SOP: Quarterly SOP audit
Run this every quarter so your runbooks don't rot.
Stage 1 — Inventory
— ☐ Ops lead lists every SOP and the date it was last edited
— ☐ Ops lead flags any SOP older than 6 months for review
Stage 2 — Test against reality
— ☐ Each SOP owner walks their process and marks steps that no longer match how work happens
— ☐ Owner deletes dead steps and adds any undocumented step people do from memory
Stage 3 — Re-anchor ownership
— ☐ Owner confirms the Owner/Trigger/Done-when line still names a real, current person
— ☐ Ops lead archives SOPs for tools or networks you no longer use
Owner: Ops lead (audit), each SOP owner (their doc)
Trigger: Start of each quarter
Done-when: Every SOP is either updated, archived, or confirmed current with a live owner.
An unmaintained SOP is worse than none. Save this. Run it every time.
Run this every quarter so your runbooks don't rot.
Stage 1 — Inventory
— ☐ Ops lead lists every SOP and the date it was last edited
— ☐ Ops lead flags any SOP older than 6 months for review
Stage 2 — Test against reality
— ☐ Each SOP owner walks their process and marks steps that no longer match how work happens
— ☐ Owner deletes dead steps and adds any undocumented step people do from memory
Stage 3 — Re-anchor ownership
— ☐ Owner confirms the Owner/Trigger/Done-when line still names a real, current person
— ☐ Ops lead archives SOPs for tools or networks you no longer use
Owner: Ops lead (audit), each SOP owner (their doc)
Trigger: Start of each quarter
Done-when: Every SOP is either updated, archived, or confirmed current with a live owner.
An unmaintained SOP is worse than none. Save this. Run it every time.
SOP: Pause or kill a losing offer
Run this whenever an offer crosses your loss threshold, not whenever you feel anxious.
Stage 1 — Confirm the signal
— ☐ Spend hit 2x target CPA with zero conversions (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Data window is at least 1 full conversion cycle, not 3 hours (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Tracking verified working (rule out a broken pixel, not a dead offer) (Owner: ops)
Stage 2 — Act
— ☐ Pause campaign, not just the creative (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Note exact reason in the kill log (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Notify affiliate manager if the offer itself is the problem (Owner: ops)
Stage 3 — Capture
— ☐ Tag the creative and angle so it isn't re-tested blind in 30 days (Owner: ops)
Owner: Media buyer
Trigger: Loss threshold breached
Done-when: Campaign paused and reason logged.
Save this. Run it every time.
Run this whenever an offer crosses your loss threshold, not whenever you feel anxious.
Stage 1 — Confirm the signal
— ☐ Spend hit 2x target CPA with zero conversions (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Data window is at least 1 full conversion cycle, not 3 hours (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Tracking verified working (rule out a broken pixel, not a dead offer) (Owner: ops)
Stage 2 — Act
— ☐ Pause campaign, not just the creative (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Note exact reason in the kill log (Owner: media buyer)
— ☐ Notify affiliate manager if the offer itself is the problem (Owner: ops)
Stage 3 — Capture
— ☐ Tag the creative and angle so it isn't re-tested blind in 30 days (Owner: ops)
Owner: Media buyer
Trigger: Loss threshold breached
Done-when: Campaign paused and reason logged.
Save this. Run it every time.
MYTH: "Faster handoffs mean a faster team."
The correction: a fast handoff with no definition-of-done just moves the rework downstream. Speed at the seam is where work goes to die.
SOP: Clean handoff gate
Run this whenever work passes from one person or team to the next.
Stage 1 — Sender packs
— ☐ State the definition-of-done you're claiming is met. (Owner: sender)
— ☐ Attach the inputs the receiver needs; no "ping me for the link." (Owner: sender)
— ☐ List anything knowingly incomplete. (Owner: sender)
Stage 2 — Receiver checks
— ☐ Confirm the done-criteria against the actual deliverable. (Owner: receiver)
— ☐ Accept or bounce within one working day; silence is not acceptance. (Owner: receiver)
Stage 3 — Log
— ☐ Record acceptance time so the seam is measurable. (Owner: receiver)
Owner: sender then receiver. Trigger: work crosses a team boundary. Done-when: receiver explicitly accepts against criteria.
Save this. Run it every time.
—
Продолжение про outreach scripts — @UGCOpsManual
The correction: a fast handoff with no definition-of-done just moves the rework downstream. Speed at the seam is where work goes to die.
SOP: Clean handoff gate
Run this whenever work passes from one person or team to the next.
