paid-social-vs-paid-search

name	paid-social-vs-paid-search
description	Use when allocating paid budget. Search = bottom-funnel intent; social = top-funnel discovery.

Paid Social vs Paid Search

Search = intent-driven, high-conversion. Social = interruption-driven, awareness + retargeting. Both have place.

Search ad characteristics

1. User is actively searching
2. High purchase intent
3. Higher CPC ($1-10+)
4. Lower CPM
5. Highest conversion rate (5-20%)
6. Bottom-funnel
7. Best for: high-intent queries, brand defense

Social ad characteristics

1. User is browsing, not searching
2. Lower purchase intent
3. Lower CPC ($0.50-3)
4. Higher CPM
5. Lower conversion rate (0.5-3%)
6. Top-of-funnel and middle-funnel
7. Best for: brand awareness, visual products, retargeting

Recommended mix

For most brands:

• 40-60% paid search (intent capture)
• 30-40% paid social (awareness)
• 10-20% retargeting (across both)

Adjust by industry. CardPrepAI: 50% search, 30% social, 20% retargeting.

Where this fits in the X3 empire

Paid budget allocation for CardPrepAI.