| name | media-plan-builder |
| description | Creates full media plans with channel mix, budget allocation, CPM/CPC/CPA projections, and reach estimates. Use when building media plans, allocating ad budgets, estimating reach/frequency, or planning campaign flights. |
Media Plan Builder
Creates comprehensive media plans including channel mix recommendations by objective, budget allocation by flight/phase, CPM/CPC/CPA projections by platform, reach and frequency estimation, and funnel stage mapping from awareness through conversion.
Capabilities
- Channel Mix Recommendations: Platform selection based on objective and audience
- Budget Allocation: Phase-based budgeting with ramp-up and optimization periods
- Cost Projections: CPM, CPC, CPA, and ROAS estimates by platform and vertical
- Reach & Frequency Estimation: Audience sizing and optimal frequency caps
- Funnel Mapping: Awareness → Consideration → Conversion stage planning
- Flight Planning: Campaign phasing with learning period budgets
- Template Generation: Exportable media plan tables
Workflows
1. Media Plan Development Process
Step 1: Gather inputs
BUSINESS INPUTS:
- Total budget: $[amount] per [month/quarter/year]
- Objective: [Awareness / Lead Gen / Sales / App Install]
- KPI targets: [Target CPA / ROAS / CPL]
- Timeline: [Start date - End date]
- Geo targets: [Countries / regions / cities]
- Previous performance data: [Yes/No — provide if available]
AUDIENCE INPUTS:
- B2B or B2C
- Target demographics: [Age, gender, income, education]
- Target firmographics (B2B): [Industry, company size, job title]
- Interests / behaviors: [Key interests]
- Current customer profile: [Describe best customers]
COMPETITIVE INPUTS:
- Main competitors: [List 3-5]
- Competitive positioning: [Premium / Value / Disruptor]
- Category maturity: [Emerging / Growing / Mature / Declining]
Step 2: Select channel mix based on objective
2. Channel Mix Recommendations
By Primary Objective
Awareness (Top of Funnel)
| Channel | Budget % | Why | KPI |
|---|
| YouTube (Demand Gen + Bumpers) | 25-35% | Largest video reach, non-skip bumpers for frequency | CPM, Video Views, Brand Lift |
| Meta (Reels + Stories) | 20-30% | Visual storytelling, broad reach | CPM, Reach, ThruPlay |
| TikTok | 10-20% | Gen Z/Millennial reach, viral potential | CPM, Video Views, Engagement |
| Programmatic Display (TTD/DV360) | 10-15% | Contextual targeting, premium publishers | CPM, Viewable Impressions |
| LinkedIn (B2B only) | 10-20% | Professional audience precision | CPM, Engagement Rate |
| Connected TV (CTV) | 5-15% | Non-skippable, TV-level attention | CPM, Completed Views |
Consideration (Mid-Funnel)
| Channel | Budget % | Why | KPI |
|---|
| Google Search (Non-Brand) | 25-35% | Capture active intent | CPC, CTR, Qualified Clicks |
| Meta (Conversion-optimized) | 20-30% | Retargeting, dynamic creative | CPC, Landing Page Views |
| LinkedIn (B2B) | 15-25% | Lead forms, InMail, content | CPL, Content Downloads |
| YouTube (TrueView) | 10-15% | In-depth product education | Cost per View, Watch Time |
| Reddit | 5-10% | Community trust, niche audiences | CPC, Engagement Rate |
Conversion (Bottom of Funnel)
| Channel | Budget % | Why | KPI |
|---|
| Google Search (Brand + High-Intent) | 30-40% | Highest intent, best CPA | CPA, ROAS, Conversion Rate |
| Google PMax / Shopping | 15-25% | Automated multi-surface conversion | ROAS, CPA |
| Meta (Advantage+ Shopping) | 15-25% | Proven conversion driver | CPA, ROAS |
| Retargeting (Cross-platform) | 10-15% | Re-engage warm audiences | CPA, Assisted Conversions |
| Microsoft Ads | 5-10% | Lower CPCs, less competition | CPA, ROAS |
| Email/SMS (Klaviyo/Loops) | 5-10% | Highest ROI for existing contacts | Revenue per Send |
By Business Type
B2B SaaS ($5K-50K/month budget)
Search (Google + Microsoft): 35%
LinkedIn: 25%
Retargeting (Meta + Display): 15%
YouTube: 10%
Content Syndication: 10%
Reddit: 5%
D2C E-Commerce ($10K-100K/month budget)
Meta (Advantage+ Shopping): 35%
Google (PMax + Search): 30%
TikTok: 15%
Retargeting (Email/SMS): 10%
YouTube: 5%
Pinterest: 5%
Local Business ($1K-5K/month budget)
Google Search (Local + GMB): 40%
Meta (Local Awareness + Leads): 30%
Google Display (Local): 15%
Yelp / Nextdoor: 10%
Waze Ads: 5%
3. Budget Allocation by Flight/Phase
Standard 3-Phase Campaign Structure:
Phase 1: LEARNING (Weeks 1-2) — 20% of budget
Objective: Establish baselines, test creative, build pixel data
Approach: Broader targeting, multiple ad variants, CBO (Campaign Budget Optimization)
Success metric: Cost per result within 2x of target
Phase 2: OPTIMIZATION (Weeks 3-6) — 50% of budget
Objective: Scale winners, kill losers, refine audiences
Approach: Shift budget to top performers, narrow targeting, A/B test
Success metric: Cost per result within 1.2x of target
Phase 3: SCALE (Weeks 7+) — 30% of budget
Objective: Maximize volume at target efficiency
Approach: Increase budgets 20% per week on winners, expand geo/audience
Success metric: Maintain CPA while increasing volume 2-3x
Monthly budget pacing template:
| Week | % of Monthly Budget | Focus | Adjustments |
|---|
| 1 | 20% | Launch all creatives, broad targeting | None — collect data |
| 2 | 22% | Pause bottom 30% of creatives | Shift budget to top performers |
| 3 | 28% | Scale top 3 ad sets by 20% | Introduce new creative variants |
| 4 | 30% | Maximum scale on proven winners | Prepare next month's creative |
4. CPM/CPC/CPA Projections by Platform
2026 Industry Benchmarks
CPM (Cost per 1,000 Impressions)
| Platform | B2C Average | B2B Average | Low (Off-peak) | High (Q4/Holiday) |
|---|
| Google Search | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Google Display | $2.50-5.00 | $4.00-8.00 | $1.50 | $12.00 |
| YouTube | $6.00-12.00 | $8.00-15.00 | $4.00 | $20.00 |
| Meta (Feed) | $7.00-14.00 | $10.00-20.00 | $5.00 | $25.00 |
| Meta (Reels/Stories) | $4.00-8.00 | $6.00-12.00 | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| TikTok | $5.00-10.00 | $8.00-15.00 | $3.00 | $18.00 |
| LinkedIn | $25.00-45.00 | $30.00-60.00 | $20.00 | $80.00 |
| Reddit | $3.00-8.00 | $5.00-12.00 | $2.00 | $15.00 |
| Microsoft (Display) | $2.00-4.00 | $3.00-6.00 | $1.50 | $8.00 |
| CTV | $20.00-35.00 | $25.00-45.00 | $15.00 | $50.00 |
| Pinterest | $4.00-8.00 | N/A | $2.50 | $12.00 |
CPC (Cost per Click)
| Platform | B2C Average | B2B Average | Low-Comp Industry | High-Comp Industry |
|---|
| Google Search | $1.50-3.00 | $3.00-8.00 | $0.50 | $50.00+ (legal, insurance) |
| Microsoft Search | $1.00-2.50 | $2.50-6.00 | $0.30 | $35.00 |
| Meta | $0.50-1.50 | $1.50-4.00 | $0.30 | $5.00 |
| LinkedIn | $5.00-9.00 | $5.00-12.00 | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| TikTok | $0.30-1.00 | $1.00-3.00 | $0.20 | $4.00 |
| Reddit | $0.50-2.00 | $1.50-4.00 | $0.30 | $5.00 |
| Pinterest | $0.30-1.00 | N/A | $0.15 | $2.50 |
CPA (Cost per Acquisition/Lead)
| Industry | Google Search | Meta | LinkedIn | TikTok |
|---|
| SaaS (Free Trial) | $30-80 | $25-60 | $50-150 | $20-50 |
| SaaS (Demo Request) | $80-200 | $60-150 | $100-300 | $50-120 |
| E-Commerce | $15-45 | $12-35 | N/A | $10-30 |
| Financial Services | $50-150 | $40-100 | $80-250 | $30-80 |
| Education | $20-60 | $15-45 | $40-120 | $12-35 |
| Real Estate | $30-100 | $20-60 | $50-150 | $15-50 |
| Healthcare | $40-120 | $25-70 | $60-200 | $20-55 |
| Legal | $80-300 | $50-150 | $100-400 | N/A |
5. Reach & Frequency Estimation
Reach calculation:
Estimated Reach = (Budget × 1,000) / CPM / Frequency
Example:
Budget: $10,000
CPM: $8.00
Target Frequency: 3x
Reach = ($10,000 × 1,000) / $8.00 / 3 = 416,667 unique users
Optimal frequency by objective:
| Objective | Optimal Frequency | Platform Cap | Over-Frequency Signal |
|---|
| Awareness | 2-4x/week | 3-5x/week | CTR drops below 0.3% |
| Consideration | 3-6x/week | 5-7x/week | Negative feedback rises |
| Conversion | 5-10x/week | 8-12x/week | CPA increases 20%+ |
| Retargeting | 3-5x/week | 5-7x/week | Hide/block rate above 1% |
Audience size recommendations:
| Platform | Minimum Audience | Optimal Audience | Notes |
|---|
| Google Search | 1,000 searches/mo | 10,000+ | Per ad group keyword volume |
| Meta | 100,000 | 1M-10M | Advantage+ works best with broad |
| LinkedIn | 50,000 | 300K-1M | Below 50K = limited delivery |
| TikTok | 100,000 | 1M-5M | Algorithm needs volume |
| Reddit | 50,000 | 500K-2M | Per community/interest |
6. Funnel Stage Mapping
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AWARENESS (Top of Funnel) │
│ Goal: Introduce brand to new audiences │
