Performance Marketing Knowledge Pack Files

Platform Specs — Paid Social

Ad format specifications, character limits, and placement options by platform. Updated for current platform requirements.

Meta (Facebook + Instagram)

Ad Formats

Format	Placements	Best For
Single image	Feed, Stories, Reels, Right column, Messenger	General purpose, quick production
Video	Feed, Stories, Reels, In-stream	Storytelling, demos, UGC
Carousel	Feed, Stories, Messenger	Multiple products, features, steps
Collection	Feed, Stories	Ecommerce, catalog browsing
Instant Experience	Mobile feed (full-screen)	Immersive landing pages
Lead Form	Feed, Stories	Lead gen without landing page

Specs

Element	Limit	Notes
Primary text	125 chars visible, 500 max	First ~125 chars show before "See more"
Headline	40 chars recommended, 255 max	Truncates on mobile after ~40
Description	30 chars recommended, 255 max	Not shown in all placements
Image	1080x1080 (1:1) or 1200x628 (1.91:1)	Max 20% text on image (guideline, not hard rule)
Video	1080x1080 (feed), 1080x1920 (stories/reels)	Max 240 min, recommend <15s for Stories/Reels
Carousel	2-10 cards, 1080x1080 per card	Each card can have unique link

Objectives → Optimization Events

Objective	Optimization	When to Use
Awareness	Reach, brand awareness	TOF, launches, broad audiences
Traffic	Link clicks, landing page views	MOF, content promotion
Engagement	Post engagement, video views	MOF, social proof building
Leads	Lead form submissions, conversions	BOF, in-platform lead gen
Sales	Conversions, catalog sales, value	BOF, ecommerce, direct response

Advantage+ Shopping (ASC)

• Automated campaign type for ecommerce
• Minimal targeting controls (audience suggestions, not restrictions)
• Requires product catalog and pixel with purchase events
• Budget: minimum $50/day recommended
• Best for: accounts with 50+ purchases/week and strong creative library

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LinkedIn

Ad Formats

Format	Placements	Best For
Single image	Feed	General B2B, brand awareness
Video	Feed	Thought leadership, demos
Carousel	Feed	Multi-point narratives, case studies
Text ad	Right rail, top banner	Low-budget brand awareness
Spotlight ad	Right rail (personalized)	Personalized CTAs
Message ad	LinkedIn inbox	Direct outreach, event invites
Lead Gen Form	Feed (with any format)	B2B lead gen, gated content
Document ad	Feed	PDFs, whitepapers, slide decks

Specs

Element	Limit	Notes
Introductory text	150 chars visible, 600 max	First ~150 chars show before "See more"
Headline	70 chars recommended, 200 max	Truncates after ~70
Description	100 chars (text ads)	Not shown on all formats
Image	1200x627 (1.91:1) or 1080x1080 (1:1)	1:1 gets more feed space
Video	16:9 or 1:1, 3 sec to 30 min	Recommend 15-30s for feed
Carousel	2-10 cards	Each card: 1080x1080

Targeting Options

Category	Options
Job title	Specific titles, seniority levels
Company	Name, size (1-10 to 10,000+), industry
Skills	Member-listed skills
Groups	LinkedIn group membership
Education	School, degree, field of study
Demographics	Age, gender (limited)
Matched Audiences	Website retargeting, contact list, lookalike
ABM	Company list upload (by name or domain)

Cost Benchmarks (approximate)

Metric	Typical Range	Notes
CPC	$5-15	Higher than other platforms
CPM	$30-80	Premium audience, premium price
CPL (Lead Gen Form)	$30-100+	Depends on targeting + offer
CTR	0.4-0.7%	Feed ads average

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TikTok

Ad Formats

Format	Placements	Best For
In-feed video	For You feed	General purpose, native feel
Spark Ads	For You feed (boosted organic)	UGC, authentic content
TopView	First ad on app open	Maximum reach, premium
Branded Hashtag Challenge	Discover page	Engagement, UGC generation
Collection ads	In-feed with product cards	Ecommerce
Lead Gen	In-feed with form	Lead capture

Specs

Element	Limit	Notes
Ad text	100 chars	Overlay text on video is separate
Video	9:16 (1080x1920), 5-60 seconds	15-30s performs best
Image	Not recommended (video-first platform)	Use video or carousel
Carousel	2-35 images, 1080x1920 each	Swipeable image ads

Creative Best Practices

Principle	Application
Native first	Ads should look like organic TikTok content, not polished commercials
Hook in 2 seconds	First 2 seconds determine if user stops scrolling
Vertical only	9:16 mandatory for feed placement
Sound on	93% of TikTok is consumed with sound. Use music, voiceover, or ASMR
UGC style	User-generated content style outperforms studio production
Trends	Use trending sounds, formats, and challenges (but stay brand-safe)
CTA overlay	Add text CTA on the video, don't rely on the button alone

Targeting Options

Category	Options
Demographics	Age, gender, location, language
Interests	15+ categories with subcategories
Behavior	Video interaction, creator interaction, hashtag interaction
Custom Audiences	Website visitors, app activity, customer list, engagement
Lookalike	From custom audience seeds
Smart Targeting	Algorithm-driven (like Meta Advantage+)

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Cross-Platform Comparison

Feature	Meta	LinkedIn	TikTok
Typical CPM	$5-15	$30-80	$3-10
Typical CPC	$0.50-3.00	$5-15	$0.30-2.00
Audience quality (B2B)	Medium	High	Low
Creative format	Image + video	Image + video	Video only
Targeting precision	Medium-high	Very high (B2B)	Medium
Learning phase	~50 conv/week	~15 conv/week	~50 conv/week
Min daily budget	$5/ad set	$10/campaign	$20/ad group
Best audience	B2C, broad B2B	B2B decision makers	Gen Z, millennials