Collect budget and performance data across all active platforms
Read
ads/references/budget-allocation.md
for allocation framework
Read
ads/references/bidding-strategies.md
for strategy decision trees
Read
ads/references/benchmarks.md
for CPC/CPA benchmarks
Read
ads/references/scoring-system.md
for health score algorithm
Evaluate budget allocation, bidding strategy, and scaling readiness
Generate recommendations with kill list and scale list
Budget Allocation Framework
70/20/10 Rule
70%
on proven channels (consistent ROAS/CPA targets met)
20%
on scaling channels (showing promise, need more data)
10%
on testing channels (new platforms, audiences, creatives)
Platform Selection Matrix
Business Type
Primary
Secondary
Testing
SaaS B2B
Google Search, LinkedIn
Meta, YouTube
TikTok, Microsoft
E-commerce
Google Shopping, Meta
TikTok, YouTube
Microsoft, LinkedIn
Local Service
Google Search, Google LSA
Meta
Microsoft, YouTube
B2B Enterprise
LinkedIn, Google Search
Meta
Microsoft, TikTok
Info Products
Meta, YouTube
Google Search
TikTok
Mobile App
Meta, Google UAC
TikTok
Apple Search Ads
Real Estate
Google Search, Meta
YouTube
Microsoft
Healthcare
Google Search
Meta
Microsoft, YouTube
Finance
Google Search, Meta
LinkedIn
Microsoft
Agency (clients)
Varies by client
—
—
Budget Sufficiency Rules
Platform
Minimum Daily
Learning Phase Budget
Google Search
$20/day
Sufficient for 15+ conv/month
Google PMax
$50/day
Sufficient for algorithm optimization
Meta
$20/day per ad set
≥5x target CPA per ad set
LinkedIn
$50/day Sponsored Content
15+ conversions/month
TikTok
$50/day campaign, $20/day ad group
≥50x target CPA per ad group
Microsoft
No strict minimum
Sufficient for stable delivery
Bidding Strategy Evaluation
Google Ads Bidding Decision Tree
Start
├─ <30 conversions/month?
│ └─ Use Maximize Clicks (cap CPC at benchmark)
│ └─ When >30 conv/month → Maximize Conversions
├─ 30-50 conversions/month?
│ └─ Use Maximize Conversions
│ └─ When stable CPA → Target CPA
├─ >50 conversions/month?
│ └─ Use Target CPA
│ └─ When revenue tracking → Target ROAS
└─ Revenue tracking active + >50 conv/month?
└─ Use Target ROAS
Meta Ads Bidding
Lowest Cost (default)
best for volume, may have CPA variance
Cost Cap
sets CPA ceiling, may reduce volume
Bid Cap
maximum bid per auction, most control
ROAS Goal
target return on ad spend
CBO vs ABO
CBO for proven campaigns, ABO for testing
LinkedIn Bidding
Cost Per Send (CPS)
for Message Ads
Maximum Delivery
for Sponsored Content (recommended)
Manual CPC
for tight budget control
Target Cost
for predictable CPA
TikTok Bidding
Lowest Cost
maximize conversions within budget (volume)
Cost Cap
set maximum CPA (efficiency)
Bid Cap
maximum bid per impression
Budget ≥50x CPA per ad group for learning phase exit
Microsoft Bidding
Mirror Google strategy but bid 20-35% lower
Enhanced CPC for manual campaigns
Target CPA / Target ROAS for automated
Scaling Assessment
Ready to Scale (Green Light)
CPA consistently below target for 2+ weeks
≥50 conversions per week (learning phase exited)
CTR stable or improving
ROAS above target
No creative fatigue signals
20% Rule
Never increase budget by more than 20% at a time:
Week 1: $100/day → $120/day
Week 2: $120/day → $144/day
Week 3: $144/day → $173/day
Monitor 3-5 days after each increase for performance stability
Scaling Methods
Vertical
increase budget on winning campaigns (20% rule)
Horizontal
duplicate winning campaigns to new audiences
Platform expansion
add budget on new platforms
Geographic expansion
test new markets/regions
Format expansion
test new ad formats on same platform
Kill List Assessment
3x Kill Rule
Any campaign/ad group with CPA >3x target →
flag for pause
Review spend in last 14 days with no conversions →
flag for pause
Creative with CTR >50% below platform benchmark →
flag for creative kill
Kill Decision Framework
Scenario
Data Required
Action
CPA >3x target
≥7 days data, ≥20 clicks
Pause immediately
No conversions
≥$100 spend or ≥50 clicks
Pause and diagnose
CTR <50% of benchmark
≥1,000 impressions
Kill creative, test new
ROAS <50% of target
≥14 days data
Reduce budget 50% or pause
MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio)
MER = Total Revenue / Total Marketing Spend
Assess blended efficiency across all platforms
Target MER varies by business: 3x-10x depending on margins
Use MER to evaluate overall health, not just per-platform ROAS
Incrementality testing recommended for MER accuracy
Output
Budget & Bidding Assessment
Budget Allocation Health
Allocation Strategy: ████████░░ XX/100
Bidding Strategies: ██████████ XX/100
Scaling Readiness: ███████░░░ XX/100
Budget Sufficiency: █████░░░░░ XX/100
Deliverables
BUDGET-STRATEGY-REPORT.md
— Full allocation and bidding analysis
Current vs recommended budget split (pie chart data)
Bidding strategy recommendations per platform/campaign
Scale list: campaigns ready for more budget
Kill list: campaigns/ad groups to pause immediately
MER analysis and trend
Quick Wins for immediate budget optimization