnel Type	Google Reports	Formula	Mental Shortcut
Direct purchase (Sales / Search / Shopping / PMax with purchase event)	Cost Per Conversion (Purchase)	Target CPA itself	25-30% of AOV (physical), 40-50% (digital/service)
Website Traffic (Search / Display with click optimization)	Cost Per Click	Target CPA × Click-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 50 (cold) / ÷ 25 (warm/RT). High-intent search trends ÷ 20-30
Lead Gen (Search / Demand Gen with lead form or LP form)	Cost Per Conversion (Lead)	Target CPA × Lead-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 10 (B2C), ÷ 6-8 (B2B with phone qualifier)

Default conversion rates (Google): Click-to-Sale on Search 3-8% on high-intent keywords / 1-2% on broad & Display; Lead-to-Sale on Search lead form or LP 12-20% (Search leads have higher intent than Meta native form leads); Lead-to-Sale on PMax / Demand Gen 5-10%.

Note: Click-to-WhatsApp and Profile Visit funnels do not exist on Google Search.

Critical: Search vs Display vs PMax intent differs significantly. Search Sales > Search Lead > PMax > Demand Gen > Display in click quality. Set CPA targets per campaign type, not blanket. PMax can blend across all of these unless feed/asset groups are tightly scoped.

Funnel Type	LinkedIn Reports	Formula	Mental Shortcut
Lead Gen Forms (native, pre-filled in-platform)	Cost Per Lead (Form Submission)	Target CPA × Lead-to-Closed-Won rate	Target CPA ÷ 50-100 (Lead → MQL → SQL → Closed-Won compound rate)
Website Traffic / Conversions (off-platform LP, demo booking, content download)	Cost Per Click or Cost Per Conversion	Target CPA × LP-Conversion-to-Closed-Won rate	Target CPA ÷ 30-60 (depends on LP CVR + downstream sales conversion)

Default conversion rates (LinkedIn B2B): Lead Gen Form fill 8-15% of clicks (pre-filled forms have higher fill rates than off-platform forms); Lead → MQL 30-50%; MQL → SQL 40-60%; SQL → Closed-Won 15-30% (varies hugely by ACV); Compound Lead → Closed-Won 2-10% (use 5% default for mid-market B2B SaaS at $20K-$80K ACV).

Note: Click-to-WhatsApp and Profile Visit funnels do not exist on LinkedIn.

Critical: LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms hide quality risk. Pre-filled forms produce volume but the leads may not match ICP intent. Always layer 1-2 qualifying questions in the form and require sales-team validation in week 1. The "cheap CPL" trap is the most common LinkedIn failure mode. For high-consideration offers ($50K+ ACV demos), Website Conversions to a custom LP outperforms LGF because LP friction itself qualifies.

Funnel Type	Snapchat Reports	Formula	Mental Shortcut
Direct purchase (Conversions objective)	Cost Per Purchase	Target CPA itself	25-30% of AOV (physical), 40-50% (digital/service)
Website Traffic objective (ad → LP → action)	Cost Per Swipe Up	Target CPA × Swipe-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 80 (cold), ÷ 35 (warm/RT)
Lead Gen objective (native form)	Cost Per Lead	Target CPA × Lead-to-Sale rate	Target CPA ÷ 15 (Snap lead intent weaker than Meta)
App Installs objective	Cost Per Install	Target CPA × Install-to-Paid-Event rate	Target CPA ÷ 10-15

Default conversion rates (Snapchat US/UK/CA): Swipe-to-Sale 1.2% cold, 2.5% warm/RT; Lead-to-Sale 6-8% (lower than Meta's 10%); Install-to-Paid-Event: gaming 8-15%, fintech 3-8%, content app 5-12%.

Critical: Snapchat is impulse-first, low patience. Same offer that converts at 2% on Meta Traffic typically converts at 0.8-1.2% on Snapchat Traffic. Default to Conversions objective with pixel-tracked checkout for direct response. Always report Click-Through Conversions (CTC) and View-Through Conversions (VTC) separately — VTC is typically 40-60% of total. Above 70% VTC share = audit before scaling.

For the diagnostic reply templates and 7-step quick-diagnosis workflow used in client conversations, see the markdown reference at ~/.claude/skills/performance-marketing/references/client-engagement-playbook.md → Diagnostic Reply Templates.

Operating principle: set the most conservative of the three targets as the kill line. The most aggressive becomes the scale-up trigger.

