You’re probably not launching enough new ads to hit your goals. With changing algorithms and creative styles, it’s more important than ever to refresh your ad creative and unlock new audiences.

Here at Primer, we aim for 50 new ads for every $25,000 in ad spend.

Why do we recommend launching 50+ new ads per month?

Testing a high volume of ad creative in paid social helps in four key ways:

1. Improves critical metrics like CPA and ROAS
2. Keeps ad creative from growing stale (this is increasingly important as converting creative styles change)
3. Unlocks new audiences (this is particularly helpful for content-marketing-focused brands
4. Leads to a more sustainable growth strategy (Bonus: Consistent testing means you can find wins even as algorithms change) 

Won’t testing that much hurt CPA?

Short answer: no. 

Using a regular, high-volume testing cadence, we scaled purchase volume by 60% and increasing conversion rate by 65% over a 3-month period for one of our partners.

You can expect a new ad set to increase CPA during its learning phase (right after launching); however, if you structure your test correctly, you can minimize the impact. 

Here’s how: create your test in a separate ad set and make sure this testing ad set budget should be less than half of your overall monthly ad spend. This means any spikes in CPA should be both temporary and minor. 

In the long run, you’re much more likely to hit your goals with regular testing than by leaving the same two to three ads active for months at a time. This is because of “creative fatigue.” Over time, an ad that was once a strong performer loses its efficiency, and CPAs start to increase. By consistently finding new wins, you can defend your account against this phenomenon and unlock new strategic learnings to use in your future tests, content marketing, email campaigns, and more. 

This is particularly true on TikTok, where creative fatigue happens much faster than on Meta. 

Here’s what to test in new ads

Launching dozens of ads per month means you should be able to run multiple split tests.

For our purposes, a paid media “split test” means trying out multiple new variations of one element of an ad while keeping everything else the same. And then seeing how those new ads or audiences perform against the old “winner” (i.e. your control ad).

Here are some elements of ads you should test regularly:

• Copy
• Images
• Image Headlines
• Videos
• Calls to action (CTAs)
• Headline
• Audiences
• Video thumbnails
• Landing pages

Try testing out new colors, layouts, phrases, and more. Maybe your audience likes emojis, or maybe they’re more into facts and stats. You won’t know until you try those elements. 

How to launch a lot of ad tests fast

(This works for TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram)

Step 1: Set up a new test ad set in your the campaign with your current goal (e.g. Website Purchases)

• For audience tests, use your past top-performing ads with a new ad set audience
• For all other types of tests, use your top-performing audience with new ads within the ad set 
• Tip: Make sure you name your ad set so that you can easily tell what it’s testing at a glance. (example: 2022_Purchase_ImageTest_THEME) 

Step 2: Launch Ads in Bulk

• Batch together ads in a new test, changing one element (e.g. the copy) and keeping all other elements the same, as a control
  • For example, when you test 15 new copy variations, use your top-performing image and audience
• On Facebook, we recommend launching ad sets with 10 – 25 ads in them, though you can go up to 50
• On TikTok, we recommend keeping tests to between 4-6 ads per ad set

Step 3: Set Your Budget  

• You want to make sure your budget is high enough that your test can exit the learning phase within 1 – 1.5 weeks. Since the learning phase is generally more expensive, this will help minimize the impact of new launches on your overall CPA.
• For most Facebook campaigns, we recommend using ad set budget optimization (ABO) to have increased control in your test spend. For TikTok, if your budget is under $100k per month, the best option is usually CBO because of the increased creative turnover rates. [Here’s more about setting up TikTok ad campaigns.]
• For Facebook, Instagram and TikTok here’s how much you should spend:
  • For ad set budget optimization (ABO): set a daily budget that will yield a minimum of 3x conversions a day with your average CPA
  • For campaign budget optimization (CBO): pick a daily budget that ensures you can hit at least 50 conversions per week in the campaign 

Step 4: Pause Bottom Performers

• After 48 – 72 hours, you can begin pausing bottom-performing ads  (Note: Changes in iOS App Tracking Transparency mean there can be up a 72-hour delay in conversion reporting)
• Pause ads with a higher-than-average CPA
• Continue this process for 1-2 weeks (depending on your budget)
• Once you have 1-4 ads left that either beat the previous period’s average CPA or beat your goal CPA, those are your WINS

Step 5: Scale Wins and Repeat

• First, scale the budget to the wins in the test ad set (for ABO) or campaign (for CBO) 
• Then, iterate off of those wins for your next test
• Make sure to keep all elements except what you’re testing the same so you can compare performance between the new ads and the control (i.e., the previous wins)

—-

Routinely testing on paid media is the best way to ensure long-term success and growth for your brand.

