# Marketing Agency Paid Advertising Template ## Industry Characteristics - Multi-client management; each client has different goals, budgets, and industries - White-label reporting and branding requirements - Standardized processes needed for scalable delivery - Client retention depends on measurable results (ROAS, CPA, pipeline) - Platform expertise across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Microsoft required - Agency margin pressure; efficiency and automation are critical - Client onboarding is a make-or-break phase (first 90 days) - Continuous education required (platform updates happen weekly) ## Client Onboarding Checklist ### Discovery Phase (Week 1) - [ ] Business type identified (map to industry template) - [ ] Goals defined: brand awareness, leads, sales, app installs - [ ] Current advertising status: platforms, spend, performance history - [ ] Target audience: demographics, interests, behaviors, company size (B2B) - [ ] Competitive landscape: top 3-5 competitors identified - [ ] Budget confirmed: monthly, quarterly, and annual - [ ] Creative assets inventory: existing images, videos, copy - [ ] Brand guidelines provided: colors, fonts, tone, do/don't list - [ ] Access granted: ad accounts, Google Analytics, CRM, product feed ### Technical Setup (Week 2) - [ ] Tracking audit: pixels, tags, conversions events verified - [ ] CAPI / server-side tracking configured (Meta, TikTok) - [ ] Enhanced Conversions enabled (Google, Microsoft) - [ ] UTM parameter structure defined - [ ] Google Tag Manager setup verified - [ ] CRM integration tested (offline conversion import) - [ ] Attribution model selected and documented - [ ] Reporting dashboard configured ### Campaign Launch (Weeks 3-4) - [ ] Campaign architecture built (from industry template) - [ ] Ad copy written and client-approved - [ ] Creative assets produced or received - [ ] Landing pages reviewed (message match, speed, mobile) - [ ] Audiences built (custom, lookalike, keyword lists) - [ ] Bid strategy set (conservative for learning phase) - [ ] Budget pacing configured - [ ] Conversion tracking verified (test conversion fired) ## Client Industry Template Selection Map each client to the appropriate industry template: | Client Type | Template | Key Considerations | |------------|----------|-------------------| | SaaS | `saas.md` | Long sales cycle, demo/trial conversions | | E-commerce | `ecommerce.md` | Product feed, ROAS focus, seasonal | | Local Service | `local-service.md` | Call tracking, LSA, geo targeting | | B2B Enterprise | `b2b-enterprise.md` | ABM, LinkedIn, long attribution | | Info Products | `info-products.md` | Funnel-based, Meta/YouTube primary | | Mobile App | `mobile-app.md` | MMP required, LTV optimization | | Real Estate | `real-estate.md` | Special Ad Category, dual audience | | Healthcare | `healthcare.md` | HIPAA, LegitScript, compliance | | Finance | `finance.md` | Special Ad Category, disclosures | | Other | `generic.md` | Adapt based on specifics | ## Agency Platform Selection Matrix ### Client Budget → Platform Recommendations | Monthly Budget | Recommended Platforms | Reasoning | |---------------|----------------------|-----------| | $1,000-$3,000 | Google Search only | Focus on highest-intent channel | | $3,000-$5,000 | Google + Meta | Add prospecting/retargeting | | $5,000-$10,000 | Google + Meta + 1 secondary | Based on industry fit | | $10,000-$25,000 | 3-4 platforms | Full funnel coverage | | $25,000+ | Full platform mix | Platform-specific optimization | ## Reporting Framework ### Weekly Report (Internal) - Spend pacing (budget vs actual) - Key metric trends (CPA, ROAS, CTR, CVR) - Anomaly alerts (sudden performance drops) - Action items for the week ### Monthly Client Report - Executive summary (3-5 key takeaways) - KPI dashboard (target vs actual) - Platform-by-platform performance - Top-performing campaigns, ad groups, creatives - Recommendations and next steps - Budget allocation review ### Quarterly Business Review (QBR) - Goal progress (are we on track?) - MER analysis (blended efficiency) - Competitive landscape changes - Platform updates and new opportunities - Budget reallocation recommendations - Next quarter strategy and goals ### Key Metrics by Client Type | Client Type | Primary KPI | Secondary KPIs | |------------|-------------|----------------| | E-commerce | ROAS, MER | AOV, New Customer %, CVR | | SaaS | Pipeline, CPA | MQL→SQL rate, Demo bookings | | Lead Gen | CPL, Lead Quality | Show rate, Close rate | | Local Service | Cost/Booked Job | Call volume, Map actions | | Brand Awareness | Reach, Frequency | Brand lift, Search volume | ## Agency Operations ### Campaign Naming Convention (Standardized) ``` [Client]_[Platform]_[Objective]_[Audience]_[Geo]_[Date] ``` Example: `ACME_META_CONV_Lookalike1pct_US_2026Q1` ### QA Checklist (Before Launch) - [ ] Naming convention followed - [ ] Budget set correctly (daily/lifetime) - [ ] Targeting verified (geo, audience, exclusions) - [ ] Ad copy proofread (no typos, brand-compliant) - [ ] Landing page URL correct and loads <3s - [ ] Conversion tracking verified (test event) - [ ] UTM parameters attached - [ ] Negative keywords added (Search) - [ ] Ad schedule set (if applicable) - [ ] Client approval documented ### Optimization Cadence | Frequency | Action | |-----------|--------| | Daily | Spend pacing check, anomaly detection | | 2x/week | Bid adjustments, creative performance review | | Weekly | Search term review, negative keyword updates | | Bi-weekly | Creative refresh assessment, audience review | | Monthly | Full performance analysis, budget reallocation | | Quarterly | Strategy review, platform mix evaluation, QBR | ### LinkedIn Accelerate (for B2B Clients) - Auto-optimized campaigns with 42% lower CPA and 21% lower CPL (LinkedIn benchmarks) - Recommend for SaaS, B2B Enterprise, Finance, and Agency clients - Combine with Thought Leader Ads for best results ### 3x Kill Rule (Agency Standard) Apply across all clients: - CPA >3x target for 7+ days → pause ad group/campaign - No conversions after $100 spend or 50 clicks → pause and diagnose - CTR >50% below benchmark after 1,000 impressions → kill creative - Creative running >2x refresh cadence → flag for replacement ## Scaling Client Accounts ### When to Scale (Green Light) - CPA consistently below target for 2+ weeks - Client satisfied with lead/sale quality - Creative pipeline can support increased volume - Landing pages can handle increased traffic - Budget approved for increase ### 20% Rule (Applied Per Client) - Never increase budget >20% per week - Monitor 3-5 days after each increase - Document performance at each scale step - Roll back if CPA exceeds target by 30%+ ## Common Pitfalls - No standardized onboarding; every client setup is different (causes errors) - Not using industry templates; reinventing strategy for every client - Reporting vanity metrics (impressions, clicks) instead of business outcomes - Not having a creative production pipeline (creative dies → performance dies) - Over-promising in sales process (unrealistic ROAS/CPA targets) - Not tracking MER; per-platform ROAS masks true efficiency - Skipping the QA checklist; one wrong decimal in budget = client trust destroyed - Not documenting what works; tribal knowledge leaves with departing team members