Campaign Strategy Brief

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BRIEF — {{CLIENT}} Date: ___________ Platform: ___________ OBJECTIVE Primary goal: ___________ Campaign objective: ___________ Optimization event: ___________ Target KPI: ___________ FUNNEL STRUCTURE ☐ TOFU — Audiences: ___________ | Budget: ___% ☐ MOFU — Audiences: ___________ | Budget: ___% ☐ BOFU — Audiences: ___________ | Budget: ___% AUDIENCE STRATEGY Primary audience: ___________ Secondary audience: ___________ Retargeting pools: ___________ Exclusions: ___________ CREATIVE PLAN Formats: ___________ Hook angles: ___________ Number of variations: ___________ SUCCESS METRICS Target CPA: $___________ (use Method 1-4 above) Target CVR (post-click): ___________% (benchmark floor for funnel type) Target ROAS: ___________x (breakeven × 1.5-2x) Monthly budget: $___________ Review cadence: ___________ Kill threshold: CPA > ___ | CVR < ___% | CTR < ___% after $___ spend

Campaign Structure & Naming Conventions

Consistent naming keeps your ad account manageable across clients.

Recommended Three-Tier Pattern

Each level captures a different decision dimension. Pipe-separated for clean parsing in reports.

Level	Pattern	Why these fields
Campaign	`Objective \| Product \| Audience Type \| Date`	Objective + Product define the campaign's job; Audience Type + Date scope it
Ad Set	`Country \| Audience \| Conversion Event \| Daily Budget`	Country and audience determine delivery; conversion event and budget determine learning
Ad	`Product \| Creative Type \| Hook Angle`	Anchor on the product so multi-product accounts stay legible; creative type + hook are the test variables

Field reference (click to expand)

Objective: Awareness, Traffic, Leads, Sales, App-Promotion
Product: product name or product line code (PMM AI Bootcamp Core, Bootcamp, HeroSKU)
Audience Type (Campaign): Cold, Warm, Cold-Broad, Cold-Interest, Cold-LAL, RT, Warm-Engagement
Audience (Ad Set): Broad, Nigeria, Retargeting Audiences, LAL1-Buyers, Interest-Marketing, RT-Site30d, RT-AddToCart7d
Country: ISO code, country name, or region (Nigeria, NG, US, UK, EU, DIASPORA)
Conversion Event: Purchase, Lead, Subscribe, Schedule, IC, AddToCart, ViewContent
Daily Budget: include currency (₦15,000, $50)
Creative Type: Video, UGC-Video, Founder-Talking, Static-Carousel, Static-Single, Reel, Demo-Screen
Hook Angle: Pain, Outcome, Authority, FOMO, Origin-Story, Category-Frame, Social-Proof, Cost-of-Inaction, Fear of Replacement, Discount
Note: CTA is no longer part of the ad name. Track CTA at the creative level (asset tag in the brief), not in the name.
Date: YYYY-MM-DD (or YYYY-MM for monthly, YYYY-Q1 for quarterly)

Naming Generator

Fill the fields below and the generator builds Campaign / Ad Set / Ad names in the new pipe-separated convention.

Objective

Product

Audience Type

Country

Conversion Event

Daily Budget

Creative Type

Hook Angle

Date

Recommended Structure

Meta hierarchy: Campaign → Ad Set → Ad
1 Campaign per objective per funnel stage
1 Ad Set per audience segment
3-6 Ad variations per Ad Set

TikTok hierarchy: Campaign → Ad Group → Ad
1 Campaign per objective per funnel stage
1 Ad Group per audience segment
3-5 Ad variations per Ad Group

Google hierarchy: Campaign → Ad Group → Ad
1 Campaign per campaign type per funnel stage
1 Ad Group per keyword theme or audience
2-3 Responsive Search Ads per Ad Group (Search), assets for PMax

LinkedIn hierarchy: Campaign Group → Campaign → Ad
1 Campaign Group per funnel stage
1 Campaign per audience/objective combo
4-5 Ad variations per Campaign

Snapchat hierarchy: Campaign → Ad Set → Ad
1 Campaign per objective + funnel stage
2-3 Ad Sets per Campaign (one audience hypothesis each)
3-5 Ads per Ad Set
Snapchat rewards consolidation; resist over-segmentation (audience pools are smaller than Meta/TikTok)

Anti-Patterns

Avoid these common mistakes:
• Too many campaigns (consolidate to feed algorithms more data)
• Mixing objectives in one campaign (one objective per campaign)
• Audience overlap between ad sets (use exclusions)
• No naming convention (impossible to analyze at scale)
• Editing live campaigns heavily (resets learning phase)

Audience Strategy

Systematic audience building and layering by funnel stage.

Audience Types

Type	Description	Best For
Custom Audiences	Website visitors, customer lists, video viewers, engagement	Retargeting (MOFU/BOFU)
Lookalike Audiences	1-10% of source audience (customers, leads, engagers)	Prospecting (TOFU)
Interest/Behavior	Targeting by interests, behaviors, demographics	Prospecting (TOFU)
Broad (Open)	No targeting restrictions, let the algorithm find users	Scaled prospecting with strong creative

Audience Types

Type	Description	Best For
Custom Audiences	Website visitors, customer files, app activity, engagement	Retargeting (MOFU/BOFU)
Lookalike Audiences	Based on custom audience source (narrow/balanced/broad)	Prospecting (TOFU)
Interest & Behavior	Interest categories, video interactions, creator interactions	Prospecting (TOFU)
Spark Ads Audiences	Users who engaged with organic/Spark Ads content	Warm retargeting

Audience Types

Type	Description	Best For
In-Market	Users actively researching or comparing products	MOFU / high-intent prospecting
Affinity	Users with sustained interest in a topic	TOFU awareness
Custom Segments	Based on search terms, URLs, or apps	Flexible prospecting
Remarketing	Website visitors, YouTube viewers, app users	Retargeting (BOFU)
Customer Match	Upload customer lists for targeting	Upsell / cross-sell / exclusions

Audience Types

Type	Description	Best For
Job Title / Function	Target by exact title, seniority, function	Precision B2B targeting
Company	Target by company name, size, industry, growth rate	ABM / enterprise targeting
Skills / Interests	Member skills, groups, interests	Broader professional targeting
Matched Audiences	Website retargeting, contact/company lists, lookalikes	Retargeting + expansion

Audience Types

Type	Description	Best For
Broad	No targeting beyond geo/age; algorithm finds buyers from creative signal	Scaled prospecting with strong creative + clean pixel
Predefined Lifestyles	Snapchat curated segments (Beauty Mavens, Gamers, Foodies, etc.)	Strongest cold targeting; outperforms raw interest stacks
Predefined Interests	Topic-based (sports, music genres, tech)	Niche prospecting
Lookalike Audiences	1%, 3% reliable; 5%+ degrades fast	Prospecting from buyer/lead seed
Snap Audience Match	Uploaded email/phone customer list (hashed)	Retargeting + lookalike seed
Engagement Audiences	Lens players, Story Ad engagers, swipe-up engagers, video viewers	Warm retargeting
Custom (Pixel)	Site visitors, purchasers, cart abandoners	BOFU retargeting

NG state-level targeting: Lagos, Abuja FCT, Rivers, Oyo, Kano. Country-level NG chokes delivery on thin pools — test states beyond top 5 only after offer proves in top 5.

Audience Matrix by Funnel Stage

Exclusion Rules

Exclude existing customers from prospecting campaigns
Exclude website visitors from awareness campaigns
Exclude converters from lead gen campaigns
Exclude overlapping audiences between ad sets

Audience Build Sheet

AUDIENCE BUILD SHEET — {{CLIENT}} Platform: ___________ TOFU — PROSPECTING ☐ Broad / Open targeting ☐ Interest stack 1: ___________ ☐ Interest stack 2: ___________ ☐ Lookalike 1% (source: ___________) ☐ Lookalike 3-5% (source: ___________) MOFU — CONSIDERATION ☐ Website visitors 30-day ☐ Website visitors 60-day ☐ Video viewers 50%+ ☐ Engagement audience (page/profile interactions) BOFU — CONVERSION ☐ High-intent visitors (pricing, cart, checkout) ☐ Lead form abandoners ☐ Customer lookalike 1-3% RETARGETING ☐ 7-day website visitors ☐ Cart / form abandoners ☐ Past customers (upsell) EXCLUSIONS ☐ Customers excluded from prospecting ☐ Converters excluded from lead gen ☐ Audiences de-overlapped

Creative Strategy & Ad Formats

Creative is the #1 performance lever. Systematize production and testing.

Ad Format Specs

Format	Dimensions	Ratio	Max File	Text Limits
Single Image	1080x1080 or 1200x628	1:1 or 1.91:1	30MB	125 primary, 40 headline, 30 desc
Video	1080x1080 or 1080x1920	1:1 or 9:16	4GB / 240min	125 primary, 40 headline
Carousel	1080x1080 per card	1:1	30MB/card	125 primary, 40 headline/card
Collection	1200x628 cover	1.91:1	30MB	125 primary, 40 headline

Format	Dimensions	Ratio	Max File	Notes
In-Feed Video	1080x1920	9:16	500MB / 60s	5-15s performs best
Spark Ads	Organic post specs	9:16	N/A	Boost organic posts
Image	1200x628 or 640x640	1.91:1 or 1:1	N/A	Limited placements
Carousel	1080x1920 per card	9:16	2-35 cards	Swipeable image cards

