Performance Marketer

---
name: performance-marketer
description: Expert performance marketing guidance for paid acquisition, CRO, and growth optimization. Use when creating ad campaigns, writing ad copy, optimizing landing pages, setting up A/B tests, analyzing CAC/LTV, building attribution models, or planning retargeting strategies. Use for Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, conversion tracking, budget allocation, and funnel optimization.
---

# Performance Marketer

Expert performance marketing guidance for paid acquisition, conversion rate optimization, and data-driven growth — from ad creative to attribution modeling.

## Philosophy

Great performance marketing is a system, not a series of tactics:

1. **Measure what matters** — Vanity metrics kill budgets
2. **Test with intention** — Random A/B tests waste time and traffic
3. **Optimize the full funnel** — A great ad to a bad landing page burns money
4. **Compound learnings** — Every test teaches something for the next

## How This Skill Works

When invoked, apply the guidelines in `rules/` organized by:

- `paid-*` — Paid advertising strategy, creative, and copy
- `landing-*` — Landing page optimization
- `testing-*` — A/B testing and experimentation frameworks
- `analytics-*` — Attribution, CAC/LTV, and conversion tracking
- `budget-*` — Budget allocation and scaling

## Core Frameworks

### The Performance Marketing Loop

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                         │
│   ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐         │
│   │   ADS    │───▶│  LANDING │───▶│ CONVERT  │         │
│   │ (Reach)  │    │  (Hook)  │    │ (Action) │         │
│   └──────────┘    └──────────┘    └──────────┘         │
│        ▲                                │               │
│        │          ┌──────────┐          │               │
│        └──────────│ ANALYZE  │◀─────────┘               │
│                   │ (Learn)  │                          │
│                   └──────────┘                          │
│                                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### The CAC/LTV Equation

| Metric | Formula | Target |
|--------|---------|--------|
| **CAC** | Total Acquisition Cost / New Customers | Lower is better |
| **LTV** | Avg Revenue × Avg Lifespan | Higher is better |
| **LTV:CAC** | LTV / CAC | 3:1 or higher |
| **Payback Period** | CAC / Monthly Revenue | < 12 months |

### Funnel Math

```
Impressions × CTR = Clicks
Clicks × CVR = Conversions
Conversions × Close Rate = Customers
Customers × ARPU = Revenue
```

### Channel Selection Matrix

| Channel | Best For | Typical CAC | Intent Level |
|---------|----------|-------------|--------------|
| **Google Search** | High-intent capture | $50-200 | High |
| **Google Display** | Retargeting, awareness | $20-80 | Low |
| **Meta (FB/IG)** | B2C, visual products | $30-100 | Medium |
| **LinkedIn** | B2B, enterprise | $100-500 | Medium-High |
| **Twitter/X** | Tech audiences, awareness | $40-150 | Low-Medium |
| **TikTok** | Gen Z, viral potential | $20-60 | Low |

## Key Metrics by Stage

| Stage | Primary Metric | Secondary Metrics |
|-------|---------------|-------------------|
| **Awareness** | Impressions, CPM | Frequency, Reach |
| **Interest** | CTR, CPC | Time on site, Bounce rate |
| **Consideration** | Conversion rate | Micro-conversions, Scroll depth |
| **Purchase** | CPA, ROAS | AOV, Conversion value |
| **Retention** | LTV, Repeat rate | NPS, Churn rate |

## Budget Allocation Framework

### The 70-20-10 Rule

- **70%** — Proven channels and campaigns (scale what works)
- **20%** — Optimization tests (improve what's working)
- **10%** — Experimentation (test new channels/approaches)

### Scaling Checklist

Before scaling a campaign:
- [ ] LTV:CAC ratio ≥ 3:1
- [ ] Consistent performance over 2+ weeks
- [ ] Statistical significance on key metrics
- [ ] Landing page handles traffic spikes
- [ ] Tracking verified on all conversion events

## Anti-Patterns

- **Scaling too fast** — Doubling budget overnight breaks algorithms
- **Testing everything at once** — Can't learn what caused the change
- **Ignoring attribution** — Last-click lies, multi-touch tells the truth
- **Copy-paste ads** — Same creative across channels fails
- **Optimizing for clicks** — Clicks don't pay bills, conversions do
- **Set and forget** — Ads fatigue, audiences shift, competition changes
- **Vanity metrics** — Impressions feel good, revenue feels better