Scaling Your Winning Creative: 10 Simple Ways to Iterate for Success
Have you ever created a digital ad that was such a winner you wished you could extend its lifespan? When your digital ad ecosystem stars align and your creative really hits the spot it can be tempting to just keep going, but even the best ads need regular refreshing to avoid becoming white noise for speed-scrolling audiences.
Platform recommendations for precisely how often you should refresh your digital creatives range from around every 1-2 weeks on Facebook and Instagram, to as often as every seven days on TikTok (No Limit Creatives).
The good news for marketers (and marketing budgets) is that this doesn’t mean you need to start from scratch every single time. It only takes a few small tweaks to duplicate the original ad into multiple winning versions that can give your creative a far longer shelf-life.
In this article, we'll cover ten simple ways to scale ad creatives:
Different hooks
Improving the hook rate is essential to getting more people to watch your video. By testing different hooks that are still relatable to the main video, you can increase the chances of getting more views.
Similar hook but a different environment/setting
If the hook is good, an easy way to replicate it is to use the same hook script or line in a different environment or setting. This can help you determine if the setting or environment was the real winner.
Similar hook but same setting
Maybe it was the background that made the hook great. By testing a slightly similar variation of the hook script in the same setting, you can determine if the background was the real winner.
Video speed
By speeding up the video by 5-15%, you can treat it as a new video and new ad on many social media platforms. This can help you get a new winner without having to create a brand new ad.
Different creators
Another easy variation is to use the same line from a different creator. This can help you determine if the creator or the line was the real winner.
Change the soundtrack or background music
Music can play a big role in the success of an ad. By changing the soundtrack or background music, you can test the impact it has on the overall ad and potentially create a new winner.
Add new captions or subtitles
Adding new captions or subtitles can help grab the audience's attention and make the ad more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This can also help you reach a wider audience and potentially create a new winner.
Adjust the color grading or lighting
The look and feel of an ad can have a big impact on its success. By adjusting the color grading or lighting, you can test the impact it has on the overall ad and potentially create a new winner.
Translate into different languages
If you're looking to reach a global audience, translating the ad into different languages can help you reach a wider audience and potentially create new winners.
Try a different format
Different ad formats can have different impacts on the audience. For example, a vertical video might perform better on a platform like Instagram, while a horizontal video might perform better on YouTube. By trying a different ad format, you can test the impact it has on the overall ad and potentially create a new winner.
In conclusion, scaling a creative ad that is already a winner requires iterating and testing small variations, and the key to creating iteration-worthy ads is quite simply understanding how to fit in – the more native and organic the content feels on a platform the less jarring the interruption. By trying out these 10 steps, you can maximize the lifespan of your winning ad and potentially create new winning ads. It's important to remember that if the hook is great, but the hold rate is bad, you need to find where the drop-off is and work on that part. However, if the ad isn't a real winner, it's not worth all the hassle. Instead, focus on creating a new winning ad from scratch. Try these iterations, and you'll be well on your way to creating more winning ads. Good luck and happy scaling!