alt-ads-platforms Stinger

Arsenal for alt-ads-platforms-worker-bee — the Legion Army's specialist for paid acquisition across the 10 alternative platforms: LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, Microsoft/Bing, X/Twitter, Pinterest, Quora, YouTube (standalone), Spotify Ad Studio, and the podcast advertising ecosystem.

Always start with guides/01-channel-fit-diagnosis.md. No platform setup work begins until the ICP-to-platform fit is scored and the channel stack is prioritized. Running LinkedIn campaigns for a consumer ICP, or TikTok campaigns below $50/day, wastes budget regardless of execution quality.

See guides/00-principles.md for the six non-negotiables.

---

Routing table

Situation	Guide
Which platforms fit my ICP?	guides/01-channel-fit-diagnosis.md
LinkedIn Ads setup, LGF, benchmarks	guides/02-linkedin-ads.md
TikTok Ads, Smart+, CAPI	guides/03-tiktok-ads.md
Reddit Ads, community targeting	guides/04-reddit-ads.md
Microsoft/Bing Ads, LinkedIn Profile Targeting	guides/05-microsoft-bing-ads.md
X/Twitter Ads	guides/06-x-twitter-ads.md
Pinterest Ads, Shopping Catalogs	guides/07-pinterest-ads.md
Quora Ads, B2B niche targeting	guides/08-quora-ads.md
YouTube standalone video ads	guides/09-youtube-standalone.md
Spotify Ad Studio, podcast ads	guides/10-podcast-advertising.md
Campaign structure, naming, UTMs	guides/11-campaign-architecture.md
Server-side CAPI wiring, deduplication	guides/12-capi-wiring.md
Full channel-fit scorecard (to fill in)	templates/channel-fit-scorecard.md
Per-platform launch QA checklist	templates/campaign-launch-checklist.md

---

Critical directives

• Channel-fit diagnosis before setup. Never scaffold a campaign architecture before running the ICP-to-platform scoring. An incorrectly selected channel cannot be rescued by good execution. See guides/00-principles.md.

• Minimum viable spend thresholds are gates, not guidelines. LinkedIn under $1,500/month produces unoptimizable data. TikTok under $50/day has no learning phase. State these thresholds explicitly when the budget is below them. See guides/00-principles.md.

• CAPI is the 2026 baseline for TikTok and LinkedIn. Pixel-only attribution is ~60-70% accurate post-iOS 14.5. Server-side CAPI is not optional. See guides/12-capi-wiring.md.

• Depth over breadth. Never recommend more platforms than the team can execute well. One well-run LinkedIn campaign beats three mediocre ones across three platforms. See guides/00-principles.md.

• Benchmark CPLs are ranges, not targets. Initial testing will typically be 2-3x above mature-campaign benchmarks. State this explicitly. See guides/01-channel-fit-diagnosis.md.

• X/Twitter is the most volatile platform in this stinger's universe. The X/Twitter guide requires quarterly review. Always flag this to the user. See guides/06-x-twitter-ads.md.

---

Platform benchmark quick-reference (2026)

Platform	Avg CPL/CPM	Best ICP fit	MVS/month	CAPI available?
LinkedIn Ads	$94 CPL (avg); $40-500 by vertical	B2B, job title/seniority targeting	$1,500-$5,000	Yes (verify GA status)
TikTok Ads	$10-25 CPL (D2C); $30-80 CPL (SaaS)	D2C, app installs, B2B awareness	$1,500/month ($50/day)	Yes (GA)
Reddit Ads	$0.50-$2.00 CPC (vs LinkedIn $5.26-$10+)	Technical B2B, developer tools, niche interest	$1,000/month	Yes (Reddit Pixel + CAPI beta)
Microsoft/Bing Ads	20-35% lower CPA than Google Search	B2B, older demographics, LinkedIn-profile-matched	$500/month	Yes (UET + CAPI)
Pinterest Ads	2.0-3.5x ROAS (avg); 3.5-5.0x (DIY/crafts)	D2C, home/garden/fashion/food	$500/month	Yes
Quora Ads	$8-15 CPM (vs LinkedIn $75-90 CPM)	B2B niche, technical comparison queries	$500/month	Yes (Quora Pixel)
YouTube Standalone	$0.01-0.03 CPV; $5-30 CPM	Brand awareness, explainer video, D2C	$1,000/month	Via Google Tag Manager
Spotify Ad Studio	0.3-0.8% audio CTR; 95%+ completion	B2C mass market, engaged listeners	$1,000/month ($250 min)	No (promo codes + vanity URL)
X/Twitter Ads	Variable — platform volatile	Brand/thought leadership; NOT conversion-focused	$500/month test budget only	Yes (X Pixel)