If the above process feels familiar, it should. At its core, split testing on paid media is grounded in the scientific method. 

As you get more information about what performs for your buyer personas (and, perhaps, why), your ads should lead to more conversions from your key audiences and unlock new audiences to expand into. 

Still curious about how our methodology works in practice? 

See how we launched over 2,200 ads in six weeks for Madison Reed to get them 41% more customers. 

Or, book a consultation to get a free growth plan below.

 

We’ve crunched the numbers on thousands of video ads, and we know that the first three seconds of your video ad determine whether or not it will perform. These 101 hooks included below are proven to help boost ad performance on Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and more. (They even work for organic videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels.) 

Price-Focused

1. Save time and money with [product]
2. Save time and money on [task]
3. Is [product] worth it? Let’s see!
4. Why is a good [product category] so expensive and hard to find? 
5. Need affordable [product type]? Watch this!
6. How to find affordable [service]
7. I can’t believe this only costs [price]

 

---

Informative

1. What’s in [product]?
2. Questions I get about [product]
3. Now you can get X delivered to your door
4. Thinking about trying [product type]?
5. Let me introduce you to [product]
6. [category] Tip #X
7. Here’s how to get [value prop]: 
8. I know this sounds crazy but…
9. How to get X in just 10 minutes
10. How to make time for X
11. Let me show you my biggest life hack for X
12. Get more [value prop] in your day

 

---

Versus the Alternative (or Competition)

1. Before you try [product type], watch this:
2. Hate [the worse alternative]? Try this!
3. Thinking about [worse alternative]?
4. Instead of doing [worse alternative], try this:
5. Still [the worse alternative to the product]? Watch this:
6. Something that’s always bothered me about X
7. Don’t buy X that won’t work. Instead, try this
8. I tried every [product category] so you don’t have to: here’s what I found
9. Stop doing [worse alternative]. Try [product]:
10. Dealing with [negative experience]? I used [product] to help 
11. Why millennials are switching to [product]
12. How to do X without [worse alternative]  
13. I ONLY get my [product category] from [brand name]
14. I don’t buy my [product category] from [worse alternative]
15. [Worse alternative] can be hard to deal with
16. Your new X alternative
17. [value prop] without the [negative side effect]
18. I kept [pain point], so I tried this instead!
19. If you [pain point] — you need to see this!
20. I wanted to stop doing X, so I tried this instead

 

---

User Experience

1. Guys, it’s here…..
2. What I ordered vs. what I got
3. [Product] unboxing
4. Let’s make X with [product]
5. POV: You tried [product]
6. A day in the life of X
7. Get ready with me to do [task]
8. “Put a finger down” [product category] edition
9. Trying home remedies to X
10. [Product category] ASMR
11. My friend said X. So I tried [product]
12. My X went from this… to this… with [product]
13. Before/After

 

 

---

Responding to Hype

1. TikTok made me try [product]
2. Things TikTok made me try #13
3. This [product type] is going viral on [social media platform]
4. I tested the viral [product type] to see if it lives up to the hype
5. This [product type] has over 5,000 reviews… let’s see if it’s worth it
6. [Publication] can’t stop raving about us
7. So good it sold out in a week

 

---

 

It’s Easier

1. Are you [accomplishing the goal optimally]?
2. Life Hack: Try [product] for [pain point]
3. My go-to [product] for [pain point]
4. How to easily [task]
5. [Task] has never been easier than with [product]
6. My favorite [product] to make [hard task] easier
7. Here’s my favorite product for [task]
8. Struggling to do [task]?
9. So, I’ve been struggling with [task], but [product] has really helped
10. Easiest way to do [task]?
11. Make your week easier
12. Why adults avoid [task]…. [product] makes it easy
13. [Product] made [task] so much easier! You’ve got to try it
14. When I use [product], it’s one less thing I have to worry about

 

---

 

Lists

1. 5 Ways [product] Helps [pain point]
2. 3 reasons to buy [product]
3. 3 reasons to try [service]
4. Get [value prop] in 3 steps:
5. Here are 3 ways [worse alternative] affects your life:

 

---

The Best

1. The internet’s #1 [product type]
2. The best way to [accomplish the goal of the product]
3. What makes [the product type] the best?
4. My skin has never looked better with [product]
5. The best way to find X in 2022 
6. [Product] changed how I do [task], and I’m never going back
7. Why is [product] so good though?
8. After hours of researching, I found the best [product type] for [task]
9. I found the best [product category] for [value prop]

 

---

 

Other Hooks that Address Viewers Directly

1. Hey, [customer type], you’ve got to try this
2. People looking for [product category], stop scrolling
3. Wait, have you tried X?
4. Take control of your X with [product]
5. Imagine if X was also X
6. Watch this if you X 

 

---

 

Facts & Stats

1. PSA: [statement about product category]
2. Did you know? [fact about product category] 
3. I just found out [fact about product category] 
4. Are you one of [fact about product category] people who do X
5. New customers get [discount]
6. Take [discount] off when you try [product]
7. I didn’t know X could be related to X
8. Why is it important to [do product-related task]?

