Create better ads

Set up a structured creative testing process that compounds your learnings so every new ad performs better than the last.

Create better ads

Introduction

I've tested thousands of ad creatives since I started running paid campaigns in 2011. The biggest shift in my results came when I stopped guessing what would work and started testing systematically.

You've already mapped your channels and you're getting impressions. But impressions without clicks are just noise. The difference between a 0.5% and a 2% click rate is not luck. It's the hook, the visual, and the format working together to earn attention in a feed full of distractions.

This playbook shows you how to test your creative the way I do it. Which angle resonates with which audience, whether video beats static, and what kind of opening line actually gets people to stop. You'll build a library of proven creative that you can reuse and improve over time, instead of starting from scratch every campaign.

Chapters

1

Improve your hooks

The first line determines whether anyone reads your ad. Test different hook types (questions, stats, pain statements, outcome promises) to find what stops the scroll for each segment.

2

Improve your visuals

Images and videos determine whether ads get noticed in feed. Test formats systematically: single images versus carousels versus videos, and match visual type to segment and awareness stage.

3

Improve your calls-to-action

Match CTA to segment readiness. Hot traffic wants "Book demo now", cold traffic wants "Get the guide". Asking for too much too soon kills conversion. Asking for too little from ready buyers wastes opportunities.

4

Improve your body copy

Test message angles (pain, outcome, proof, comparison), positive versus negative framing, and platform-specific copy structures. Different segments respond to different angles, and you won't know which until you test.

5

Run monthly creative refreshes

Replace fatigued ads before performance drops by keeping a rotation calendar and a pipeline of fresh creative ready to go.

6

A/B test ad formats systematically

Compare image, video, carousel, and text formats across segments to find which earns the most clicks from each audience.

7

Build a swipe file of winners

Document every high-performing ad with its metrics, audience, and creative angle so your team can spot and replicate winning patterns.

8

Analyse click-through by audience segment

Break down click-through rates by segment to discover which audiences respond best and where your creative needs reworking.

Create better ads

tools

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Books

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Wiki

Click-through-rate

The percentage of impressions that result in a click to your website or landing page.

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How do you get the right people to notice you without burning budget?

Create better ads

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