Format	Specs	Notes
Responsive Search	15 headlines (30 chars), 4 descriptions (90 chars)	Pin sparingly, let Google optimize
Responsive Display	1200x628, 1200x1200, 300x250 images + 5 headlines + 5 descriptions	Upload multiple assets
YouTube Video	1920x1080 (16:9)	Skippable: 12s-3min, Non-skip: 6-15s, Bumper: 6s
Performance Max	All of the above + product feed	Provide maximum asset variety
Demand Gen	1200x628, 1080x1080, 1080x1920 images/video	Social-style placements on Google surfaces

Format	Dimensions	Text Limits	Notes
Single Image	1200x628 or 1080x1080	150 intro, 70 headline	1.91:1 or 1:1
Video	1920x1080 or 1080x1080	150 intro, 70 headline	3s-30min, under 30s performs best
Carousel	1080x1080 per card	150 intro, 45 chars/card	2-10 cards
Document Ad	PDF / PPT upload	150 intro	Great for gated content
Message Ad	N/A	500 char body, 1 CTA	InMail-style, high open rates

Format	Dimensions	Ratio	Notes
Single Image / Video Snap Ad	1080x1920	9:16	3-10s optimal, up to 180s; sound on by default; 32MB video / 5MB image max
Story Ads	1080x1920 per card	9:16	3-20 cards; branded tile (360x600) leads in
Collection Ad	1080x1920 hero + 4 tiles	9:16 hero / 1:1 tiles	Tap-to-shop in-Snap
Commercials	1080x1920	9:16	6s non-skippable; premium Discover placement
AR Lens	Lens Studio 3D project	n/a	Face / World / Body tracking; 4-12 week build
Filter	1080x2340 PNG transparent	9:16	Geo-fenced or audience-targeted static overlay
Dynamic Product Ads	1080x1920	9:16	Catalog-driven personalization

3x3 Creative Matrix

Create 9 ad variations by crossing 3 hooks with 3 formats.

Hooks: (1) Problem/Pain, (2) Benefit/Outcome, (3) Social Proof/Authority
Formats: (1) Static Image, (2) Video, (3) Carousel

This gives you structured creative diversity to test. Each cell is one unique ad.

Hook Formulas

HOOK FORMULAS — Copy and customize 1. Stop [pain point]. Start [desired outcome]. 2. [Number] [audience] already [benefit]. Here's how. 3. "I wish I knew this before [common mistake]." 4. The [adjective] way to [desired outcome] without [common objection]. 5. What [successful person/company] knows about [topic] that you don't. 6. [Audience], you're overpaying for [thing]. Here's the fix. 7. We helped [client/number] achieve [specific result] in [timeframe]. 8. [Counterintuitive statement]. Here's why. 9. [Number]% of [audience] make this mistake with [topic]. 10. Before vs. After: What [product/service] did for [client type].

Creative Brief Template

CREATIVE BRIEF — {{CLIENT}} Date: ___________ OBJECTIVE: ___________ AUDIENCE: ___________ KEY MESSAGE: ___________ HOOK ANGLE ☐ Problem/Pain: ___________ ☐ Benefit/Outcome: ___________ ☐ Social Proof: ___________ FORMAT: ☐ Image ☐ Video ☐ Carousel ASPECT RATIO: ☐ 1:1 ☐ 9:16 ☐ 1.91:1 CTA BUTTON: ___________ LANDING PAGE URL: ___________ VISUAL DIRECTION Style: ___________ Colors: ___________ Text overlay: ___________ COPY Primary text: ___________ Headline: ___________ Description: ___________

Creative Testing Rules

Test ONE variable at a time (hook, format, or audience)
Minimum 3 ad variations per ad set/ad group
Let ads run 3-5 days before judging performance
Need 50+ conversions or 1,000+ clicks for statistical significance
Kill underperformers only after sufficient data (not day 1)
Document winning hooks and angles for future creative rounds

Budget Allocation Framework

Remove guesswork from budget decisions.

Budget Split Calculator

Total Monthly Budget ($)

Funnel Focus

Funnel Stage	% Split	Monthly	Daily
TOFU
MOFU
BOFU

Minimum Daily Budgets

Objective	Min Daily / Ad Set	Recommended Daily
Conversions / Sales	$20	$30-50
Lead Generation	$15	$25-40
Traffic	$10	$15-25
Awareness / Reach	$5	$10-20

Objective	Min Daily / Ad Group	Recommended Daily
Conversions	$20	$30-50
Lead Generation	$20	$30-50
Traffic	$20	$20-30
Reach / Video Views	$20	$20-30

Campaign Type	Min Daily	Recommended Daily
Search (Conversions)	$20	$30-50
Performance Max	$30	$50-100
Display	$10	$20-40
YouTube Video	$10	$20-50
Demand Gen	$20	$30-50

Objective	Min Daily	Recommended Daily
Website Conversions	$50	$75-150
Lead Gen Forms	$30	$50-100
Website Visits	$25	$50-75
Brand Awareness	$10	$25-50

LinkedIn CPCs are significantly higher than other platforms ($5-12 avg). Budget accordingly. LinkedIn is best for high-value B2B conversions where LTV justifies the cost.

