Audience Overlap Analyzer
SKILL.md
HOW_TO_USE.md
sample_input.json
expected_output.json
skillsaudienceSKILL.md
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# Audience Overlap Analyzer
Stop bidding against yourself. Find the hidden overlap killing your efficiency.
## Core Philosophy
**Overlap is the silent budget killer.** You could be paying twice to reach the same person—once in Campaign A, again in Campaign B.
**The Overlap Paradox:** More audiences feels like more coverage. But overlapping audiences mean you're competing against yourself in the auction.
**The Three Laws of Audience Efficiency:**
1. **Overlap raises CPMs:** When you bid against yourself, everyone loses (except Google/Meta)
2. **Frequency compounds:** Overlap + retargeting = ad fatigue at warp speed
3. **Attribution gets messy:** Who gets credit when the same user sees 3 campaigns?
---
## Required Context
### Must Have
**1. Audience Definitions**
For each audience/ad set:
- Name
- Targeting criteria (interests, behaviors, lookalikes, custom, etc.)
- Estimated size
- Platform
**2. Performance Data**
- Spend per audience
- Conversions per audience
- CPM per audience
- Frequency per audience
### Strongly Recommended
**3. Overlap Data (if available)**
- Meta: Audience Overlap tool results
- Google: Audience insights overlap %
- Manual analysis of targeting criteria
**4. Campaign Structure**
- Which campaigns use which audiences
- Budget allocation across campaigns
- Audience exclusions currently in place
### Nice to Have
- Historical CPM trends
- Conversion path data (multi-touch)
- Audience refresh dates
- Cross-platform audience usage
---
## Overlap Detection Framework
### Type 1: Direct Overlap
**Definition:** Same users appear in multiple audiences
**Common Causes:**
| Overlap Pattern | Example | Detection |
|-----------------|---------|-----------|
| Lookalike overlap | 1% LAL and 2% LAL | First 1% is contained in 2% |
| Interest overlap | "Marketing" and "Digital Marketing" | Nested interests |
| Behavior overlap | "Engaged Shoppers" + "Purchase Intent" | Similar signals |
| Retargeting overlap | "Cart Abandoners" + "All Visitors" | Subset relationship |
**Severity Calculation:**
```
Overlap Impact = (Overlap %) × (Higher CPM - Lower CPM) × Impressions
```
---
### Type 2: Auction Collision
**Definition:** Audiences competing in same auctions even if not identical
**Signs of Auction Collision:**
- Rising CPMs across multiple campaigns simultaneously
- Similar delivery times across audiences
- Auction insights showing self-competition
**Detection Method:**
1. Check if audiences target same demographics
2. Check if audiences target same placements
3. Check if campaigns run same schedules
4. Review auction insights for same-advertiser competition
---
### Type 3: Cross-Campaign Cannibalization
**Definition:** Multiple campaigns reaching same users with different messages
**Impact Assessment:**
| Scenario | Impact | Priority |
|----------|--------|----------|
| Brand + Non-brand overlap | Low (intentional funnel) | Monitor |
| Prospecting + Prospecting overlap | High (wasted spend) | Fix |
| Prospecting + Retargeting overlap | Medium (frequency issue) | Exclude |
| Retargeting + Retargeting overlap | High (fatigue + waste) | Consolidate |
---
## Overlap Severity Scoring
### Calculate Overlap Score (0-100)
```
Overlap Score = (Size Factor × 0.3) +
(CPM Impact × 0.3) +
(Frequency Factor × 0.2) +
(Budget Factor × 0.2)
```
**Size Factor (0-100):**
- <10% overlap: 10
- 10-25% overlap: 30
- 25-50% overlap: 60
- 50-75% overlap: 80
- >75% overlap: 100
**CPM Impact (0-100):**
- CPMs normal: 0
- CPMs 10-20% elevated: 30
- CPMs 20-40% elevated: 60
- CPMs >40% elevated: 100
**Frequency Factor (0-100):**
- Combined frequency <3: 0
- Combined frequency 3-5: 30
- Combined frequency 5-8: 60
- Combined frequency >8: 100
