Overview
Budget pacing refers to the process of managing and distributing a campaign's budget evenly or strategically over a specified time period to ensure optimal performance and avoid overspending or underspending. It involves monitoring daily spend rates and adjusting bids, budgets, or campaign delivery settings to align with the campaign's goals and timeline.
It is represented as a percentage where you want your Budget Pacing to be as close to 100% throughout the entire month - this indicates you’ll spend all of your budget by the end of the period and spend it evenly throughout that period.
How Adpulse calculates Budget Pacing
Pacing in Adpulse is checked and calculated every hour. It takes the total number of minutes for the period (only taking into account scheduled days), then looks at the current minutes elapsed in the period to create a percentage of time elapsed.
It then looks at how much budget has been spent and compares the two to work out if the budget is under or over-pacing. Essentially the Budget Pacing figure is the forecast percentage you'll spend of the target by the end of the period if you keep the spend rate the same.
Budget Pacing calculation examples:
Example 1 - Budget Pacing is on target
You are 50% through the period
The campaigns have spent 50% of the budget
The Budget Pacing is 100% - you’re on track to spend all of your budget this month
Example 2 - Over-pacing
You are 50% through the period
The campaigns have spent 75% of the budget
The Budget Pacing is 150% - You are spending too fast (over-pacing) and will spend more than your target this period
Example 3 - Under-pacing
You are 50% through the period
The campaigns have spent 25% of the budget
The Budget Pacing is 50% - You are spending too slowly (under-pacing) and will spend less than your target this period