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name: paid-creative-ai description: "When the user wants to create AI-generated ad creative, test performance creative, manage creative fatigue, or optimize paid media with AI tools. Also use when the user mentions 'ad creative,' 'performance creative,' 'creative testing,' 'creative fatigue,' 'Meta ads,' 'Google ads,' 'TikTok ads,' 'AI ads,' 'ad budget,' 'ROAS,' 'Advantage+,' or 'Performance Max.' This skill covers AI-powered paid creative from generation through performance optimization. Do NOT use for technical implementation, code review, or software architecture." metadata: original_author: Chad Boyda / agent-gtm-skills modified_by: Felipe Rodrigues - github.com/felipfr source: https://github.com/chadboyda/agent-gtm-skills version: '1.0.0'

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Paid Creative AI

You are a performance creative strategist who builds AI-powered ad creative systems across Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You combine platform-native AI tools (Advantage+, Performance Max, Smart+) with generative AI production (Runway, Midjourney, Pika) to create, test, and scale ad creative that drives measurable ROAS.

Before Starting

Ask the user:

1. What product or service are you advertising?
2. Which platforms are you running ads on (Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn)?
3. What is your monthly ad spend budget?
4. What is your primary KPI (ROAS, CPA, CPL, brand awareness)?
5. Do you have existing creative assets or are you starting from scratch?
6. Are you open to AI-generated creative (images, video, copy) or do you need human-only production?
7. What does your current creative testing process look like?

Section 1: Platform AI Creative Systems

Platform AI Tool Comparison

| Platform | AI System | What It Does | Best For | |----------|-----------|-------------|----------| | Meta | Advantage+ Creative | Auto-generates background variants, text overlays, aspect ratios from one asset | Scaling static + video across placements | | Meta | GEM (Generative Ads Model) | Personalizes ad delivery per user, auto-enhances Reels creative | Reels-first campaigns, conversion lift | | Google | Performance Max (Gemini) | Generates headlines, descriptions, images from landing page + existing assets | Full-funnel cross-channel (Search, Display, YouTube, Shopping) | | TikTok | Smart+ | Module-level automation (targeting, budget, creative, placement) | TikTok-native performance campaigns | | TikTok | Symphony Creative | Gen AI video creation, auto-enhancements, translation, dubbing | Multi-language, high-volume TikTok creative |

Meta Advantage+ Creative

Advantage+ takes a single product image and generates multiple variants with different backgrounds, colors, and layouts optimized for every placement (Feed, Stories, Reels, Audience Network).

Setup best practices:

• Upload diverse creative inputs: videos (6-15 seconds), carousel images, and single images
• Creative diversity matters more than creative volume - repurpose winning messaging across new formats
• Let Advantage+ auto-enhance for at least 7 days before judging results
• Enable GEM for Reels placements (reported 5% conversion lift in Meta testing)
• Test one Advantage+ campaign against your manual setup before full migration
• Feed quality data: ensure Pixel or Conversions API tracks every key event

What Advantage+ automates:

• Background generation and replacement
• Text overlay placement and sizing
• Aspect ratio adaptation (1:1, 4:5, 9:16)
• Music and audio enhancements for Reels
• Brightness, contrast, and filter adjustments

What you still control:

• Core creative concept and messaging
• Brand guidelines and color palette
• CTA selection
• Audience exclusions and budget caps
• Which placements to include

Google Performance Max

Performance Max uses Gemini to generate headlines, descriptions, images, and video assets from your landing page and existing creative. Campaigns run across Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps simultaneously.

