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The Advertising Playbook

How to run targeted campaigns in the Community Hub and turn visibility into mission applications.

🌟 What you’ll achieve

By the end of this playbook, you will have run your first CPM campaign, measured its performance, and received at least 5 qualified mission applications directly attributed to your ad.

Before you start — you’ll need:
✓Expert-tier plan (required for advertising access)
✓An active mission or storefront to drive traffic to
✓A clear picture of the audience you want to reach
✓A minimum campaign budget of $250
The 5 Steps
1
Define your audience
Owner: You · Est. 15 min

Advertising on GameChangers is only as good as your audience definition. Vague targeting wastes budget. Specific targeting reaches exactly the right professionals.

➤Sector filter: which of the 10 sectors does your ideal applicant work in?
➤Skill filter: use the canonical skill taxonomy — “AERMOD atmospheric modeling” is better than “environmental science”
➤Trust Score filter: missions requiring verified credentials should target 400+ Trust Score
➤Geography: optional, but useful for compliance-sensitive programs
⌴ Decision point
Are you trying to (A) attract new applicants to a live mission, (B) build awareness for an upcoming mission, or (C) promote your expert storefront subscription? Each goal requires a different campaign type and CTA.
✓Done when: Audience defined with at least 3 filters. Estimated reach displayed in the campaign builder.
2
Choose your ad format
Owner: You · Est. 10 min

Two ad formats are available: Sponsored Mission Cards (appear in mission search results alongside organic listings) and Community Banner Placements (appear in discussion feeds, hackathons, and events).

➤Sponsored Mission Cards: best for direct applicant acquisition — shows your mission to people browsing relevant sector feeds
➤Community Banner Placements: best for brand awareness and storefront promotion — appears in the community feed before you have an active mission
➤Video thumbnails and compelling mission icons increase click-through rates 40–80%
✓Done when: Ad format selected. Creative assets prepared (title, description, icon, CTA text).
3
Write high-converting ad copy
Owner: You · Est. 20 min

The most common mistake in professional marketplace advertising is writing like a job description. Write like a mission brief — outcome-first, not requirement-first.

➤Lead with the impact, not the credential: “Help build the first permanent Mars habitat” > “Aerospace Engineers wanted”
➤Include the budget band — professionals filter by compensation before clicking
➤Keep the headline under 60 characters. Keep the description under 120.
➤Test two versions: one credential-focused, one mission-impact-focused
Template
Headline: [Grand challenge or mission title] — [key credential] Description: [What success looks like in 1 sentence] · $[budget band] · [timeline] CTA: Apply now / Learn more / View mission
✓Done when: Ad copy written. At least 2 headline variants ready for A/B test.
4
Set budget and schedule
Owner: You · Est. 10 min

CPM pricing means you pay per thousand verified impressions. Set a daily cap, a total budget, and a campaign duration. GameChangers’ impression pool is composed entirely of verified, active platform members — no general public.

➤$250 minimum per campaign. Recommended starting budget: $500–$1,000 for a 2-week campaign
➤Daily cap prevents overspend if your ad goes viral within the platform
➤Schedule campaigns to run when your target audience is most active: Monday–Thursday shows highest engagement
✓Done when: Campaign budget set. Daily cap configured. Start/end dates selected. Campaign ready to activate.
5
Measure and iterate
Owner: You · Est. Ongoing

Review campaign performance at Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14. The three metrics that matter: impressions (reach), click-through rate (relevance), and qualified applications (conversion).

➤A click-through rate above 0.8% is strong for a professional marketplace audience
➤If CTR is low (< 0.3%) → test a different headline, not a bigger budget
➤If CTR is high but applications are low → your mission brief landing page needs work, not the ad
➤Pause underperforming variants at Day 7. Increase budget on the winner by 50%.
✓Done when: First campaign completed. At least 5 qualified applications received. CTR and conversion rate documented for next campaign.
Next playbook
Storefront Playbook

Build a subscription-based expert storefront and generate passive income from your expertise.

Next →