| name | budget-optimization |
| description | Budget reallocation and pacing rules across ad sets and channels. Drives spend toward winning creative under CFO caps. |
| canon_references | ["sharp-reach-over-frequency","hormozi-lead-flows","ritson-diagnosis"] |
| canon_source | brain/MARKETING_CANON.md |
| universal | true |
| note | Examples in this skill may reference SunBiz (legacy client); the skill itself is brand-agnostic. Per-brand context lives in brain/clients/<brand>.md. |
| triggers | ["reallocate ad budget","we're overspending on this campaign","shift budget to better performer","optimize ad spend","reduce CPL by adjusting budget"] |
SKILL: Budget Optimization
Strategic budget allocation and pacing across platforms and campaigns.
Budget Allocation Framework
Initial Split (No Data Yet)
- Google Ads: 50% | Meta Ads: 50%
- Reasoning: Test both platforms equally, then shift based on data
Data-Driven Reallocation (After 2+ Weeks)
- Calculate CPL per platform
- Shift budget: 60-70% to lower-CPL platform, 30-40% to higher
- Never go below 30% on any platform (maintain presence for data)
Within-Platform Allocation
- Rank campaigns by CPL (lowest = best)
- Top performer: 40-50% of platform budget
- Middle performers: 30-40%
- New/testing campaigns: 10-20%
Budget Pacing
Daily Budget Rules
- Underspending (<80% of daily budget): Targeting too narrow OR bid too low
- Perfect pacing (80-100%): Healthy delivery
- Overspending (>100%): Platform may spend up to 2x daily budget (averages over month)
Monthly Budget Tracking
Monthly Budget: $X,XXX
Daily Target: $X (monthly / 30)
Spent to Date: $X,XXX
Remaining: $X,XXX
Days Left: X
Required Daily Spend: $X (remaining / days left)
Pacing: ON TRACK / UNDERSPENDING / OVERSPENDING
Scaling Rules
- Never increase budget by more than 20% at once — Sudden budget jumps reset Meta's learning phase
- Scale every 3-4 days if performance is stable
- If CPL increases after scaling — Wait 3 days for algorithm to stabilize
- If CPL still high after 5 days — Revert to previous budget
Budget Minimums
| Platform | Campaign Type | Recommended Minimum |
|---|
| Google Search | Lead Gen | $20/day |
| Google Display | Awareness | $15/day |
| Meta Lead Gen | Lead Generation | $20/day |
| Meta Awareness | Brand Awareness | $10/day |
Emergency Budget Actions
| Situation | Action |
|---|
| Budget exhausted early in day | Reduce bid, widen targeting, or increase budget |
| Campaign burning cash with no leads | Pause immediately, investigate |
| End of month, budget remaining | Increase daily budget on best performers |
| Client requests budget cut | Pause worst performers first, keep best |