Objective	Min Daily / Ad Set	Recommended Daily
Conversions (US/UK/CA)	$40	$50-80
Conversions (NG)	₦12K	₦15K-₦25K
Lead Generation (US/UK/CA)	$40	$50-80
Lead Generation (NG)	₦12K	₦15K-₦25K
Traffic (US/UK/CA)	$20	$30-50
Awareness / Video Views	$20	$25-40
App Installs	$40	$60-150

Snapchat needs 4-6× target CPA as daily budget per ad set (higher multiplier than Meta/TikTok's 3-5× because of weaker auction density and thinner pixel pools). NG floor is higher than Meta because Snapchat NG pixel pools are smaller.

Learning Phase Protection

Don't kill before learning phase exits. Learning phase = 50 optimization events in 7 days per ad set. If you can't hit that at current budget, lower the optimization event (Purchase → InitiateCheckout → AddToCart) or raise the budget. Killing while in learning resets the algorithm and wastes setup spend.

Don't kill before learning phase exits. Learning phase = ~50 conversions in 7 days per ad group. If you can't hit that at current budget, lower the optimization event (Complete Payment → Initiate Checkout → Add to Cart) or raise the budget. Killing while in learning resets the algorithm and wastes setup spend.

Don't kill before Smart Bidding exits learning. Learning phase = 30 conversions in 30 days per campaign for tCPA / tROAS / Maximize Conversions. If you can't hit that at current budget, switch to Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC, lower the optimization event, or raise the budget. Killing or changing bid strategy mid-learning resets it.

Don't kill before pacing stabilizes. LinkedIn has no formal learning phase, but campaigns need ~21 days of stable delivery and ~15-20 conversions/week before CPL is predictable. If you can't hit that at current budget, lower the optimization event (Lead Gen Form vs Website Conversion) or raise the budget.

Don't kill before learning phase exits. Learning phase = ~50 conversions in 7-10 days per ad set (slightly longer than Meta/TikTok because Snapchat pixel pools are thinner). If you can't hit that at current budget, lower the optimization event (Purchase → Add to Cart → View Content) or raise the budget. Killing while in learning resets the algorithm and wastes setup spend.

CBO vs. Manual Budget

Advantage+ Campaign Budget (CBO): Use when you have 3+ ad sets and want Meta to allocate budget to the best performer. Set a minimum spend per ad set if needed.

Ad Set Budget (ABO): Use when testing new audiences and you want equal spend across ad sets. Better for controlled experiments.

Campaign Budget Optimization: Available in TikTok. Works similarly to Meta CBO. Use when running 2+ ad groups.

Ad Group Budget: Use for controlled testing of individual audiences.

Shared Budgets: Pool budget across related campaigns. Good for search campaigns targeting similar themes.

Individual Campaign Budgets: Default and recommended for most setups. Gives you direct control over spend per campaign.

Daily Budget: Recommended for most campaigns. LinkedIn will spend up to 50% over your daily budget on high-opportunity days.

Lifetime Budget: Use for time-bound campaigns (events, promotions). LinkedIn paces spend across the campaign duration.

Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO): Use when you have 2+ ad sets proven and want Snapchat to allocate budget to top performers. Migrate to CBO after manual ABO testing has identified winning audiences.

Ad Set Daily Budget (ABO): Default for testing. Forces signal accumulation per ad set so you can read each audience hypothesis cleanly.

Launch Checklist

Pre-flight checklist before hitting publish. Do not skip steps.

