What this service is
The Paid Media Management service helps clients get more qualified traffic, leads, and revenue from paid advertising channels. Many businesses either have no paid media presence at all, are running campaigns with significant wasted spend, or are managing campaigns themselves without the expertise to optimize effectively.
Northwoods offers a clear progression: a free check of whether the client has any active ads and whether competitors are bidding on their brand name, a paid assessment that evaluates existing campaigns or sizes the market opportunity, a strategy engagement with Ed K that builds the campaign architecture, and an ongoing managed service that handles all optimization week to week.
Why clients care: The average Google Ads account wastes 76% of its budget on irrelevant search terms (WordStream). Without weekly negative keyword management, audience refinement, and bid optimization, ad spend erodes quickly. Most in-house teams lack the time and tooling to optimize campaigns at the cadence required for strong ROAS.
EK
Edward Kozlowski
Digital Marketing Practice Lead — Paid Media
Ed K leads paid media strategy and campaign management at Northwoods. He oversees all Google Ads and social advertising engagements, from initial audits through ongoing retainer management. For M-tier engagements, Ed leads the 1.5-hour strategy session. For L-tier retainers, his team handles weekly optimization and monthly reporting. Supported by Jim Brophy (Group Director, Digital), Rachel, Trevor, and Ramie.
Service tiers — F / S / M / L
F — Free / Quick Scan
Ad Presence Check
Free
Agent-automated • Public data only • <5 minutes
- ✓ Active Google Ads detected (yes/no)
- ✓ Ad copy samples from Transparency Center
- ✓ Competitor brand bidding check
- ✓ Number of ads running (approximate)
- ✓ Ad format types detected (search, display, video)
- ✓ Basic ad presence summary with CTA
Scope: Public data • Agentic: Yes (Google Ads Transparency Center) • No credentials needed
S — Paid Deeper Scan
Paid Media Assessment
$300–$500
With or without account access • PDF report
- ✓ Everything in Ad Presence Check
- ✓ Campaign structure review (if account access)
- ✓ Wasted spend analysis
- ✓ Audience targeting evaluation
- ✓ Ad copy quality scoring
- ✓ Landing page alignment check
- ✓ Market opportunity analysis (if no existing accounts)
- ✓ Prioritized recommendations (self-executable)
Scope: All active campaigns or market sizing • Delivered as PDF • Read-only account access preferred
M — Audit & Consult
Strategy & Launch Plan
$1,500–$2,000
Scoped engagement • Live 1.5-hr session with Ed K
- ✓ Everything in Paid Media Assessment
- ✓ Campaign architecture recommendation
- ✓ Audience strategy & persona targeting
- ✓ Creative brief for ad development
- ✓ Budget allocation plan by channel
- ✓ Conversion tracking setup plan
- ✓ 1.5-hour live strategy session with Ed K
- ✓ Written launch roadmap with timelines
Scope: Full campaign strategy • Ed K + team • Live consultation required
L — Retainer
Managed Campaigns
$820–$2,050/mo
Per platform • Weekly optimization • Monthly reporting
- ✓ Everything in Strategy & Launch Plan
- ✓ Ongoing campaign management & optimization
- ✓ Weekly search term & negative keyword management
- ✓ Audience, placement & device optimization
- ✓ A/B testing (ad copy, landing pages, audiences)
- ✓ Monthly performance reports
- ✓ Quarterly strategy review with Ed K
- ✓ Dashboard KPI tracking (ROAS, CPA, CTR)
Scope: All active campaigns • Ongoing • Client pays platforms directly • Overage: $205/hr
Pricing note: L-tier retainer rates are per platform. Google Search & Display: $2,050/mo. Facebook/Instagram: $820/mo. LinkedIn: $820/mo. The client pays ad platforms directly — Northwoods’s fee covers campaign management, optimization, and reporting only. Overages billed at $205/hr.
