If you’ve ever worked in marketing or advertising, you’ve probably heard the term “Ad Ops” thrown around. Maybe you’ve even nodded along in meetings, pretending you know what they do. Spoiler alert: Most people don’t really understand the role. So, let’s break it down.
Ad Operations, or “Ad Ops,” is the team that runs digital ad campaigns smoothly behind the scenes. These specialists are the unsung heroes. They make sure every ad you see online is launched on time, tracked well, stays on budget and performs well. While strategists dream big and creatives design the visuals, Ad Ops is the culmination of every team’s effort to get a campaign launched
So, what does a day in the life of an Ad Ops specialist look like? Buckle up.
The day often starts with platform work. Campaigns need to be set up in tools like Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, or trafficked to our programmatic vendors. This includes uploading creative assets, setting audience targeting, applying budgets, and tracking parameters. Before anything goes live, every ad goes through a quality assurance (QA) process. This means checking for typos, making sure creative meets spec, verifying URLs and ensuring tracking tags are properly installed.
What is all this tracking we speak of? Well, that’s a whole world of its own. Ad Ops uses tools like Google Tag Manager, UTM codes and platform pixels to monitor user behavior from the first impression to conversion. If something breaks — like a Facebook pixel not firing or UTMs missing — Ad Ops is the first line of defense. They troubleshoot, test live landing pages and make sure conversions are being attributed correctly.
Next, it’s time for budget checks. Ad Ops manages budgets across multiple clients and platforms, so they’re constantly reviewing actual spend versus planned spend. They look out for overspending or underspending and reallocate funds accordingly. A campaign that paces too fast could blow the budget in the first week; too slow, and it might never take off.
Additionally, Ad Ops collaborates with strategists and project managers through touchbase meetings. These check-ins cover campaign performance, results and opportunities to optimize. Speaking of optimizations, Ad Ops also evaluates what’s working (or not) and makes real-time tweaks to improve performance. This can include moving the budget to the best tactics or stopping poor-performing creatives.
Lastly, there’s reporting. At the end of a campaign, or sometimes during it, Ad Ops gathers data. Then, they create charts and write insights. This helps the client see how the campaign is doing. This work isn’t just about numbers. It’s about telling the story behind the data and influencing future strategy.
At its core, Ad Ops is a mix of detail-oriented execution, technical knowledge, and analytical thinking. The team doesn’t just push buttons, they make sure every ad dollar is working as hard as it can for the benefit of our clients.
So the next time someone asks, “What the hell is Ad Ops?” you’ll know: they’re the glue holding your campaign together!
