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Yesterday, I was on a call with some talented media buyers about creative testing strategies and production processes.

I am not a media buyer, but understanding how the data we see can dictate production and creative decisions is so important to make great ads.

So many people focus on net new ideas; honestly, you might just be one minor edit from a high-performing ad.

We will chat about how to look at the data and then make those edits for your ad account.

1. Let's get back to the data basics

There are many metrics you can look at, but here are six metrics that I focus on:

1. Hook Rate or Thumbstop Ratio = 3-second Video Plays / Impressions.

This metric helps us understand if we are getting viewers' attention or if they are scrolling away within the first 3 seconds of the ad.

2. Average View Duration

This metric lets you see where people are losing interest in the ad and scrolling away in the ad.

3. Average View Duration % = Average View Duration / Length of Video

All videos have different time lengths, so it is good to see how much of the video they watch on average.

4. Hold Rate = ThruPlays / 3-second video plays

This metric is a ratio to show how interested viewers are in the ad content, not just the first 3 seconds of the video. Retention in the video is essential to understand.

5. Click Through Rate (CTR)

A click doesn't mean they will buy, but at least we can see if they want to learn more.

6. Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) **

The goal is to get people to buy, so you want to see the return on your ad spend be positive, not negative. ROAS gives us a good view of purchases from an ad.

Do you look at other metrics? Please reply and let me know what metrics you look at and why!

** If ROAS is not your north star metric, it may be MER - that should replace ROAS. The goal is to answer this question, does this ad help hit your goal? I like to look at ROAS, but I know other media buyers and people have other targets they look at.

2. Connect the Quantitative data to qualitative data

Most people look at the data and say, "oh, we need to change the hook, or we should do x, y, z..."

But we are looking at numbers, not what is on the ad.

So the next step is to compare the numbers to the ad.

Watch the ad back, knowing the numbers.

Let's say the hook rate was low; look at the first three seconds and come up with a few reasons why it didn't work, and TAKE NOTES (you will thank me later).

The view duration may be low; look at where people drop off on the ad. Is there something happening that makes the ad boring or confusing?

Once you do a comparative analysis between the data and the actual ad, you probably have a few hypotheses as to why the ad didn't work or did work.

Now take those hypotheses and turn them into small creative iterations.

Instead of creating brand new ads with a whole new creator, are there efficiencies you can find by making small tweaks?

3. Compound your learnings over time

You will then do your small tests.

And then, you will find out if the corrections helped or not.

If they helped, that is a positive sign.

Try and do a few more like that.

If those work, you can start solidifying a rule of what works in your ad account.

Now, if you do the small tests and they don't work out, you can create a rule of what doesn't work in your ad account.

At the end of the day, the goal is to figure out what does and doesn't work in your account so you can make more winners faster and take the guessing out of creation.

Editing and minor tweaks will be your best friend as you build creative iterations.

I am curious - is this different than your process?

Reply and let me know.

Keep creating!

Matthew Gattozzi

PS. Do you notice a new brand, logo, colors, and more? Fun stuff is happening over here at Goodo Studios, and something even bigger is coming next week in the newsletter.

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