What the agent checks
| Check |
F — Free |
S — Paid |
M — Audit |
| Ad Presence & Transparency |
| Active Google Ads detected via Ads Transparency Center | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ad copy samples retrieved (search, display, video) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor brand bidding on client’s name | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Number of active ads and ad format types | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ad scheduling and geographic targeting (if visible) | △ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Account & Campaign Analysis (requires access) |
| Campaign structure review (ad groups, keywords, match types) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wasted spend identification (irrelevant search terms) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audience targeting evaluation | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ad copy quality scoring and relevance check | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing page alignment with ad messaging | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conversion tracking verification | — | — | ✓ |
| Market Opportunity (no existing account) |
| Estimated keyword CPCs for target terms | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audience sizing and targeting options | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recommended budget and channel mix | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor ad landscape analysis | — | △ | ✓ |
| Strategy & Architecture |
| Campaign architecture recommendation | — | — | ✓ |
| Audience strategy and persona mapping | — | — | ✓ |
| Creative brief for ad development | — | — | ✓ |
| Budget allocation plan by channel/campaign type | — | — | ✓ |
| Expert consultation with Ed K | — | — | ✓ |
✓ Included △ Partial / estimated — Not included
Campaign types managed
Ed K’s team manages seven campaign types across Google and social platforms. Each follows the same three-phase process: account setup, campaign research and ad development, and ongoing weekly optimization.
PPC
Search Engine Ads
Google Search PPC — keyword targeting, ad copy, bid management
DSP
Display Ads
Banner and responsive display ads across Google Display Network
RMK
Remarketing
Website visitor retargeting across display and search
PM
Performance Max
Google’s AI-driven cross-channel campaign type
SHP
Shopping Ads
Product feed ads for e-commerce clients
YT
YouTube Video
Pre-roll, in-stream, and discovery video ads
SOC
Social Media Ads
Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn paid campaigns
Client pays all ad platforms directly. Northwoods fee covers management only.
Sample output — Ad Presence Check (F tier)
This is representative of what a prospect sees from the free agent scan. All data comes from publicly available sources (Google Ads Transparency Center).
Scanned: www.example-client.com — April 6, 2026 — Public data only
✓
Active Google Ads
Yes — 12 ads detected
✓
Ad Format Types
Search, Display
!
Competitor Brand Bidding
2 competitors bidding on your brand name
✗
Remarketing Ads
None detected
✗
Social Media Ads
No Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn ads found
!
Video Ads (YouTube)
None detected
Ad Presence Score
2 / 7 channels active
What happens next: The prospect sees which channels they’re active on, which they’re missing, and whether competitors are bidding on their brand. The CTA offers a Paid Media Assessment ($300–$500) to evaluate campaign performance or size the market opportunity.
Deliverables by tier
| Tier |
What the client / prospect receives |
Format |
Who produces it |
| F — Free / Quick Scan |
Ad presence summary: active channels, competitor brand bidding, ad format types, channel gap analysis with CTA |
On-screen result + email summary |
Agent (automated via Ads Transparency Center) |
| S — Paid Deeper Scan |
Campaign audit report (if account access): wasted spend analysis, audience targeting review, ad copy scoring, landing page alignment. Or: market opportunity report with keyword CPCs, audience sizing, recommended budget and channel mix. Prioritized recommendations the client can execute independently. |
PDF report (10–15 pages) |
Ed K team (manual analysis + tools) |
| M — Audit & Consult |
Complete campaign strategy: architecture recommendation, audience strategy, creative brief, budget allocation plan, conversion tracking setup plan, written launch roadmap + 1.5-hour live strategy session with Ed K |
PDF strategy document + live consultation |
Ed K (strategy lead) + team |
| L — Retainer |
Ongoing campaign management: weekly optimization (search terms, negative keywords, audiences, placements, devices), A/B testing, monthly performance reports, quarterly strategy review with Ed K, dashboard KPI tracking |
Client dashboard + monthly report + quarterly review call |
Ed K team (ongoing) • Quarterly review: Ed K |
How this service is delivered today
Step 1
Ad Presence Scan
Agent checks Google Ads Transparency Center for active ads, competitor brand bidding, and ad format types. Produces quick presence summary.
