Paid Campaign Strategy

Design paid advertising campaign architecture for B2B SaaS. Determines which campaigns to run, budget allocation, targeting strategy, and account structure across Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads. This is the upstream skill that feeds all copy and creative skills.

Live LinkedIn Ads data (optional): when the linkedin-ads MCP is authenticated, ground the strategy in the account's actual performance — read current spend, CPL, audience response, and top creatives (get_campaign_performance, get_audience_demographics, compare_performance) before allocating budget or setting KPI targets. Reads are free; write tools gated by .claude/rules/linkedin-ads-spend.md. See .claude/mcp/linkedin-ads/README.md.

---

Process Flowchart

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PAID CAMPAIGN STRATEGY PROCESS │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INPUT VALIDATION │
│ Required: │
│ □ product-messaging (value props, differentiators) │
│ □ icp-behavioural (personas, firmographics, pain points) │
│ Optional: competitor-research, funnel-strategy, company-context│
│ □ Monthly budget range │
│ □ Campaign objective (awareness / leads / demos / trials) │
│ → If missing: Suggest upstream skills first │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PHASE 1: PLATFORM SELECTION │
│ Step 1.1: Apply platform selection matrix │
│ Step 1.2: Determine primary vs support platform │
│ Step 1.3: Allocate budget split across platforms │
│ → Output: Platform recommendation with rationale │
│ ✓ Checkpoint: Platform(s) selected with budget split │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PHASE 2: CAMPAIGN ARCHITECTURE │
│ Step 2.1: Google Ads — select from 5-pillar model │
│ Step 2.2: LinkedIn Ads — select funnel stages │
│ Step 2.3: Map campaigns to objectives and budget tiers │
│ Step 2.4: Define ad group structure per campaign │
│ → Output: Campaign list with objectives and budget │
│ ✓ Checkpoint: Every campaign has objective + budget + KPI │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PHASE 3: TARGETING + TRACKING │
│ Step 3.1: Map ICP → Google keyword strategy │
│ Step 3.2: Map ICP → LinkedIn audience filters │
│ Step 3.3: Define UTM taxonomy │
│ Step 3.4: Define negative keyword seed list (Google) │
│ Step 3.5: Set KPI targets per campaign │
│ → Output: Targeting specs + UTM structure + KPI targets │
│ ✓ Checkpoint: Every campaign has targeting + tracking defined │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SELF-EVALUATION │
│ □ Budget allocation totals to 100% │
│ □ Every campaign has objective, budget, targeting, KPI │
│ □ Platform selection justified by ICP signals │
│ □ Negative keywords included for Google │
│ □ UTM taxonomy defined and consistent │
│ □ Timeline accounts for 60-90 day B2B learning window │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CHAIN SUGGESTIONS │
│ → google-ads-copy (generate RSA copy per campaign) │
│ → linkedin-ads-copy (generate ad copy per funnel stage) │
│ → ad-creative-brief (visual direction for designers) │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

The Iron Law

NO CAMPAIGN STRATEGY WITHOUT UPSTREAM INPUTS.

Campaign strategy requires product-messaging and icp-behavioural. Targeting must trace to ICP firmographics. Value props must come from messaging framework.

No exceptions:

• "I know the ICP" → Knowledge ≠ research. Run icp-behavioural or use existing.
• "Just run Google Ads" → Without campaign architecture you'll burn budget on low-intent traffic.
• "Start with $500/month" → Below minimum viable test budget. Be honest about what's achievable.
• "We need leads fast" → B2B SaaS needs 60-90 days for meaningful data. Set expectations.

---

Platform Selection Matrix

Signal	Google Ads	LinkedIn Ads	Both
High-intent search volume exists	✓ Primary	Support	✓
Enterprise ICP (Director+)	Support	✓ Primary	✓
SMB/mid-market ICP	✓ Primary	Awareness only	Depends
Competitor bidding opportunity	✓ Primary	N/A	Google only
ABM motion	Remarketing only	✓ Primary	✓
Product-led growth	✓ Primary	TOFU awareness	✓
Sales-led motion	✓ BOFU	✓ Full-funnel	✓

---

Google Ads: 5-Pillar B2B SaaS Campaign Model

Campaign	Purpose	Keywords	Ad group structure
Brand	Protect branded terms	[brand], [brand] pricing, [brand] reviews	1 ad group per brand term cluster
Competitor	Capture evaluators	[competitor] alternative, [competitor] vs, [competitor] pricing	1 ad group per competitor (never mix)
High-intent product	Solution seekers	[category] software, [use case] tool, [function] platform	1 ad group per product feature/use case
Problem-aware	Earlier-stage buyers	how to [pain point], why is [process] slow	1 ad group per pain point theme
Remarketing	Nurture long sales cycles	Audience-based (no keywords)	3 ad groups: educational (1-7d), case study (7-30d), demo CTA (30-90d)

