Installation
$npx skills add irismaker/ai-agent-skills-hub --skill paid-adsSummary
When given a marketing goal and budget context, the agent can recommend a paid channel, validate readiness (PMF, budget, tracking), allocate spend, and define success metrics. Invoke when the user mentions paid acquisition, specific ad platforms, ROAS targets, or budget planning.
SKILL.MD
Strategies: Paid Ads
Guides paid ads strategy: when to use paid acquisition, channel selection, budget allocation, and ad-to-landing-page alignment. Paid ads (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, etc.) deliver immediate reach and targeting; use when PMF is validated and budget allows.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
When to Use Paid Ads
| Condition | Rationale |
|---|---|
| PMF validated | Product-market fit confirmed; you know who buys and why |
| Budget available | CAC and LTV modeled; ROAS target set |
| Need speed | Organic takes months; paid delivers traffic immediately |
| Targeting clarity | Audience segments defined; can target precisely |
When NOT to Use Paid Ads
| Condition | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Pre-PMF | Paid ads before product-market fit waste budget; validate demand first. See cold-start-strategy |
| No conversion tracking | Can't measure ROAS; optimize blindly |
| Organic can work | SEO, content, community may achieve goal at lower cost; see seo-strategy |
| Budget too small | Need minimum scale to test; $500–1K often insufficient for statistical significance |
Cold start: Avoid paid ads before PMF validation. Use Product Hunt, Reddit, directories, founder-led outbound first. See cold-start-strategy.
Channel Selection
| Channel | Best for | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads (Search) | High-intent queries; commercial/transactional | PPC; keyword-targeted; landing page critical |
| Google Ads (Display/YouTube) | Awareness; retargeting | Broader reach; lower intent |
| Meta (Facebook/Instagram) | B2C; demographic targeting | Awareness, consideration; creative-driven |
| LinkedIn Ads | B2B; professional targeting | Lead gen, thought leadership |
| TikTok Ads | Younger audience; short-form | Awareness; viral-style creative |
Principle: Match channel to audience and funnel stage. Search = high intent; social = awareness/consideration.
Budget & Metrics
| Metric | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ROAS | Return on ad spend; primary paid channel metric |
| CAC | Cost per acquisition; compare to LTV |
| Quality Score (Google) | Ad relevance, LP experience; higher = lower CPC, better rank |
| CPC/CPM | Cost per click/impression; platform-specific |
Budget allocation: Start with one channel; prove ROAS before scaling. Test 2–3 ad creatives; double down on winners.
Ad-to-Landing-Page Alignment
When landing pages receive paid traffic (Google Ads, Meta, etc.):
| Principle | Practice |
|---|---|
| Ad promise on page | Ad copy (e.g. "15% off") must appear immediately on the page; mismatch increases bounce |
| Post-click experience | Ads drive traffic; landing pages drive conversions; optimize the full funnel |
| Quality Score | Well-optimized LPs improve Google Ads Quality Score → lower CPC, better ad rank |
| Mobile-first | Majority of traffic on mobile; CTA above fold, thumb-reachable, fast load |
See landing-page-generator for LP structure, 5-step flow, and conversion optimization.
Affiliate Brand Bidding
When running affiliate programs: affiliates may bid on your brand terms in Google Ads; you pay commission for traffic you already own. Prohibit in affiliate terms; monitor paid search; use brand monitoring tools. See affiliate-page-generator.
Output Format
- Channel recommendation (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, etc.)
- When to start (PMF check; budget readiness)
- Budget approach (test budget; ROAS target)
- Landing page requirement (ad-to-page alignment; see landing-page-generator)
- Metrics to track (ROAS, CAC, Quality Score)
Related Skills
- landing-page-generator: LP structure for paid traffic; ad-to-page alignment; conversion flow
- cold-start-strategy: When NOT to use paid ads; cold start channels first
- seo-strategy: Organic vs paid; when SEO can achieve goal
- integrated-marketing: PESO model; paid as one channel in IMC
- keyword-research: Keywords inform paid search targeting
- pricing-page-generator: LP often sends to pricing; CTA destination
- alternatives-page-generator: Alternatives pages used for paid ads; apply LP principles
- traffic-analysis: UTM for paid attribution; channel reporting
- analytics-tracking: Conversion tracking; ROAS measurement