**Budget Factor (0-100):**
Based on combined budget of overlapping audiences as % of total
**Severity Interpretation:**
| Score | Severity | Action |
|-------|----------|--------|
| 0-25 | Low | Monitor quarterly |
| 26-50 | Moderate | Implement exclusions |
| 51-75 | High | Restructure audiences |
| 76-100 | Critical | Immediate consolidation |
---
## Platform-Specific Analysis
### Meta Ads Overlap
**Using Audience Overlap Tool:**
1. Go to Audiences → Select multiple audiences → Compare
2. Tool shows % overlap between any two audiences
**Common Meta Overlap Issues:**
| Pattern | Overlap Risk | Solution |
|---------|--------------|----------|
| 1% LAL + 2% LAL | 100% (1% inside 2%) | Use only 1%, or exclude 1% from 2% |
| Interest + Broad | High | Broad absorbs interest, run separately |
| Multiple interests | Medium-High | Consolidate or use Advantage+ |
| Custom audiences + LAL | Varies | Check actual overlap % |
**Meta-Specific Recommendations:**
- Use Advantage+ Audience to let algorithm manage overlap
- Consolidate ad sets to reduce internal competition
- Set up exclusion lists systematically
---
### Google Ads Overlap
**Audience Insights Tool:**
1. Go to Tools → Audience Manager → Insights
2. Compare audience compositions
**Common Google Overlap Issues:**
| Pattern | Overlap Risk | Solution |
|---------|--------------|----------|
| Affinity + In-Market | High | Similar users, different intent labels |
| Custom Intent audiences | Medium | Keyword overlap common |
| Remarketing lists | Variable | Check date ranges for overlap |
| Similar audiences | High with source list | Exclude source list |
**Google-Specific Recommendations:**
- Use audience exclusions at campaign level
- Review Observation vs. Targeting mode
- Consolidate custom intent audiences with similar keywords
---
### Cross-Platform Overlap
**Same Users, Different Platforms:**
- Customer email lists uploaded to multiple platforms
- Website visitors pixeled everywhere
- Same demographics targeted across platforms
**Cross-Platform Considerations:**
| Situation | Impact | Action |
|-----------|--------|--------|
| Same CRM list everywhere | High frequency | Coordinate messaging |
| Retargeting on all platforms | Fatigue | Choose primary retargeting platform |
| Same demos everywhere | Auction neutral | Focus on platform strengths |
---
## Output Format
### Audience Overlap Analysis
```
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
AUDIENCE OVERLAP ANALYSIS
Platform(s): [Platform(s)]
Audiences Analyzed: [X]
Critical Overlaps Found: [X]
Estimated Wasted Spend: $[X]/month
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
```
---
### Overlap Summary Dashboard
**Overall Overlap Health: [HEALTHY/MODERATE/CRITICAL]**
**Overlap Distribution:**
```
No Overlap (0-10%): ████████████████ [X] pairs
Low Overlap (10-25%): ████████ [X] pairs
Moderate (25-50%): ████ [X] pairs
High (50-75%): ██ [X] pairs
Critical (75%+): █ [X] pairs
```
**Estimated Monthly Impact:**
- Wasted Spend: $[X]
- CPM Inflation: +[X]%
- Excess Frequency: [X] extra impressions/user
---
### Overlap Matrix
| Audience | Aud 1 | Aud 2 | Aud 3 | Aud 4 | Aud 5 |
|----------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| Aud 1 | - | [X]% | [X]% | [X]% | [X]% |
| Aud 2 | [X]% | - | [X]% | [X]% | [X]% |
| Aud 3 | [X]% | [X]% | - | [X]% | [X]% |
| Aud 4 | [X]% | [X]% | [X]% | - | [X]% |
| Aud 5 | [X]% | [X]% | [X]% | [X]% | - |
**Legend:** 🟢 <25% | 🟡 25-50% | 🔴 >50%
---
### Critical Overlap Pairs
**Pair 1: [Audience A] × [Audience B]**
```
Overlap: [X]%
Combined Spend: $[X]/month
Combined Frequency: [X]
CPM Comparison: $[X] vs $[X]
Overlap Score: [X]/100 (CRITICAL)
```
**Diagnosis:** [Why this overlap exists]
**Impact:**
- Estimated waste: $[X]/month
- Users seeing ads from both: ~[X]
- Attribution confusion: [Assessment]
**Recommendation:** [Specific action]
---
### Audience-Level Analysis
**[Audience Name]**
```