Account & Tracking

Pixel/tag firing correctly (verified with test events)
Conversion events tracking correctly
Billing / payment method active
Account spending limit set (if applicable)

Campaign Settings

Campaign objective is correct
Campaign budget is set (daily or lifetime)
Campaign schedule / start-end dates are correct
Campaign naming follows convention

Ad Set / Ad Group Settings

Audience selected and reviewed
Exclusion audiences applied
Optimization event is correct
Bid strategy set (lowest cost, target CPA, etc.)
Placements reviewed (automatic or manual)
Schedule / dayparting set (if applicable)

Ad Settings

Creative uploaded and rendering correctly
Ad copy proofread (no typos, correct brand voice)
CTA button is correct
Destination URL is correct and loads properly
UTM parameters added to all URLs
Preview checked on all placements (mobile, desktop, stories)

Final Verification

Landing page loads in under 3 seconds
Landing page is mobile-optimized
Form / checkout flow tested end-to-end
UTM tracking verified in analytics
Client approval received

Launch Day SOP

Timeframe	Action
+1 hour	Verify ads are delivering (status: Active). Check for disapprovals.
+4 hours	Check spend pacing. Verify pixel events firing on live traffic.
+24 hours	Review CPM, CTR, CPC. Flag any obvious issues. Do NOT make changes yet.
+48 hours	Review conversion data (if sufficient volume). Check frequency.
+72 hours	First optimization window. Pause underperformers if data is clear. Still in learning phase.

GO
All checklist items verified

NO-GO
Any red items unresolved

Optimization SOP

Decision rules for managing live campaigns. Remove emotion from optimization.

Optimization Decision Table

Signal	Threshold	Diagnosis	Action
CTR	< 0.5%	Creative not resonating	Test new hooks, visuals, or formats
CTR	0.5-1.5%	Average creative	Test variations, iterate on best performer
CTR	> 2%	Strong creative	Scale budget, duplicate to new audiences
CPC	> 2x benchmark	Audience or creative issue	Refresh creative or broaden targeting
CPA	> 1.3x target after 2x cycle	Funnel or targeting issue	Review landing page, audience, offer
CPA	< target for 3+ days	Winning combination	Scale 20% every 3 days
Frequency	> 2.5	Audience fatigue	Refresh creative or expand audience
CVR (post-click)	< 1%	Destination mismatch, slow load, weak CTA, or wrong audience	Audit message-match, mobile speed, CTA clarity. Fix the destination before changing ads
CVR (post-click)	1-3%	Average destination performance	Test destination variants (headline, hero, CTA, social proof, form length)
CVR (post-click)	> 3%	Strong destination, ad and page aligned	Scale traffic, protect the destination, document what works
ROAS	< 1.0x	Losing money	Pause and diagnose (creative, audience, landing page)
ROAS	> 3.0x	Profitable	Scale budget, test similar audiences

Kill Rules

Don't kill before learning phase exits. Per-platform thresholds: Meta / TikTok ~50 events / 7 days per ad set/group; Google 30 conv / 30 days per campaign (Smart Bidding); LinkedIn ~21 days stable pacing, ~15-20 conv/week. Pausing or major edits during learning reset the algorithm and waste setup spend. See Learning Phase block below.

Kill an ad/ad set when:
• Spent 2x target CPA with zero conversions
• CTR below 0.5% after 1,000+ impressions
• CPA above 1.5x target after 50+ clicks
• CVR (post-click) below 1% after 200+ link clicks (audit and fix the destination before continuing spend)
• ROAS below 1.0x after full conversion window

Scale Rules

Scale an ad/ad set when:
• CPA at or below target for 3+ consecutive days
• 5+ conversions per day (exited learning phase)
• ROAS consistently above 3x
• CVR (post-click) at or above 3% sustained over 7+ days (destination is converting, scale traffic confidently)
• Frequency below 2.0

Weekly Optimization Checklist

Review all campaign KPIs (CTR, CPC, CPA, ROAS)
Pause underperforming ads (apply kill rules)
Scale winning ads (apply scale rules)
Check frequency across all ad sets
Review audience overlap (consolidate if needed)
Check placement breakdown (cut poor placements)
Review search terms / queries (Google: add negatives)
Plan next creative round (if frequency rising)

Common Fixes

High CPC

1. Test broader audiences (reduce targeting restrictions)
2. Test new creative (different hooks, formats, visuals)
3. Improve ad relevance score / quality ranking
4. Test different placements (Stories, Reels often have lower CPC)

Low CTR

1. Rewrite hooks (make the first line more compelling)
2. Use more eye-catching visuals (faces, contrast, motion)
3. Test video if only running static images
4. Make the CTA clearer and more urgent

High CPA

1. Audit the landing page (speed, copy, form length)
2. Tighten audience targeting or test new segments
3. Test a stronger offer (discount, free trial, bonus)
4. Ensure conversion event is correct (not over-counting or under-counting)
5. Audit objective vs funnel: if running Traffic objective with a checkout destination and pixel installed, switch to Sales objective. Single biggest CPA reduction available without changing creative or audience.

Frequency Creep

1. Refresh creative (new visuals, hooks, formats)
2. Expand audience size (broaden targeting or add new segments)
3. Set frequency caps (if the platform allows)

Learning Phase

Do NOT make significant edits during learning phase. Killing while in learning resets the algorithm and wastes setup spend.

