Thread by @bbourque

Ads not working?

To win online you need a system.

12 root causes of bad performance & how to fix them:

Keep this list handy as a checklist.

The next time you're running paid campaigns and can't get profitable, run through the list.

Here we go:

Creative issues:

Your ads aren't generating sales or conversions.

Causes:
• Your ads are not getting people's attention
• People find your ads low quality or unappealing
• Your messaging isn't resonating
• Your value prop isn't compelling

Creative issues (continued):

Solutions:
• Test different designs, formats and ad styles
• Use visually disruptive elements
• Test different messaging and positioning
• Try new, original ad angles
• Rotate or refresh creatives regularly

Ad Targeting Issues:

Your ads are not being shown to the right people.

Causes:

• You aren't reaching the people you want to
• You don't know who your target customers are
• You made a mistake and targeted the wrong geo or demo

Ad Targeting Issues: (continued):

Solutions:
• Review and refine target audience
• Conduct audience research and segmentation
• Evaluate geographic performance data
• Refocus marketing efforts on better-performing regions

Bidding and Budget Issues:

Using the wrong bid strategy is a great way to burn cash.

Causes:

• Using the wrong bid strategy
• Insufficient budget

Bidding and Budget Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• A/B test different bidding strategies
• Optimize bids based on performance
• Allocate more budget to channel

Platform-Specific Issues:

Digital platforms are complex. It's easy to get lost when setting up a campaign or not understand how to use the algo properly.

Causes:

• You don't understand the platform features well
• The platform is inundated with similar competitors

Platform-Specific Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• Training on how to use the platform effectively
• Research documentation and best practices
• Develop a unique value prop to stand out
• Analyze your competition

Landing Page Issues:

Small details can have a big impact. How persuasive is your page?

Causes:

• Poorly designed or non-optimized landing pages
• Inconsistent messaging between ads and landing pages

Landing Page Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• Align ad copy and landing page content
• A/B test different landing page designs
• Improve user experience and optimize for conversions
• Test different combinations of ads and landing pages

Monetization Issues:
Your funnel metrics are okay but you're just not making enough revenue per visit.

Causes:

• Insufficient monetization or LTV
• Low purchase value
• Low retention

Monetization Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• Analyze customer lifetime value and revenue streams
• Develop strategies to increase LTV and improve monetization
• Identify and address bottlenecks in the conversion funnel
• Cross-sell and upsell

Tracking and Analytics Issues:
You're not getting good data into how users are responding to your ads.

Causes:

• Inadequate tracking and analytics setup
• Incomplete data collection

Tracking and Analytics Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• Use conversion events and pixels
• Audit data sources and data collection methods
• Review and update tracking configurations
• Use a proper attribution model
• Ensure data accuracy through regular quality checks

Insufficient Testing and Optimization:

It's easy to get cold feet when you're losing a lot of money. You'll end up pausing tests too quickly to learn anything of statistical significance.

Causes:

• Limited testing of campaign elements
• Inadequate optimization efforts

Insufficient Testing and Optimization (continued):

Solutions:

• Implement a structured testing plan
• Test ad creatives, targeting, and bidding methodically
• Regularly review campaign performance data
• Optimize campaigns based on data
• Check for statistical significance

Technical Issues:
The platform or your website just isn't working properly. These issues often go unnoticed.

Causes:

• Broken website or landing page
• Ad platform technical issues

Technical Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• Audit website for technical issues
• Set up automated website load time / uptime alerts
• Fix technical issues and improve site performance
• Report issues to ad platform support
• Monitor platform updates and known issues

Product or Service and Platform Mismatch:
Ever run ads on Reddit? This one's for you.

Causes:

• Platform not suitable for promoting the product or service
• Ineffective ad formats for the product or service

Product or Service and Platform Mismatch (continued):

Solutions:

• Research and identify more suitable platforms
• Adjust marketing strategies to better fit the platform
• Tailor ad creatives to better suit the platform's ad formats
• Experiment with different ad formats

Seasonality or Timing Issues:

Ad prices can skyrocket in Q4. Be mindful of demand and prices by time of year.

Causes:

• Holidays or time of year impacting consumer demand or ad prices

Seasonality or Timing Issues (continued):

Solutions:

• Analyze historical trends
• Test different timeframes to launch
• Adjust campaign based on seasonal insights

External / Macro Factors:

If you were running ads during the 2020 presidential election or early COVID, you know what we're talking about:

Causes:

• Economic factors
• Political factors
• Social factors

External / Macro Factors (continued):

Solutions:

• Stay informed about political developments
• Diversify marketing channels to mitigate risk
• Monitor economic trends and adjust marketing strategies

Holy shit - a lot can go wrong!

The biggest culprits will usually be your ad, landing page or offer.

And for an algo-driven platform like Facebook, your bidding strategy.

But check everything - you may have an issue you don't even know about.

That's it!

Thanks for reading.

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https://twitter.com/15735804/status/1638149015169650688

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