Size: [X]
Spend: $[X]
CPM: $[X]
Frequency: [X]
Overlaps with: [X] other audiences
Overlap Breakdown:
- [Audience B]: [X]% overlap (HIGH)
- [Audience C]: [X]% overlap (LOW)
- [Audience D]: [X]% overlap (MODERATE)
Primary Concern: [Main issue]
Recommendation: [Action]
```
---
### Consolidation Recommendations
**Audiences to Merge:**
| Current Audiences | Combined Into | Rationale | Projected Savings |
|-------------------|---------------|-----------|-------------------|
| [A], [B] | [New name] | [X]% overlap | $[X]/month |
| [C], [D], [E] | [New name] | Similar targeting | $[X]/month |
**Exclusions to Implement:**
| Audience | Exclude From | Reason |
|----------|--------------|--------|
| [Smaller audience] | [Larger audience] | Subset relationship |
| [Retargeting] | [Prospecting] | Funnel separation |
**Structure Recommendation:**
```
CURRENT STRUCTURE RECOMMENDED STRUCTURE
├─ Campaign 1 ├─ Campaign 1 (Prospecting)
│ ├─ Audience A │ ├─ Broad/Advantage+
│ ├─ Audience B │ └─ (exclude retargeting)
│ └─ Audience C │
├─ Campaign 2 ├─ Campaign 2 (Retargeting)
│ ├─ Audience D │ ├─ Consolidated Retargeting
│ └─ Audience E │ └─ (frequency capped)
```
---
### CPM Impact Analysis
**Before vs. After Projection:**
| Metric | Current | Projected | Change |
|--------|---------|-----------|--------|
| Avg CPM | $[X] | $[X] | -[X]% |
| Total Reach | [X] | [X] | +[X]% |
| Effective Frequency | [X] | [X] | -[X] |
| Wasted Spend | $[X] | $[X] | -[X]% |
---
### Action Plan
**Immediate (This Week):**
1. [ ] Implement exclusion: [Specific exclusion]
2. [ ] Pause duplicate audience: [Audience name]
3. [ ] Set frequency cap on: [Audience name]
**Short-Term (Next 2 Weeks):**
1. [ ] Consolidate: [Audiences] into [New audience]
2. [ ] Restructure: [Campaign] to separate funnel stages
3. [ ] Test: Advantage+ audience vs. manual targeting
**Monitoring:**
- [ ] Weekly CPM tracking by audience
- [ ] Frequency monitoring
- [ ] Overlap tool check monthly
---
## Common Overlap Scenarios
### Scenario 1: Lookalike Ladder
**Structure:** 1% LAL, 2% LAL, 3% LAL running simultaneously
**Problem:** Each larger LAL contains the smaller ones
**Solution:** Run only 1%, or exclude 1% from 2%, exclude 2% from 3%
### Scenario 2: Interest Stacking
**Structure:** Multiple interest audiences with similar themes
**Problem:** Heavy overlap between related interests
**Solution:** Use one broad interest or Advantage+ targeting
### Scenario 3: Retargeting Fragmentation
**Structure:** Separate retargeting for visitors, cart, past purchasers
**Problem:** Same user in multiple lists
**Solution:** Prioritize with exclusions (purchasers excluded from cart, cart from visitors)
### Scenario 4: Prospecting + Retargeting Collision
**Structure:** No exclusions between prospecting and retargeting
**Problem:** Retargeting users getting prospecting ads
**Solution:** Exclude all retargeting audiences from prospecting campaigns
---
## Limitations
**I can provide:**
- Overlap identification and scoring
- Consolidation recommendations
- Exclusion strategies
- CPM impact estimates
**I cannot provide:**
- Exact overlap percentages without tool data
- Cross-platform overlap (requires unified identity)
- Conversion path deduplication
- Real-time auction dynamics
**For better analysis, provide:**
- Meta Audience Overlap tool screenshots
- Google Audience Insights data
- Actual audience sizes and definitions
- CPM history over time
---
## Quality Checklist
Before delivering analysis:
- [ ] All audiences mapped with sizes and spend
- [ ] Overlap pairs identified and scored
- [ ] Consolidation recommendations are practical
- [ ] Exclusion hierarchy is logical (no circular exclusions)
- [ ] CPM impact estimated where possible
- [ ] Action plan is prioritized
- [ ] Platform-specific nuances addressed
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