Agent — Automated
Step 2
Account Access & Assessment
Client provides read-only access to Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, or LinkedIn Campaign Manager. Ed K’s team reviews campaign structure, spend, and performance.
Ed K Team — Manual
Step 3
Strategy & Architecture
Ed K builds campaign architecture, audience strategy, creative brief, and budget allocation. Delivers in a 1.5-hour live strategy session.
Ed K — Practice Lead
Step 4
Ongoing Management
Weekly campaign optimization: search terms, negative keywords, audiences, placements, device bids, A/B testing. Monthly reports. Quarterly strategy review with Ed K.
Ed K Team — Retainer
F-tier automation note: The F tier relies on Google Ads Transparency Center, which is publicly available and does not require credentials. The agent can confirm whether a domain runs Google Ads, retrieve ad copy samples, and detect ad formats. It cannot assess account quality, spend, or performance without read-only account credentials. The F tier is thin but defensible as a lead-generation entry point.
L-tier dashboard KPIs
For retainer clients, the following KPIs are tracked on the NWS-360 client dashboard and reviewed in quarterly strategy sessions with Ed K. These metrics drive the ongoing optimization agenda and are reported monthly.
| KPI |
What it measures |
| ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) |
Revenue generated per dollar of ad spend. The primary efficiency metric. Target varies by industry — typically 3:1 to 8:1. |
| Cost per Conversion / CPA |
Average cost to acquire a lead, form submission, phone call, or purchase. Compared against client’s customer lifetime value to ensure profitability. |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) by Campaign |
Percentage of ad impressions that result in clicks. Indicates ad relevance and copy quality. Benchmarked against industry averages per campaign type. |
| Impression Share |
Percentage of eligible impressions the client’s ads received. Broken down by “lost to budget” vs. “lost to rank” to identify whether the constraint is spend or ad quality. |
Features & benefits
What makes this service distinctive
- Covers all seven major campaign types across Google and social platforms
- Free ad presence check gives prospects immediate insight with zero friction
- S-tier report is self-service — client can execute recommendations without hiring Northwoods
- M-tier includes a live 1.5-hour strategy session, not just a document
- Weekly optimization cadence (not monthly) catches wasted spend faster
- Client pays platforms directly — no markup on ad spend
- A/B testing built into every retainer engagement
- Remediation budget model: audit findings feed a prioritized backlog the client can fund incrementally
- Quarterly strategy reviews with Ed K ensure campaigns evolve with business goals
- Dashboard KPI tracking (ROAS, CPA, CTR, Impression Share) gives clients ongoing visibility
Client benefits
- Stop wasting ad budget on irrelevant search terms and poorly targeted audiences
- Know whether competitors are bidding on your brand name and how to respond
- Get a clear, channel-by-channel budget allocation plan based on market data, not guesswork
- Receive monthly performance reports that connect ad spend to business outcomes
- Free up internal marketing staff from campaign management to focus on strategy
Retainer pricing detail
L-tier pricing is per platform. Clients can select the channels that match their business. All fees cover campaign management, optimization, and reporting — ad spend is paid by the client directly to each platform.
| Platform |
Monthly Fee |
Includes |
| Google Search & Display Ads |
$2,050/mo |
Search, Display, Remarketing, Performance Max, Shopping, YouTube |
| Facebook / Instagram Advertising |
$820/mo |
Feed ads, Stories, Reels, audience targeting, remarketing |
| LinkedIn Advertising |
$820/mo |
Sponsored content, InMail, text ads, audience targeting |
| Overage Rate |
$205/hr |
Any work beyond included retainer hours |