Analyzing Ad Frequency: When to Kill a Creative

You have a winning ad. It's printing money. ROAS is 4.0. Then, slowly, it starts to dip. 3.5. 3.0. 2.0. What happened? Ad Fatigue.

Understanding Frequency

Frequency is the average number of times a unique user has seen your ad. Frequency = Impressions / Reach

• Frequency 1-2: Fresh. High engagement.
• Frequency 3-4: The "Sweet Spot" for retargeting / complex products.
• Frequency 5+: Danger zone (for prospecting).

The "First Time Impression Ratio"

This is a metric often hidden in generic dashboards. It tracks what percentage of your daily impressions are going to new people vs. people who have already seen the ad. When this ratio drops, your CPA usually spikes.

When to Kill (or Rotate)

Don't just turn it off. Rotate it. If a winner fatigues:

1. Change the scroll stopper (the first 3 seconds).
2. Change the thumbnail.
3. Change the music.

Keep the core "body" of the ad if the message works, but dress it in a new outfit. This resets the fatigue clock while leveraging the proven persuasion path.