Per-platform thresholds:
• Meta: 50 optimization events in 7 days per ad set. Workaround: lower optimization event (Purchase → InitiateCheckout → AddToCart) or raise budget.
• TikTok: ~50 conversions in 7 days per ad group. Workaround: lower optimization event (Complete Payment → Initiate Checkout → Add to Cart) or raise budget.
• Google: 30 conversions in 30 days per campaign for Smart Bidding (tCPA, tROAS, Maximize Conversions). Workaround: switch to Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC, lower optimization event, or raise budget.
• LinkedIn: No formal learning phase, but ~21 days stable delivery + ~15-20 conversions/week needed for predictable CPL. Workaround: lower optimization event (Lead Gen Form vs Website Conversion) or raise budget.

What resets learning: Budget changes >20%, audience changes, optimization event changes, creative swaps, bid strategy changes, pausing for 7+ days.

Reporting Templates & Benchmarks

Standardize how you report to clients.

KPI Benchmarks by Platform

Metric	Good	Average	Poor
CTR	> 2%	0.5-2%	< 0.5%
CPC	< $1	$1-2	> $2
CPM	< $10	$10-15	> $15
CPA (Lead)	< $15	$15-50	> $50
ROAS (eComm)	> 4x	2-4x	< 2x
CVR	> 5%	1-5%	< 1%

Metric	Good	Average	Poor
CTR	> 1.5%	0.5-1.5%	< 0.5%
CPC	< $0.75	$0.75-1.50	> $1.50
CPM	< $8	$8-15	> $15
CPA	< $15	$15-40	> $40
CVR	> 3%	1-3%	< 1%
6s VTR	> 15%	8-15%	< 8%

Metric	Good	Average	Poor
CTR (Search)	> 5%	2-5%	< 2%
CTR (Display)	> 0.5%	0.1-0.5%	< 0.1%
CPC (Search)	< $2	$2-5	> $5
Quality Score	8-10	5-7	1-4
CPA	< $25	$25-75	> $75
ROAS	> 4x	2-4x	< 2x

Metric	Good	Average	Poor
CTR	> 0.8%	0.3-0.8%	< 0.3%
CPC	< $5	$5-12	> $12
CPM	< $30	$30-60	> $60
CPL (Lead Form)	< $50	$50-150	> $150
Form Fill Rate	> 15%	5-15%	< 5%
InMail Open Rate	> 50%	30-50%	< 30%

Metric	Good	Average	Poor
Swipe Up Rate (Snap Ads)	> 1%	0.5-1%	< 0.3%
Swipe Up Rate (Story Ads)	> 2.5%	1.5-2.5%	< 1%
CTR	> 1.5%	0.5-1.5%	< 0.4%
CPC	< $0.75	$0.75-1.50	> $1.50
CPM	< $8	$8-15	> $15
CPA	< $20	$20-50	> $50
CVR (post-swipe)	> 2%	0.8-2%	< 0.5%
VTC share of conversions	40-60%	30-70%	< 30% or > 70%
Frequency (cold)	< 1.8	1.8-2.2	> 2.2

Benchmarks are directional, not absolute. Industry, audience, offer, and creative quality all shift these ranges. Use your client's historical data as the primary benchmark after 30 days.

Weekly Report Template

WEEKLY PERFORMANCE REPORT — {{CLIENT}} Platform: ___________ Date Range: ___________ to ___________ SUMMARY Total Spend: $___________ Impressions: ___________ Clicks: ___________ CTR: ___________% CPC: $___________ Conversions: ___________ CPA: $___________ ROAS: ___________x (if applicable) TOP PERFORMERS Best campaign: ___________ Best creative: ___________ Best audience: ___________ KEY OBSERVATIONS 1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________ NEXT ACTIONS 1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________

Monthly Report Template

MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REPORT — {{CLIENT}} Platform: ___________ Month: ___________ MONTH SUMMARY Total Spend: $___________ Total Conversions: ___________ Avg CPA: $___________ Avg ROAS: ___________x Total Revenue Attributed: $___________ MONTH-OVER-MONTH TRENDS Spend: $___ → $___ (___% change) CPA: $___ → $___ (___% change) ROAS: ___x → ___x (___% change) Conversions: ___ → ___ (___% change) TOP CAMPAIGNS 1. ___________: CPA $___, ROAS ___x 2. ___________: CPA $___, ROAS ___x 3. ___________: CPA $___, ROAS ___x TOP CREATIVES 1. ___________: CTR ___%, CPA $___ 2. ___________: CTR ___%, CPA $___ AUDIENCE INSIGHTS Best performing: ___________ Worst performing: ___________ Recommended changes: ___________ NEXT MONTH RECOMMENDATIONS Budget: $___________ Key priorities: 1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________

Client-Ready Language Bank

Performance Improved

"Performance improved week-over-week, with CPA decreasing [X]% from $[old] to $[new]. This was driven by [creative refresh / audience expansion / landing page changes]." "We saw strong results from [campaign name], which delivered [X] conversions at $[CPA], [X]% below our target. We recommend scaling this audience."

