The Ad Spend

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Notes on running an account that remembers

Field notes and research on paid media, memory, and the difference between a number and a decision.

AllGuides & ResearchReferenceProduct
A woman crawling across a floor completely covered in scattered papers, reaching for a page
ReferenceJuly 27, 2025

Retargeting (RT)

Retargeting (RT) explained — re-engaging past visitors. Shifting from cookie-based to first-party and on-platform signals in 2026.

2 min read
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ReferenceJuly 23, 2025

LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms Benchmarks 2026

LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms: LinkedIn's own internal benchmark (older data, directional) puts conversion at ~13% — roughly 5x off-platform landing pages — with a LinkedIn-reported 20–50% CPL reduction.

2 min read
A woman lying on a paper-covered floor taking a call on a corded phone
ReferenceJuly 19, 2025

Lookalike Audience (LAL)

Lookalike Audience (LAL) explained — audiences modeled on your best customers. Note: LinkedIn retired Lookalikes for Predictive Audiences.

2 min read
A woman adjusting her glasses while crawling across a floor of scattered papers
ReferenceJuly 16, 2025

Custom Audience (CA)

Custom Audience (CA) explained — audiences built from your own data. More valuable than ever in 2026 as cookies fade.

2 min read
A woman kneeling on a paper-covered floor sorting pages into piles
ReferenceJuly 12, 2025

Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO)

Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) explained — Meta's auto-distribution of budget across ad sets, renamed Advantage+ Campaign Budget in 2026.

2 min read
A smiling man taking a phone call at his desk in front of venetian blinds
ReferenceJuly 9, 2025

Video Completion Rate (VCR)

VCR benchmarks: social 70-80%, CTV 95%+, YouTube skippable 15-30%. Low VCR = weak hook.

2 min read
A man in a suit lying upside down across a paper-scattered floor
ReferenceJuly 5, 2025

Cost Per View (CPV)

CPV varies by platform. YouTube average $0.026. View definitions differ—YouTube 30s vs TikTok 6s.

2 min read
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ReferenceJuly 2, 2025

Bid Cap

Bid cap = hard cost ceiling. Set at/above target CPA. Too low = zero delivery. Use for strict limits.

2 min read
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ReferenceJune 28, 2025

Cost Cap

Cost cap = flexible target, not hard limit. Algorithm averages toward target. Better for scaling than bid cap.

2 min read
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ReferenceJune 24, 2025

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

MRR = monthly subscription revenue. 10%+ MoM growth is strong. Track New, Expansion, Churned, Contraction.

2 min read
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ReferenceJune 21, 2025

Churn Rate

Churn target: under 5% annual. 5% monthly = 46% annual loss. Reducing churn > increasing acquisition.

2 min read
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ReferenceJune 17, 2025

Payback Period

Payback: 12-18 months acceptable, under 12 strong, over 24 concerning. Determines cash needs.

2 min read

The record

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