│ Channels: YouTube, Meta Reels, TikTok, Display, CTV │
│ KPIs: Reach, Impressions, Video Views, Brand Lift │
│ Budget: 20-30% of total │
│ Creative: Brand story, problem awareness, social proof │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CONSIDERATION (Mid-Funnel) │
│ Goal: Educate and build preference │
│ Channels: Search, YouTube, LinkedIn, Content, Reddit │
│ KPIs: CTR, Engagement, Content Downloads, Site Visits │
│ Budget: 30-40% of total │
│ Creative: Product demos, comparisons, testimonials, case │
│ studies, whitepapers │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CONVERSION (Bottom of Funnel) │
│ Goal: Drive purchases, signups, or leads │
│ Channels: Search (Brand), PMax, Meta A+SC, Retargeting │
│ KPIs: CPA, ROAS, Conversion Rate, Revenue │
│ Budget: 30-40% of total │
│ Creative: Offers, urgency, social proof, risk reversal │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ RETENTION (Post-Purchase) │
│ Goal: Upsell, cross-sell, reduce churn │
│ Channels: Email, SMS, Display (CRM audiences) │
│ KPIs: LTV, Repeat Purchase Rate, NPS │
│ Budget: 5-10% of total │
│ Creative: Loyalty offers, new features, referral programs │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Reference Data
Media Plan Output Template
# Media Plan: [Client Name]
**Prepared by:** [Name] | **Date:** [Date]
**Period:** [Start] - [End] | **Total Budget:** $[Amount]
## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentence overview of strategy and expected outcomes]
## Budget Allocation
| Channel | Monthly Budget | % of Total | Objective | Primary KPI | Target |
|---------|---------------|------------|-----------|-------------|--------|
| Google Search | $X,XXX | XX% | Conversion | CPA | $XX |
| Meta | $X,XXX | XX% | Consideration | CPC | $X.XX |
| LinkedIn | $X,XXX | XX% | Lead Gen | CPL | $XXX |
| YouTube | $X,XXX | XX% | Awareness | CPV | $0.XX |
| TikTok | $X,XXX | XX% | Awareness | CPM | $X.XX |
| **Total** | **$XX,XXX** | **100%** | | | |
## Flight Schedule
| Phase | Dates | Budget | Focus | Success Criteria |
|-------|-------|--------|-------|------------------|
| Learning | Week 1-2 | $X,XXX | Test creative, establish baselines | CPA < 2x target |
| Optimization | Week 3-6 | $X,XXX | Scale winners, refine audiences | CPA < 1.2x target |
| Scale | Week 7-12 | $X,XXX | Max volume at target efficiency | CPA at target, 3x volume |
## Projected Performance
| Metric | Monthly Projection | Quarterly Projection |
|--------|-------------------|----------------------|
| Impressions | X,XXX,XXX | XX,XXX,XXX |
| Clicks | XX,XXX | XXX,XXX |
| Conversions | XXX | X,XXX |
| Revenue | $XX,XXX | $XXX,XXX |
| ROAS | X.Xx | X.Xx |
| Blended CPA | $XX.XX | $XX.XX |
## Audience Strategy
[Describe primary, secondary, and retargeting audiences]
## Creative Strategy
[Describe creative themes, formats, and testing approach]
## Measurement & Reporting
- Weekly: [Automated dashboard + written summary]
- Monthly: [Performance review + optimization plan]
- Quarterly: [Strategic review + next quarter planning]
Seasonal Budget Adjustments
| Industry | Q1 Adj | Q2 Adj | Q3 Adj | Q4 Adj | Peak Month |
|---|
| E-Commerce | -15% | Base | +10% | +40% | November |
| B2B SaaS | +10% | Base | -10% | -5% | January |
| Travel | -10% | +15% | +20% | -15% | June |
| Education | +20% | -10% | +25% | -10% | August |
| Finance | +15% | Base | -5% | +10% | January |
| Real Estate | -5% | +15% | +10% | -15% | May |
Examples
Example: B2B SaaS Media Plan ($25K/month)
Channel Allocation:
Google Search: $8,750 (35%) — Brand + non-brand, Target CPA $85
LinkedIn: $6,250 (25%) — Sponsored Content + Lead Gen Forms, CPL $120
Meta Retargeting: $3,750 (15%) — Website visitors + Lookalikes
YouTube: $2,500 (10%) — 30s TrueView for product awareness
Content/Reddit: $2,500 (10%) — Thought leadership distribution
Microsoft Ads: $1,250 (5%) — Mirror top Google campaigns at lower CPC
Projected quarterly results:
Impressions: 4.5M
Clicks: 45,000
Leads (MQLs): 280
SQLs: 56 (20% MQL→SQL rate)
Closed deals: 8 (15% SQL→Close rate)
Revenue: $320,000 (avg deal $40K)
ROAS: 4.3x
About this skill
Part of the Synter free skills collection — open-source agent skills for advertising, PPC, and marketing automation.
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