Performance Declined

"CPA increased [X]% this week, which we attribute to [audience fatigue / increased competition / creative decay]. Our plan is to [refresh creative / test new audiences / adjust bids]." "We recommend reallocating budget from [underperforming campaign] to [winning campaign] to improve overall efficiency."

Recommending Changes

"Based on the data, we recommend [increasing/decreasing] budget by [X]% and shifting focus to [audience/campaign]. This should [reduce CPA / improve ROAS] based on current trends." "Creative fatigue is setting in on [campaign]. Frequency has exceeded [X]. We recommend refreshing creative this week to maintain performance."

Scaling Playbook

Systematic scaling without breaking what works.

Scaling Readiness Checklist

CPA at or below target for 7+ consecutive days
50+ conversions in the past 7 days (exited learning)
Frequency below 2.0 across active ad sets
At least 2-3 winning creatives identified
Landing page conversion rate stable (no recent drops)
Client approved increased budget

Horizontal Scaling (New Audiences)

Duplicate winning ad sets to new audience segments
Expand lookalike percentages (1% → 3% → 5%)
Test new interest stacks based on winning audience data
Launch in new geographies (if applicable)
Test on additional platforms (cross-platform expansion)

Vertical Scaling (More Budget)

Increase budget by no more than 20% every 3 days
Monitor CPA for 48 hours after each increase
If CPA spikes, hold budget for 3 days before next increase
Use CBO to auto-distribute budget across ad sets
Set ad set minimum spend to protect smaller audiences

Creative Scaling

Refresh creative when frequency exceeds 2.5
Produce 3-5 new ad variations per creative cycle
Iterate on winning hooks (same hook, different visual)
Test new formats (if winning with static, test video)
Document winning creative patterns for future campaigns

Scaling Budget Calculator

Current Daily Spend ($)

Target Daily Spend ($)

20% increase every 3 days. Monitor CPA after each step.

Day	Daily Budget	% of Target

The Paid Acquisition PlaybookHow we actually run paid ads.

Overview

The Operating Loop

Decision Cadence

Key Numbers to Watch

The Three Fundamental Questions

Metric Definitions

Client Onboarding & Discovery

Client Information

Discovery Questions

Current Performance Baseline

Discovery Call Template

Pixel & Tracking Setup

Meta Pixel & Conversions API

Pixel & Events

iOS 14+ / ATT Compliance

TikTok Pixel & Events API

Google Tag & Conversion Tracking

LinkedIn Insight Tag & Conversions

Snap Pixel & Conversions API

Campaign Strategy Framework

Objective Selection Matrix

Funnel Mapping

Goal Setting from Baseline

Setting Targets (CPA, CVR, ROAS)

Target CPA (or CPL) — How to Calculate

Target CVR — How to Set

Target ROAS — How to Set

Funnel-Aware Target Translation

Campaign Strategy Brief

Campaign Structure & Naming Conventions

Recommended Three-Tier Pattern

Naming Generator

Recommended Structure

Anti-Patterns

Audience Strategy

Audience Types

Audience Types

Audience Types

Audience Types

Audience Types

Audience Matrix by Funnel Stage

Exclusion Rules

Audience Build Sheet

Creative Strategy & Ad Formats

Ad Format Specs

3x3 Creative Matrix

Hook Formulas

Creative Brief Template

Creative Testing Rules

Budget Allocation Framework

Budget Split Calculator

Minimum Daily Budgets

Learning Phase Protection

CBO vs. Manual Budget

Launch Checklist

Account & Tracking

Campaign Settings

Ad Set / Ad Group Settings

Ad Settings

Final Verification

Launch Day SOP

Optimization SOP

Optimization Decision Table

Kill Rules

Scale Rules

Weekly Optimization Checklist

Common Fixes

Learning Phase

Reporting Templates & Benchmarks

KPI Benchmarks by Platform

Weekly Report Template

Monthly Report Template

Client-Ready Language Bank

Scaling Playbook

Scaling Readiness Checklist

Horizontal Scaling (New Audiences)

Vertical Scaling (More Budget)

Creative Scaling

Scaling Budget Calculator

The Paid Acquisition Playbook
How we actually run paid ads.