Sources: research/external/ — LinkedIn benchmarks from 2026-05-20-linkedin-ads-benchmarks-2026-by-industry.md; Reddit CPCs from 2026-05-20-reddit-ads-b2b-saas-community-targeting-2026.md; Pinterest ROAS from 2026-05-20-pinterest-roas-benchmarks-2026.md; Spotify benchmarks from 2026-05-20-spotify-ads-benchmarks-2026.md.

---

Open questions (from scripture-historian)

The following questions require either human decision or direct platform verification before the relevant guides can be fully authoritative. See research/research-summary.md for full context.

OQ-1 (LinkedIn CAPI GA status): LinkedIn Conversions API availability depends on account type and may require applying for access. Verify in Campaign Manager: Measure > Conversions > Connect to partner. See guides/12-capi-wiring.md note.

OQ-2 (X/Twitter 2026 stability): No 2026-specific X/Twitter Ads platform data was found in research. guides/06-x-twitter-ads.md is synthesized from training knowledge; verify at business.twitter.com before acting.

OQ-3 (Quora 2026 traffic): Quora B2B effectiveness survives AI competition for technical comparison queries but is no longer a mass-volume channel. Scale expectations should be conservative.

---

Folder layout

alt-ads-platforms-stinger/
+- SKILL.md                                    (this file — master index)
+- README.md                                   (one-page human overview)
+- guides/
|  +- 00-principles.md                         (six non-negotiables, budget thresholds, CAPI doctrine)
|  +- 01-channel-fit-diagnosis.md              (ICP scoring matrix, demand capture vs creation, investment ladder)
|  +- 02-linkedin-ads.md                       (campaign structure, audience, LGF, benchmarks, CAPI)
|  +- 03-tiktok-ads.md                         (Smart+, CAPI, creative hooks, B2B vs B2C fit)
|  +- 04-reddit-ads.md                         (community targeting, AI citation value, CPCs, 90-day rule)
|  +- 05-microsoft-bing-ads.md                 (LinkedIn Profile Targeting, UET, import from Google Ads)
|  +- 06-x-twitter-ads.md                      (Amplify, Promoted Posts, platform volatility caveats)
|  +- 07-pinterest-ads.md                      (Shopping Ads, Catalogs, 70-90 day attribution)
|  +- 08-quora-ads.md                          (question targeting, B2B case studies, AI-competition caveat)
|  +- 09-youtube-standalone.md                 (TrueView, Bumpers, Shorts, when to run outside Google Ads)
|  +- 10-podcast-advertising.md                (Spotify Ad Studio, host-read, programmatic, attribution)
|  +- 11-campaign-architecture.md              (naming, UTMs, A/B testing, budget pacing, frequency caps)
|  +- 12-capi-wiring.md                        (TikTok CAPI, LinkedIn CAPI, Microsoft UET, deduplication)
+- examples/
|  +- b2b-saas-channel-fit.md                  (worked scorecard for B2B SaaS ICP, LinkedIn + Reddit stack)
|  +- tiktok-capi-setup.md                     (step-by-step CAPI wiring for a D2C brand)
+- templates/
|  +- channel-fit-scorecard.md                 (ICP input form + platform scoring matrix)
|  +- campaign-launch-checklist.md             (per-platform QA before going live)
|  +- creative-specs-table.md                  (format, dimensions, copy limits per platform)
|  +- utm-naming-convention.md                 (UTM parameter schema for multi-platform attribution)
+- reports/
|  +- README.md                                (how audit reports accumulate)
+- research/                                   (DO NOT MODIFY — owned by scripture-historian)
   +- research-plan.md
   +- research-summary.md
   +- index.md
   +- internal/
   +- external/                                (19 source notes, 2026-05-20)

---

Command Brief: ai-tools/command-briefs/alt-ads-platforms-worker-bee-command-brief.md Forged by stinger-forge from command-brief + research/. Part of the Legion AI Tools Factory by Mario Aldayuz a.k.a @thenotoriousllama.