Solved: Refreshing Ad Creatives - Add to Existing or New Ad Sets?

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on your question about refreshing ad creatives. I've worked on quite a few similar situations so hopefully this helps.

We'll need to look at traffic quality and your website...

Before diving into the specifics of A/B testing, it's worth taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Sometimes, ad fatigue isn't just about the ads themselves; it's about the entire user experience.

The two options you mentioned - adding to existing ads sets and duplicating them, pausing the old ones - can both work, but it really depends on the context. For instance, what are the clickthrough rates on your ads currently? What’s the conversion rate look like for those ads? Sometimes the issue might not be the ads *per se*, but also something else.

This is because, lets face it, you're pouring money into these campaigns. To figure out what to do we need to analyse a few questions:

• Are you getting enough of the right type of traffic to your website?
• Does the user experience encourage people to make a purchase?
• Are you optimising the right metrics?

If you're getting lots of clicks but few conversions, it could mean that your website isn't optimized for sales. I’d say look at how people are interacting with your website and optimise it.

I'd say you need to give it more time...

The ideal strategy hinges on a few things: how long your existing ad sets have been running, how much data you've collected, and what kind of changes you're making. If your ad sets are relatively new and still in the learning phase, I'd give them more time to stabilise before making any drastic changes. Facebook's algorithm needs time to learn and optimise. If you're constantly making changes, you're essentially resetting the learning process each time.

However, if your ad sets have been running for a while and you've gathered enough data to identify underperforming ads, then it's perfectly fine to pause them and introduce new creatives into the existing ad sets. This allows you to refresh your ads without disrupting the overall learning and optimisation of the ad set. I'd probably start with a soft launch and see what the initial results are. If you're making a major change to your targeting or your overall strategy, then duplicating the ad sets and launching new ones might be the better option. This allows you to test your new strategy in a separate environment without affecting your existing campaigns. But again, keep a close eye on the performance of the new ad sets and be prepared to make adjustments as needed.

Don't make sudden budget changes...

Another important thing is to avoid making sudden budget changes. If you drastically increase or decrease your budget, it can disrupt the algorithm's optimisation process and lead to unstable results. Instead, make gradual budget adjustments and monitor the performance closely.

One of the software client's campaign saw really good results with UGC videos as well which might work for you, lots of angles to test there as well. Something worth trying out perhaps. Remember, the key is to strike a balance between refreshing your ads and maintaining stability in your campaigns. Don't be afraid to experiment, but always base your decisions on data and analysis.

You'll want to consider your budget...

Now let's address the elephant in the room – budget. How much are you willing to spend on testing new creatives? This will dictate the scope of your experiments and the amount of data you can collect. If you have a limited budget, I'd recommend focusing on a few key changes and running split tests to determine which creatives perform best. This allows you to get the most bang for your buck and make informed decisions. If you have a larger budget, you can afford to be more experimental and test a wider range of creatives. This can help you uncover hidden gems and identify new trends that you might have missed otherwise.

I've seen lots of different scenarios work, and sometimes it just comes down to luck and finding the right ad at the right time.

Testing and Iteration are key...

Ultimately, the best way to refresh ad creatives is to test, iterate, and refine your strategy based on data and analysis. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but by following these principles, you can increase your chances of success and achieve stable, long-term results.

I'm not sure what product you're selling, but for eCommerce and other fields A/B testing will be vital.

Recommended Actionable Solution

Here's an overview of actionable solutions for you to implement based on my advice:

Remember the best ad platform depends on your target audience, you ideally want them to convert after the click. Make sure the landing page and products encourage them to convert, this can include special offers.

I'd suggest getting some Expert Help...

As you can see, there's a lot that goes into optimising Facebook ad campaigns and it can feel overwhelming. It's not an easy process, especially in the current advertising landscape. Sometimes, having an expert look at your campaigns can make all the difference.

We have the experience and expertise to help you with everything from ad creative to landing page optimisation. We've helped numerous clients improve their ROI and achieve their business goals with paid advertising. If you'd like to explore how we can help you, we'd be happy to offer you a free consultation. Feel free to reach out if you're interested.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh