← Team Hub Playbooks · Ads Plan Template

Ads Plan Template

The standard ad account structure CMG runs for every paid-media client. Three ad sets per brand, each with a clear job. Variation by client is expected; variation by pod is a smell.

The 3-ad-set framework

Every CMG client account on Meta runs on three foundational ad sets. They have different jobs, different KPIs, and different success criteria. Don’t blur them.

Ad set 01
Prospect
Find net-new buyers

Audience

  • Broad · minimal exclusions
  • Lookalikes off purchasers (1–3%)
  • Interest stack if seed audience <100K

Creative

  • UGC-style hooks
  • Problem → product framing
  • 5–10 variants in rotation

Budget

  • 50–60% of total spend
  • CBO with min budgets to protect learning

KPIs

  • New-customer ROAS
  • CPA vs LTV ceiling
  • Spend velocity
Ad set 02
Retarget
Close warm traffic

Audience

  • Site visitors 30d
  • Engaged shoppers 90d
  • Cart abandoners (exclude purchasers 30d)

Creative

  • Social proof · reviews
  • Limited-time offer angle
  • Founder voice / brand POV

Budget

  • 15–25% of total spend
  • Frequency cap 3 per 7d

KPIs

  • Blended ROAS
  • Frequency / fatigue signals
  • Cart recovery rate
Ad set 03
Scale & test
Find the next winner

Audience

  • Broad · same as Prospect
  • Per-creative ad sets when testing

Creative

  • New concepts every 2 weeks
  • Partnership / Spark Ads from creators
  • 3–5 hook variants per concept

Budget

  • 20–30% of total spend
  • Promote winners to Prospect within 7–14d

KPIs

  • Hook-rate (3s view-through)
  • CTR · CVR
  • Cost per result · promotion velocity

Budget split · $30K/month example

Default split for an account spending ~$30K/month. Adjust by season, runway, and what’s working.

Ad set% of spendMonthlyDailyTarget KPI
01 · Prospect55%$16,500$550New-customer ROAS > 2.0
02 · Retarget20%$6,000$200Blended ROAS > 4.0
03 · Scale & test25%$7,500$250Hook-rate > 25% · new winner / month
Total100%$30,000$1,000Blended ROAS > 2.5

Creative testing matrix

Every test should answer one question. Don’t change two variables at once.

VariableTest cadenceHow we test
Hook (first 3s)Every cycle3–5 hook variants over same body. Kill at 1K imps if hook-rate < benchmark.
Format (static / UGC / motion)Every 2 weeksSame offer, three formats. Hold audience constant.
Offer / promotionQuarterlyA vs B offer at parity creative. 7-day flight.
AudienceMonthlyOne new audience at a time. Hold creative constant.
Landing pageQuarterlyCoordinate with AI Developer for split test infrastructure.
Kill criteria

Kill an ad if it spends 2× target CPA without a sale, or if hook-rate falls below 15% after 2K impressions. Discipline beats hope.

Ad naming convention

Naming is non-negotiable. Bad naming makes reporting impossible and audits painful.

[BRAND]_[SET]_[CONCEPT]_[FORMAT]_[HOOK]_[v##]

Example: VITACLAY_PROSPECT_PROBLEMSOLUTION_UGC_QUICKCOOK_v03

Reporting hooks

The ads plan feeds straight into the weekly report — see Reporting & Cadence. Pull these numbers every Friday.

Default template. Premium engagements add a fourth set for brand / awareness; B2B engagements swap Retarget for an LTV-extension set. Variations should be documented in the client’s Notion page.