The paid channel landscape

Every paid channel does one of two jobs: capture demand people already have, or create demand they don't. Which you lead with, and how you split budget, decides whether you grow or just spend.

Before you spend a dollar you need a map. Some channels capture people already searching for what you sell; others create demand among people who weren't looking. Pick the wrong one for your product and stage and you burn cash learning a lesson this note gives you for free.

Paid advertising looks like a dozen platforms, but almost every channel does one of two very different jobs.

AI can draft a channel plan and a budget split in seconds. But the real CPCs, ROAS benchmarks and audience sizes must come from each platform's own tools and current benchmark reports, never a guess.

1. Demand capture (intent). People are already searching for what you sell, so you just show up. This is Google Search & Shopping and marketplace ads like Amazon. It's the cheapest way to reach someone who already wants your product, but you're capped by how many people search: you can't capture demand that doesn't exist yet.

In this lesson

Fastest path: one prompt, end to end
Or do it in 5 steps
Worked example: where the DTC money actually goes

What you'll learn

Classify the product
Confirm demand exists
Pick the lead channel and fund it to its floor
Add a capture layer
Leave retargeting for last