---
name: ads-plan
description: >
  Strategic paid advertising planning with industry-specific templates.
  Covers platform selection, campaign architecture, budget planning,
  creative strategy, and phased implementation roadmap. Use when user says
  "ad plan", "ad strategy", "campaign planning", "media plan", "PPC strategy",
  or "advertising plan".
---

# Strategic Paid Advertising Plan

## 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.md` for platform selection matrix
- Read `../ads/references/conversion-tracking.md` for 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 messaging
```

### 5. 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 |
|----------|------------|-------------|----------|
| Google | gtag.js | Enhanced Conversions, GTM SS | P1 |
| Meta | Pixel | CAPI | P1 |
| LinkedIn | 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 |