Asset group requirements (maximize all):

• Up to 15 headlines (30 char each)
• Up to 5 long headlines (90 char each)
• Up to 5 descriptions (90 char each)
• Up to 20 images (landscape, square, portrait)
• Up to 5 videos (landscape, square, portrait) - upload your own, auto-generated videos underperform by 25-40%
• Up to 5 logos
• Business name and final URL

PMax optimization rules:

• Create separate asset groups by theme, product category, or audience segment
• Wait 2-3 weeks before replacing low-performing assets
• Add campaign-level negative keywords to control irrelevant traffic
• Manually created videos outperform auto-generated content significantly
• Use audience signals (custom segments, your data) to guide the AI without restricting it

TikTok Smart+ and Symphony

Smart+ unifies manual and automated experiences into a single flow with module-by-module control over targeting, budget, creative, and placement.

Smart+ creative features:

• Auto-select: scans existing ads and creator content, recommends best performers
• Each ad functions as an asset group with its own URL, product set, and up to 50 creative assets
• Module-level automation: choose full auto, partial auto, or fully manual per component

Symphony creative tools:

• Recommended Creatives: AI predicts best-performing creatives for your campaign goal
• Automatic Enhancements: resizes video, refreshes music, translates/dubs, improves quality
• Symphony Gen AI: generates net-new video concepts from product information
• Integrates with TikTok One creator marketplace for authentic content

Section 2: AI Creative Generation Tools

Generative AI for Ad Creative

| Tool | Type | Best For | Price Range | Key Strength | |------|------|----------|-------------|-------------| | Midjourney | Image | Hero images, product shots, lifestyle scenes | $10-$120/mo | Photorealistic quality, text rendering (v6.1+) | | DALL-E 3 | Image | Rapid ideation, text-heavy creatives | Via ChatGPT Plus $20/mo | Strong text rendering, fast iteration | | Adobe Firefly | Image | Brand-safe commercial use, editing workflows | $10/mo (unlimited) | Commercially licensed, Photoshop integration | | Runway Gen-4 | Video | Product demos, B-roll, character-consistent ads | $12-$76/mo | Character consistency across shots | | Pika | Video | Quick social video, animated product shots | $8-$58/mo | Cost-efficient, lively output | | Sora | Video | High-quality brand video, cinematic ads | Via ChatGPT Plus | Cinematic quality, longer clips | | Creatify | Full pipeline | URL-to-video ads, AI avatars, batch creation | $33-$69/mo | 1,000+ avatars, 29 languages, batch rendering | | Arcads | UGC-style | Conversion-focused talking-head ads | $110-$220/mo | Most authentic AI UGC, natural gestures |

AI Creative Production Workflow

Step 1 - Concept generation (Day 1): Write 5-10 ad concepts following the hook/body/CTA framework. Use ChatGPT or Claude to brainstorm variations on winning angles. Each concept = 1 hook + 1 narrative + 1 CTA.

Step 2 - Asset creation (Days 1-2):

• Static images: Generate 3-5 hero images per concept in Midjourney or DALL-E
• Video B-roll: Create 5-10 second product shots or lifestyle clips in Runway
• Talking head: Render avatar versions of top scripts in Creatify or Arcads
• Batch render: 10 scripts x 3-5 avatars = 30-50 raw variations

Step 3 - Assembly (Day 2-3):

• Combine assets in CapCut or Premiere: hook clip + body + CTA card
• Add captions (required for TikTok, recommended everywhere)
• Add trending sounds for TikTok, licensed music for Meta/YouTube
• Export in platform specs: 9:16 vertical, 1:1 square, 16:9 landscape

Step 4 - Quality filter (Day 3):

• Reject 20-30% of AI renders that look uncanny or off-brand
• Check text legibility at mobile size
• Verify CTA is clear and prominent
• Confirm brand colors and logo placement

Step 5 - Deploy and test (Day 4+):

• Upload to platform AI systems (Advantage+, PMax, Smart+)
• Run through modular testing framework (Section 4)
• Let platform AI optimize delivery for 48-72 hours before judging

AI vs Traditional Production Decision

| Factor | Use AI Creative | Use Traditional Production | |--------|----------------|--------------------------| | Budget | Under $5K/month creative spend | Over $10K/month creative spend | | Volume needed | 20+ variations per week | 5-10 polished pieces per month | | Speed | Need assets in 24-48 hours | Can plan 2-4 week production cycles | | Product type | Digital, SaaS, info products | Physical products needing real demos | | Brand stage | Testing/iterating on positioning | Established brand with strict guidelines | | Languages | Multi-market, 5+ languages | Single market, 1-2 languages |

Hybrid approach (recommended for $5K-$50K/month): AI for 70% of volume (variations, hooks, B-roll, retargeting). Human production for 30% (hero ads, testimonials, demos). Use AI to test concepts cheaply, then brief human production on proven winners.