---

LinkedIn Ads: Full-Funnel Campaign Model

Stage	Objective	Formats	Content type	Audience size
TOFU	Brand awareness / engagement	Single Image, Video, Thought Leader, Document	Industry insights, POV content, data reports	30K-150K
MOFU	Website visits / engagement	Carousel, Document, Single Image	Product walkthroughs, comparison guides, webinars	10K-50K
BOFU	Lead gen / conversions	Single Image + Lead Gen Form, Conversation Ads	Demo requests, free trials, case studies	5K-30K
Retargeting	Conversions	Single Image, Conversation Ads	Social proof, urgency, direct CTA	Site visitors + engagers

---

Budget Tier Recommendations

Budget	Google Ads	LinkedIn Ads	Strategy
$0-5K/mo	High-intent product + brand only	Skip or minimal TOFU	Google-first, prove ROI
$5-15K/mo	+ Competitor + remarketing	$3-5K TOFU + BOFU	Add LinkedIn for awareness
$15-40K/mo	Full 5-pillar	Full-funnel (TOFU/MOFU/BOFU)	Balanced dual-platform
$40K+/mo	+ Performance Max, DSA	+ ABM, Conversation Ads	Expand formats + verticals

---

CAC Benchmarks (B2B SaaS Reference)

Channel	CAC range	MQL→SQL rate	Notes
Google Search	$80-250	15-25%	Highest intent, best for BOFU
LinkedIn Ads	$150-400	10-20%	Higher CPCs but higher lead quality
Blended target	<$300	>15%	Adjust based on ACV

Attribution model: W-Shaped (40-20-40) for hybrid PLG/Sales-Led. Last-Touch for direct response assessment.

---

Targeting: ICP → Ad Platform Mapping

Google Ads

• Map ICP pain points → keyword themes for problem-aware campaigns
• Map competitor landscape → competitor campaign keyword lists
• Map product features → high-intent product keyword groups
• Negative keyword seed list: "free", "open source", "jobs", "careers", "salary", "tutorial", "course", "login", "support"

LinkedIn Ads

• Map ICP firmographics → company size + industry filters
• Map champion persona → job titles + seniority + function
• Map buying committee → multiple job function combinations
• Matched Audiences: CRM upload for ABM, website visitors for retargeting
• Lookalike expansion: 1-5% based on best-fit customers

---

UTM Taxonomy

utm_source={channel} // linkedin, google
utm_medium={type} // cpc, display, social
utm_campaign={campaign-id} // q1-2026-google-competitor-saturn
utm_content={variant} // ad-variant-a
utm_term={keyword} // [Google only]

Naming convention for campaigns: {quarter}-{year}-{platform}-{campaign-type}-{detail}

Examples:

• q1-2026-google-competitor-saturn
• q1-2026-linkedin-tofu-industry-insights
• q1-2026-google-product-suitability-reports

---

Paid Campaign Strategy — [Client Name] — [Date]

Platform selection

[Rationale based on ICP signals and budget]

Campaign architecture

Campaign	Platform	Type	Objective	Monthly budget	KPI target
...	...	...	...	$X	CPL $X

Budget allocation

Platform	Amount	% of total
Google Ads	$X	X%
LinkedIn Ads	$X	X%
Total	$X	100%

Targeting specs

[Per-campaign targeting details]

UTM taxonomy

[UTM structure with examples]

Negative keyword seed list (Google)

[Keyword list]

KPI targets

[Per-campaign KPI targets with benchmarks]

Timeline

• Weeks 1-2: Account setup, tracking verification, initial campaigns launch
• Weeks 3-8: Learning phase, gather data, weekly search term reviews
• Weeks 9-12: Optimize based on data, scale winning campaigns
• Quarterly: Full audit (→ paid-ads-audit)

---

## Self-Evaluation Checklist

- [ ] Budget allocation totals to 100%
- [ ] Every campaign has: objective, budget, targeting, KPI target
- [ ] Platform selection justified by ICP signals (not assumptions)
- [ ] Google negative keyword seed list included
- [ ] UTM taxonomy defined and consistent across platforms
- [ ] Attribution model selected
- [ ] Timeline accounts for 60-90 day B2B learning window
- [ ] No invented metrics or benchmarks (use ranges from research)

---

## Final ship gate

Run `/premortem --output` before ship. See [`/premortem` skill](../../../../meta/orchestration/premortem/SKILL.md) for the 5 execution domains (will-it-resonate / will-it-convert / will-it-stay-on-brand / will-stakeholder-push-back / will-it-degrade-over-time) and output template.

Trivial-case escape: `## Premortem\nNo failure modes — trivial change` satisfies the contract for genuinely trivial outputs.