Stage 1 — Sender packs
— ☐ State the definition-of-done you're claiming is met. (Owner: sender)
— ☐ Attach the inputs the receiver needs; no "ping me for the link." (Owner: sender)
— ☐ List anything knowingly incomplete. (Owner: sender)
Stage 2 — Receiver checks
— ☐ Confirm the done-criteria against the actual deliverable. (Owner: receiver)
— ☐ Accept or bounce within one working day; silence is not acceptance. (Owner: receiver)
Stage 3 — Log
— ☐ Record acceptance time so the seam is measurable. (Owner: receiver)
Owner: sender then receiver. Trigger: work crosses a team boundary. Done-when: receiver explicitly accepts against criteria.
Save this. Run it every time.
—
Продолжение про outreach scripts — @UGCOpsManual
SOP: Ship a new landing page
Run this whenever a new offer or campaign needs its own page.
Stage 1 — Build
— ☐ Copy lead from approved brief (Owner: copywriter)
— ☐ Hero, form, and tracking placed (Owner: dev)
— ☐ UTM template applied, no hardcoded params (Owner: dev)
Stage 2 — QA
— ☐ Form submits to correct CRM list, test lead arrives (Owner: ops)
— ☐ Pixel and conversion event fire (check tag debugger) (Owner: ops)
— ☐ Mobile render at 360px, no overflow (Owner: ops)
— ☐ Page speed under 2.5s on 4G throttle (Owner: dev)
Stage 3 — Go
— ☐ 404 and thank-you pages live (Owner: dev)
— ☐ Logged in launch sheet with owner + URL (Owner: ops)
Owner: Ops lead
Trigger: New page request approved
Done-when: Test lead lands in CRM and conversion event verified in analytics.
Save this. Run it every time.
Run this whenever a new offer or campaign needs its own page.
Stage 1 — Build
— ☐ Copy lead from approved brief (Owner: copywriter)
— ☐ Hero, form, and tracking placed (Owner: dev)
— ☐ UTM template applied, no hardcoded params (Owner: dev)
Stage 2 — QA
— ☐ Form submits to correct CRM list, test lead arrives (Owner: ops)
— ☐ Pixel and conversion event fire (check tag debugger) (Owner: ops)
— ☐ Mobile render at 360px, no overflow (Owner: ops)
— ☐ Page speed under 2.5s on 4G throttle (Owner: dev)
Stage 3 — Go
— ☐ 404 and thank-you pages live (Owner: dev)
— ☐ Logged in launch sheet with owner + URL (Owner: ops)
Owner: Ops lead
Trigger: New page request approved
Done-when: Test lead lands in CRM and conversion event verified in analytics.
Save this. Run it every time.
SOP: Handoff from media buyer to account manager
Run this whenever a winning campaign moves from testing to scale ownership.
Stage 1 — Package
— ☐ Winning creatives + ad copy exported with file names (Owner: buyer)
— ☐ Audience and placement settings documented (Owner: buyer)
— ☐ Current CPA, ROAS, and 7-day trend pasted in handoff doc (Owner: buyer)
— ☐ Known fragilities listed (e.g. "breaks above $400/day") (Owner: buyer)
Stage 2 — Receive
— ☐ Manager confirms tracking and reads the doc aloud back (Owner: manager)
— ☐ Scaling ceiling and check-in cadence agreed (Owner: manager)
Stage 3 — Close
— ☐ Ownership flipped in the project board, buyer removed as owner (Owner: ops)
Owner: Buyer initiates, manager accepts
Trigger: Campaign promoted to scale
Done-when: Manager has acknowledged the doc and board ownership is reassigned.
A handoff isn't done when you send the file. It's done when the receiver confirms.
Save this. Run it every time.
Run this whenever a winning campaign moves from testing to scale ownership.
Stage 1 — Package
— ☐ Winning creatives + ad copy exported with file names (Owner: buyer)
— ☐ Audience and placement settings documented (Owner: buyer)
— ☐ Current CPA, ROAS, and 7-day trend pasted in handoff doc (Owner: buyer)
— ☐ Known fragilities listed (e.g. "breaks above $400/day") (Owner: buyer)
Stage 2 — Receive
— ☐ Manager confirms tracking and reads the doc aloud back (Owner: manager)
— ☐ Scaling ceiling and check-in cadence agreed (Owner: manager)
Stage 3 — Close
— ☐ Ownership flipped in the project board, buyer removed as owner (Owner: ops)
Owner: Buyer initiates, manager accepts
Trigger: Campaign promoted to scale
Done-when: Manager has acknowledged the doc and board ownership is reassigned.
A handoff isn't done when you send the file. It's done when the receiver confirms.
Save this. Run it every time.