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Guides & Playbooks

Step-by-step operational guides for implementing complex technical systems

These comprehensive guides walk you through real-world implementations with clear instructions, technical details, and practical examples from Pacing Agency's production systems.

Available Guides​

🔍 Server-Side Tracking Implementation Guide​

Improve data accuracy, enhance privacy compliance, and optimize marketing ROI

A complete technical guide to implementing server-side tracking with BigQuery, GA4, Meta, and LinkedIn. Learn how to:

  • Set up server-side GTM and BigQuery for event storage
  • Integrate with GA4, Meta Conversions API, and LinkedIn
  • Implement GDPR-compliant consent management
  • Achieve 100% tracking accuracy (bypass ad blockers)
  • Reduce platform discrepancies from 70%+ to <5%

Best for: Companies spending £2K+/month on paid advertising experiencing data loss or platform discrepancies.

Estimated time: 60-80 minutes to read | 3-4 weeks to implement

🛠️ Marketing Tech Stack Optimization Guide​

Reduce costs, eliminate redundancies, and improve marketing efficiency

A systematic approach to auditing and optimizing your marketing technology stack. Learn how to:

  • Conduct a complete stack audit and identify redundancies
  • Assess business needs vs. tool capabilities
  • Evaluate integration, API, and flexibility requirements
  • Calculate true cost of ownership (TCO)
  • Implement changes with minimal risk
  • Build a scalable, efficient tech stack

Best for: Marketing teams with 10+ tools, overlapping functionality, or rising costs.

Estimated time: 45-60 minutes to read | 4-8 weeks to implement

🖥️ Self-Hosting Playbook​

Take control of your data, reduce SaaS costs, and build custom solutions

A practical guide to self-hosting essential business tools. Learn how to:

  • Assess readiness and infrastructure requirements
  • Set up self-hosted CRM (TwentyCRM)
  • Implement workflow automation (n8n)
  • Deploy email infrastructure (Stalwart)
  • Build custom internal tools
  • Manage security, backups, and maintenance

Best for: Teams with technical capability looking to reduce SaaS costs or needing data sovereignty.

Estimated time: 50-70 minutes to read | 8-12 weeks to implement

📄 Client Landing Page Setup​

Webflow landing page + full tracking stack for paid ads campaigns

Reference for setting up a client subdomain (e.g. get.clientdomain.com) with GTM, Stape, BigQuery, and Google Ads events. Includes:

  • Migrating from another CMS (e.g. Wix name server limitations and workarounds)
  • Third-party embeds: Cal.com (and similar) with GTM, Google Analytics, and user-id

Best for: New client landing pages on Webflow; moving off Wix or similar; Cal.com/embed tracking.

Guide Structure​

Each guide follows a consistent structure:

  1. Introduction - Why this matters and what you'll achieve
  2. Step-by-step implementation - Clear instructions with technical details
  3. Case studies - Real-world examples with actual numbers
  4. Common pitfalls - What to avoid based on experience
  5. Next steps & resources - Tools, links, and further reading

Who These Guides Are For​

Perfect for:

  • Marketing teams spending £2K+/month on advertising
  • Companies with 10-50 employees
  • Teams experiencing data quality issues
  • Organizations needing GDPR compliance
  • Businesses looking to reduce SaaS costs
  • Companies wanting more control over their data

Not for:

  • Very small businesses with minimal tech needs
  • Teams with zero technical capability
  • Organizations unwilling to invest time in implementation

Getting Help​

While these guides are comprehensive, some implementations are complex. If you need help:

  • Professional implementation: Contact Pacing Agency
  • Technical consultation: We can help plan and implement these systems
  • Custom solutions: Need something different? Let's talk

Guide Development Status​

GuideStatusLast Updated
Server-Side Tracking✅ CompleteJanuary 2025
Marketing Tech Optimization✅ CompleteJanuary 2025
Self-Hosting Playbook✅ CompleteJanuary 2025
Client Landing Page Setup✅ CompleteJanuary 2026

Coming Soon​

Future guides in development:

  • n8n Workflow Patterns - Common automation workflows and best practices
  • Webflow CMS Architecture - Structuring collections and content for scale
  • GA4 & BigQuery Analytics - Advanced analysis and custom reporting
  • Privacy-First Marketing - GDPR-compliant tracking and consent management

These guides are based on real implementations at Pacing Agency. All case studies use actual data from production systems.