---
title: Didion Recruitment Ad Budget — $700/month Allocation Strategy
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-02-11-didion-marketing-call-121597693.md
tags:
- google-ads
- meta-ads
- recruitment
- ad-budget
- client-didion
- sem
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Didion Recruitment Ad Budget — $700/month Allocation Strategy

## Overview

During a working session with Diana Henry (Didion), it was identified that the active ad spend was running at approximately **$545/month** — well below the approved and intended budget of **$700/month**. The shortfall was traced to incorrect backend budget caps, not a deliberate reduction. With open recruitment positions actively needing support, correcting the caps and reallocating toward highest-performing channels became an immediate priority.

See also: [[wiki/clients/didion/_index]] | [[wiki/knowledge/google-ads/]] | [[wiki/knowledge/meta-ads/]]

---

## The Problem

| Channel | Configured Budget | Actual Spend |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads (total) | $400/mo | ~$400/mo |
| Google SEM | $100/mo | constrained |
| Google Display (TOFU + retargeting) | split of above | split of above |
| Meta Ads (total) | $145/mo | ~$145/mo |
| Meta TOFU | $70/mo | $70/mo |
| Meta Retargeting | $70/mo | $70/mo |
| **Total** | **~$545/mo** | **~$545/mo** |

Diana confirmed the budget has always been $700/month and was never intentionally reduced. The backend caps simply were not set to allow full spend.

> "The caps need to be adjusted on the back end so that we can actually get up to that $700." — Diana Henry

---

## Reallocation Strategy

With the corrected $700/month budget, the recommended reallocation prioritizes channels that have demonstrated strong performance:

- **Google SEM** — was budget-constrained; increase allocation meaningfully. SEM has shown strong results for recruitment-intent queries.
- **Meta TOFU** — performing well; increase share of Meta budget toward top-of-funnel awareness.
- **Google Display (TOFU + Retargeting)** — consolidate and split remaining display budget (~$60) evenly between TOFU and retargeting rather than the prior uneven split.
- **Meta Retargeting** — maintain at current level; lower priority for incremental spend.

The exact final numbers were to be confirmed with the PPC specialist before sending the breakdown to Diana.

---

## Recruitment Context

The urgency behind correcting the budget was tied directly to active hiring. Didion was in a heavy recruitment period at the time of this call. Several higher-priority roles had recently been filled, but additional open positions remained. Diana noted she needed to re-check internally on which roles still needed ad support before any LinkedIn recruitment campaign expansion was considered.

> "We have a lot of open positions, so let's get our budget allocation correct to the $700, based on recommended maximum performance." — Diana Henry

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## Action Items

- [ ] **Melissa** — Correct backend budget caps in Google Ads and Meta to enable full $700/month spend
- [ ] **Melissa** — Confirm final allocation breakdown with PPC specialist and send to Diana
- [ ] **Diana** — Check with internal team on remaining open roles that may need additional recruitment ad support

---

## Related Notes

- The optimization score for Google Ads improved from 70 → 93 over the prior month after display ad and headline updates
- LinkedIn recruitment campaign expansion was discussed but deprioritized; several target roles were filled before launch
- Phase 2 content plan (LinkedIn + email) was placed on hold given existing runway through May–June — see [[wiki/clients/didion/content-marketing-plan]]