Paid Advertising & Social Media Marketing
Overview: Paid advertising buys reach and intent capture on platforms where your ICP already spends attention. Social media marketing blends organic presence, community, and paid boosts so creative, targeting, and…
Paid advertising — platform comparison
CPC ranges are illustrative; they vary wildly by industry, geo, and auction dynamics. Use them for relative planning only.
| Platform | Audience & formats | Targeting highlights | Typical CPC (indicative) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Ads — Search, Display, Shopping, YouTube | High-intent search; visual/video reach | Keywords, audiences, in-market, custom intent, PMax | Search: mid–high; Display: lower | B2B/B2C; dev tools (search + YouTube tutorials) |
| Meta — Facebook, Instagram | Broad consumer; visual storytelling | Interests, lookalikes, retargeting, Advantage+ | Mid (varies by vertical) | B2C; prosumer; creative-heavy categories |
| LinkedIn Ads | Professional, job-title granular | Company, title, seniority, Matched Audiences, ABM lists | High | B2B; enterprise; hiring/HR adjacencies |
| Twitter / X Ads | Newsy, tech, creator-adjacent | Keyword, follower lookalikes, engagement retargeting | Mid–high (volatile) | Launch moments; dev/tech audiences (validate current policy/tools) |
| TikTok Ads | Younger skew; short video | Interest, behavior, Spark Ads (organic-style) | Mid | B2C; viral creative testing |
| Reddit Ads | Community-niche | Subreddit, interest, keyword | Low–mid | Niche B2C/B2B; authentic tone required |
Paid acquisition flow
Campaign structure
| Level | Role | Best practices |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Billing, access, global settings | Separate brands or regions; shared libraries where appropriate |
| Campaign | Objective, budget, geo, schedule | One primary goal per campaign; align naming to funnel stage |
| Ad group / ad set | Audience + creative theme + placements | Tight themes; avoid mixing unrelated intents |
| Ad | Copy, creative, extensions | 3–5 variants per set; refresh on fatigue signals |
Naming and tracking: Use a consistent convention (region_objective_audience_vN) and UTM parameters (or platform click IDs) so web analytics, CRM, and warehouse models agree on source/medium/campaign. Document parameter ownership so product and marketing do not fork conventions.
Creative testing checklist
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Hook | Does the first 1–2 seconds state the problem or outcome? |
| Proof | Is there a concrete stat, logo, or demo frame? |
| CTA | Is the next step obvious and consistent with the landing page? |
| Format | Static, carousel, short video — matched to platform norms? |
| Fatigue | When did this creative last beat a challenger on CPA or CTR? |
Targeting strategies
| Strategy | When it shines |
|---|---|
| Keyword targeting | Search: capture existing demand; use negatives aggressively |
| Audience targeting | Demographics, interests, custom segments from first-party data |
| Lookalike / similar | Scale after a seed list of converters |
| Retargeting / remarketing | Recover consideration-stage users; cap frequency |
| Contextual | Brand-safe placements; topic alignment |
| Account-based (LinkedIn) | Named accounts; sales + marketing alignment |
Bidding strategies
| Model | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| CPC | Pay per click | Learning phases; tight keyword control |
| CPM | Pay per thousand impressions | Awareness with strong creative testing |
| CPA / cost per conversion | Optimize toward conversions | Stable pixel/SDK and volume |
| ROAS target | Revenue per ad spend | E-com and clear LTV signals |
| Maximize conversions | Platform-driven volume | After baseline tracking is trusted |
Landing page optimization
- Message match: Headline and hero mirror the ad promise and keyword intent.
- Single primary CTA: Reduce competing actions above the fold.
- Social proof: Logos, quotes, usage stats — truthful and specific.
- Form optimization: Fewer fields, smart defaults, progressive profiling post-signup.
- A/B testing: Tie experiments to hypothesis and pre-registered success metrics.
Social media strategy
| Dimension | Organic | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Community, trust, retention signals | Scale reach, retargeting, conversions |
| Cadence | Sustainable publishing + engagement | Flight-based with creative rotation |
| Risk | Algorithm shifts | Cost inflation, policy changes |
Platform selection (simple frame): For each candidate platform, score audience fit × content you can ship consistently × business model (PLG vs sales-led). Drop platforms where two of three are weak.
- Content calendar: Mix education, proof, behind-the-scenes, and community highlights; align peaks with product launches.
- Community management: Response SLAs, escalation paths, and moderation standards belong in ops docs — not only marketing.
Social media metrics
| Metric | Definition / use |
|---|---|
| Reach | Unique users who saw content |
| Engagement rate | Interactions ÷ reach or followers (define denominator consistently) |
| Share of voice | Brand mentions vs competitors (sampled) |
| Follower growth | Net new; quality > raw count |
| Social traffic | Sessions and assisted conversions from social referrers |
| Social conversions | Signups/purchases attributed to social touchpoints |
Paid + organic social flywheel
Attribution models
| Model | Logic | Strength / weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Last click | 100% credit to final touch | Simple; undervalues upper funnel |
| First click | Credit to discovery | Highlights acquisition; ignores nurture |
| Linear | Equal credit across touches | Fairer blend; can dilute signal |
| Time decay | More credit to recent touches | Balances recency and path |
| Position-based | Heavy first + last, light middle | Hybrid; still somewhat arbitrary |
| Data-driven | ML allocation (where data volume allows) | Powerful when models are trusted and audited |
Budget allocation
- Testing budget: Fixed slice for new channels, audiences, and creative formats before scale decisions.
- Scaling rules: Many teams increase spend 20–30% when ROAS or CPA holds above target for a defined window — avoid sudden 2× jumps that reset learning.
- Seasonality: Retail peaks, fiscal-year enterprise cycles, and conference seasons should pre-allocate creative and landing updates.
- Incrementality: Where possible, run geo or audience holdouts and platform lift studies — last-click dashboards often over-credit paid social and under-credit organic + brand.
Compliance and brand safety
Ad platforms and regions impose privacy, targeting, and copy rules (cookies, sensitive categories, political ads, financial services). Maintain a short policy sheet per channel: prohibited claims, required disclaimers, and approval workflows so launches are not blocked at the last mile.
Anti-patterns
| Anti-pattern | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Broad targeting without learning data | Burned spend, no insight |
| No negative keywords (search) | Irrelevant clicks and polluted learning |
| Creative fatigue ignored | Rising CPA, declining CTR |
| Vanity metrics as north stars | Reach without pipeline or retention |
| No attribution / conversion tracking | False confidence in channel mix |
External references
- Google Ads Help — policies, bidding, measurement
- Meta Business Help Center — Ads Manager, pixels, catalogs
- Donald Miller, Marketing Made Simple — clarifying message and funnel alignment (book)
Index: Marketing channels — index · Marketing map: Marketing body of knowledge
Keep project-specific marketing plans in docs/product/marketing/ and GTM documents in docs/product/, not in this file.