media-plan-builder

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

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