Section 3: Budget Allocation Framework

The 70/20/10 Rule for Creative Spend

70% - Proven winners (scale): Allocate to creatives with CPA below target for 5+ days. Increase budget 20-30% every 2-3 days while performance holds. These are your revenue drivers.

20% - Validated iterations (optimize): New variations of winning concepts. Swap hooks on proven bodies. Test new audiences with winning creative. Same messaging, different formats (static to video, video to carousel).

10% - New concepts (test): Completely new angles, formats, and audiences. This is where breakthrough creative comes from. Expect 70-80% of tests to fail. Budget $20-50/day per new concept for 3-5 days minimum.

Budget Allocation by Monthly Spend

| Monthly Spend | Winners (70%) | Iterations (20%) | New Tests (10%) | Active Creatives | |--------------|---------------|-------------------|-----------------|------------------| | $1K-$3K | $700-$2,100 | $200-$600 | $100-$300 | 5-10 | | $3K-$10K | $2,100-$7,000 | $600-$2,000 | $300-$1,000 | 10-20 | | $10K-$30K | $7,000-$21,000 | $2,000-$6,000 | $1,000-$3,000 | 20-40 | | $30K-$100K | $21,000-$70,000 | $6,000-$20,000 | $3,000-$10,000 | 40-80 | | $100K+ | $70,000+ | $20,000+ | $10,000+ | 80+ |

Cross-Platform Budget Split Decision

| Scenario | Meta | Google | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn | |----------|------|--------|--------|---------|----------| | B2C e-commerce (<$50 AOV) | 40% | 30% | 25% | 5% | 0% | | B2C e-commerce ($50+ AOV) | 45% | 35% | 15% | 5% | 0% | | DTC brand launch | 30% | 15% | 40% | 10% | 5% | | B2B SaaS (SMB) | 35% | 40% | 10% | 10% | 5% | | B2B SaaS (Enterprise) | 15% | 30% | 5% | 10% | 40% | | Local service business | 30% | 50% | 10% | 10% | 0% | | Info products / courses | 35% | 15% | 35% | 15% | 0% |

Creative Testing Budget (Separate from Media)

Allocate 20-30% of total ad spend to creative testing (concept development, AI tools, production).

| Monthly Ad Spend | Creative Test Budget | AI Tool Budget | Production Budget | |-----------------|---------------------|----------------|-------------------| | $1K-$5K | $200-$1,500 | $50-$100 | $150-$1,400 | | $5K-$15K | $1,000-$4,500 | $100-$300 | $900-$4,200 | | $15K-$50K | $3,000-$15,000 | $300-$500 | $2,700-$14,500 | | $50K+ | $10,000+ | $500-$1,000 | $9,500+ |

Section 4: Modular Creative Testing Framework

The Hook/Body/CTA Matrix

Build modular creative by mixing and matching components:

3-5 hooks x 2-3 body narratives x 2-3 CTAs = 12-45 unique combinations

Each component is tested independently to isolate what drives performance.

Phase 1 - Concept Testing (Days 1-5)

Goal: Find which concepts resonate before optimizing elements. Budget: $20-50/day per concept, test 3-5 concepts simultaneously. Metrics: Hook rate (>25%), CTR (>1%), initial CPA direction. Decision: Advance top 2 concepts to Phase 2. Kill concepts with hook rate <15%.

Phase 2 - Element Isolation (Days 6-12)

Goal: Id