 

---

There You Have It!

Now that you’re an expert on video hooks, make sure the rest of your ad is a scroll-stopper, too. Check out our top copy templates and 7 tactics to get your ads in TikTok Top Ads. Make sure you’re testing all that creative for maximum growth with our Outlier Method.

At Primer, the name of the game is growth. That’s why we’re the go-to hypergrowth marketing company for brands that need to scale fast. If you want help coming up with social ads that boost ROI, contact us for a free growth consultation and audit.

 

So you’ve created ads with killer click-through rates. But your conversions just aren’t there.

This likely indicates that your landing pages aren’t working for your audience.

The landing page has one job: SELL fast.

Within SECONDS, the user will determine if this product is: 

1. A fit for them 
2. Will solve their urgent need

Tip: Some users will leave the page before they even see your content. This is generally because of slow loading speeds. Make sure your page is optimized for both speed and multi-platform use (mobile, various browsers, different screen sizes, etc.) so that they actually get to read your great content distraction-free. Check your page load speed for free on Uptrends.

According to Wordstream, the average landing page CVR is around 2.35%, with the top 25% of pages converting at 5.31% or higher. 

Here’s how to create landing pages that will convert customers and improve ad performance.

 

5 Essential Elements for a High-Converting Landing Page:

1. Speak directly to your customer persona

• Write in a conversational style 
• Talk TO them by using the word “you” or “your” (or “my” in a CTA) 
• Address major questions and objections about signing up to, paying for, or using your product/service (e.g. to emphasize how easy your site is to use, you could say: “Sign up in 30 seconds!”)
• Tailor the language to feel relevant to the person you are speaking to

2. Address Their Urgent Need

• Why is the consumer looking for your product right now?
• Address their urgent need above the folder in the header (so they don’t  have to scroll to discover something that interests them)
• Refer to their customer persona to ensure you’re answering the questions they will need to ask before making a purchase

3. Give Them Specifics

• Add numbers, data, quantities to create specifics around the benefits 
• We’ve found that data acts as a more compelling hook than more generic headlines. If your company doesn’t have any studies that reference your product specifically, try pulling data from industry-wide research (e.g. 23% of adult women experience acne). Then, posit your brand as a solution to that problem. 

Discover more ways to draw readers in with copy hooks

4. Make the CTA Actionable

• The CTA should reflect the next actionable step in the purchase 
• The consumer should know exactly what comes next 
• It should be specific to them and the action they take on the page 
• Ensure there is a CTA button above the fold on both desktop and mobile
• The shorter the better: we want the CTA to be clear and quickly read

5. Make Headlines Scannable

• Users don’t read, they scan: Studies showed that only 16% of users read word-by-word and realistically only read 20% on the page 
• Limit your copy to no more than 3 lines of copy per section, which should be scannable within 2-3 seconds
• Use short, to-the-point headlines 
• Communicate your key points in the headlines

 

7 Creative Ways to Share a Lot of Info

In order to perform, landing pages should be easily scannable and clear, but sometimes your copy has to do a lot of work to address a customer’s key buyer decision questions. 

That’s where creative layouts come in. You can use design elements to make a lot of content feel less overwhelming.  

1. Buttons that Reveal Content

Great for: Multiple products, many features

2. Press Testimonials in Logo Bar

Great for: Very short quotes that add credibility and/or support your theme

3. Scannable Comparison Table

Great for: Products or services with many features; Brands in a competitive space; Subscriptions 

4. 50/50 Visual Comparison

Good for: When you want to showcase the key product benefits and contrast them to an alternative option (works great when it’s against a concept instead of a direct competitor). 

5. Testimonial Slider

Good for: Brands with many customer testimonials. 

Only show one testimonial at a time and either have them auto-play cycling through or have manual buttons/arrows for users to select to see the next. 

6. Use an Educational Video

Good for: Medical brands or brands with many “fine print” details or a steep learning curve on their product use 

Instead of adding in-depth instructions on your landing page, consider creating an instructional video, which you can either embed on your landing page or make available for anyone who wants the in-depth information. 

7. Ingredients Slider

Good for: Medical, beauty, and food products 

If you need to showcase detailed information about ingredients or elements of a product, consider hiding details until a user clicks on a certain element. 

* * *

At Primer, we know how important landing pages are to overall ROI. That’s why we include landing page design and development in all our creative testing. 

See more examples of top-converting landing pages on our landing page gallery.