What is Ad Pacing?
Ad pacing refers to how your advertising budget is spent over time. Proper pacing ensures your campaign delivers impressions evenly throughout its flight, avoiding early budget exhaustion or underspending.
Key Pacing Metrics
- Pacing Index: Current spend rate vs. expected rate (1.0 = on pace)
- Expected Spend: How much you should have spent by today
- Delta: Difference between actual and expected spend
- Projected End Spend: Where you'll end up at current rate
- Required Daily: What you need to spend daily to hit budget
Pacing Index Explained
Pacing Index = Average Daily Spend / Required Daily Spend
- Below 1.0: Underspending - campaign will underdeliver
- Exactly 1.0: On pace - campaign tracking perfectly
- Above 1.0: Overspending - budget will exhaust early
Common Pacing Issues
- Front-loaded: Spending too fast early in campaign
- Back-loaded: Underspending early, rushing at end
- Delivery issues: Targeting too narrow, bids too low
- Seasonal variance: Different spending patterns on weekends/holidays
How to Fix Pacing Issues
- Adjust daily budget caps
- Modify bid strategies
- Expand or narrow targeting
- Add or remove ad placements
- Use automated pacing rules