# Lessons Learned From Analyzing 150 Top Converting Ads

- Link: https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/
- Published: 2018-03-12T11:40:44+01:00
- Author: Payton O'Neal

_Note from Andy Carvell, Editor of Mobile Growth Stack: We don’t cover UA topics
so often in the MGS blog, mostly due to the lack of deep domain experience on this
topic within our team. We’re happy to present this guest post by Payton O’Neal from_
[_Bamboo_](https://www.growwithbamboo.com/)_, an SF-based agency that focuses on
paid social advertising, sharing some key UA learnings._

![Lessons Learned From Analyzing 150 Top Converting Ads ](https://phiture.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/03/Lessons-Learned-From-Analyzing-150-Top-Converting-Ads-min.
jpeg)

Too often we see advertisers getting caught up in crafting beautiful ads and perfecting
minute details instead of building holistically effective ads. They get trapped 
in vanity metrics like click-through-rate (CTR) instead of focusing on actions that
provide business value.

**This is what it takes to make a high-converting ad:**

![high-converting ad](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/high-converting-
ad-min.png)

With each part of this ‘formula’ in mind, I analyzed 150 of Bamboo’s clients’ top
performing ads to highlight some common trends. Here are the tactics that helped
those ads outperform the rest.

Table of Contents

 * [Targeting the right audience](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#targeting_the_right_audience)
 * [Combined Lookalike Audiences](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#combined_lookalike_audiences)
 * [Optimized Cost-Per-Impression Campaigns](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#optimized_cost-per-impression_campaigns)
 * [Exclusions](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#exclusions)
 * [Serving ads in the right place, at the right time](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#serving_ads_in_the_right_place_at_the_right_time)
 * [Separating Placements](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#separating_placements)
 * [Thoughtful Retargeting Strategies](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#thoughtful_retargeting_strategies)
 * [Unique Strategies for iOS and Android](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#unique_strategies_for_ios_and_android)
 * [Designing captivating creative](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#designing_captivating_creative)
 * [External Validation](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#external_validation)
 * [Illustration and Emojis](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#illustration_and_emojis)
 * [In-Image CTAs](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#in-image_ctas)
 * [Starting a cohesive buyer’s journey](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#starting_a_cohesive_buyers_journey)
 * [Consistent messaging and imagery](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#consistent_messaging_and_imagery)
 * [Product-specific landing pages](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#product-specific_landing_pages)
 * [Have a backup plan](https://phiture.com/mobilegrowthstack/ua-learnings-top-converting-ads-9c1a12b7a337/#have_a_backup_plan)

## **Targeting the right audience**

The perfect advertisement served to the wrong audience benefits no one. In this 
post, I’ll dig into all aspects of what made these ads convert better than others.

Starting with targeting the right audience, here are a few things the top-converting
ads have in common:

## **Combined Lookalike Audiences**

If you’re not familiar, Facebook’s lookalike (LAL) audiences give advertisers the
ability to target broad user groups based on existing knowledge of your customers.
You can create lookalikes from any kind of existing audience to build larger pools
to target.

For example, let’s say you have a subscription media streaming app targeted at parents
with young children. You might build the following lookalike audiences:

 * A list of people who have been subscribed for more than a month
 * A list of people who have streamed >10 titles
 * All the followers of your page on Facebook
 * A list of people who follow related Facebook pages or people
 * People who have watched >50% of a video you posted on Facebook recently

Since many of those LAL audiences are high performing and likely overlap with other
LAL audiences, try combining them to cast a wide net and avoid competing ad sets.
Stick to 1–2% LAL for best performance.

![LAL audiences ](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/LAL-audiences-min.
png)

Lookalikes, in one form or another, are widely used, accounting for about **_45%
of total budgets_** on average, and are often the best performing audiences.

## **Optimized Cost-Per-Impression Campaigns**

Optimized cost-per-impression (oCPM) targeting works by optimizing ads for high 
business-value actions like making a purchase. **_Of all the ads we analyzed, over
90% utilized an oCPM bidding strategy._**

oCPM campaigns can optimize for anything from top-of-funnel actions like landing
page views, down to the bottom of the funnel events like to purchases. Facebook 
app event optimization (AEO) is a great strategy for mobile advertisers to attract
high-quality users.

Keep in mind that there are also some disadvantages to oCPM; this tactic works best
with audiences larger than 1 million, and the event you’re optimizing for should
frequently occur (at least 25–50 times per ad set per week) to gather enough information
to fuel the algorithm. If the most downfunnel event you want to optimize for doesn’t
occur frequently enough, try optimizing for an up-funnel event like ‘add to cart,’
or utilize your business intelligence to identify other events that positively correlate
with business value.

## **Exclusions**

While this tip isn’t necessarily strategic,**_100% of top-performing ads we analyzed
exclude current customers or subscribers._**

Unless you’re upselling or cross-selling, always make sure to regularly pull lists
of your subscribers or customers, uploading and adding them to your audience exclusions.
Also, keep in mind if you’re running retargeting campaigns alongside prospecting
campaigns to exclude the former from the latter.

Depending on the platform and the campaign goals, here are a few standard exclusions
we typically employ:

 * Existing customers registered users or subscribers
 * Page connections or followers
 * Employees, board members, partners, etc.

## **Serving ads in the right place, at the right time**

Targeting your most relevant audience is a good start, but the best ads don’t stop
there. Successful selling is serendipitous, reaching potential customers at the 
right place and at the right time.

Here are a few placement and timing best practices to optimize your ads:

## **Separating Placements**

Facebook often recommends keeping your ad placements together (mobile and desktop,
Facebook and Stories, in-stream and Stories, etc.) and allowing the algorithm to
figure out ideal combinations. They even make it easy to add Instagram-friendly 
creative to single ad sets to encourage advertisers to keep them together.

![Facebook often recommends keeping your ad placements together](https://phiture.
com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Facebook-often-recommends-keeping-your-ad-placements-
together-min.png)

More advanced advertisers should start challenging that approach under the assumption
that users behave differently in different places.

Here’s what we mean. Mobile users might be less inclined to make a $100+ purchase
than when they’re on a desktop. Instagram stories placement lends itself to view-
through conversions more than in-stream ads.

So, whether you just want to learn more about behavior, expectations, or even successful
creative across placements, separate them out. If you determine that the same ads
and targeting strategies work across each, then go ahead and bring them back together.

## **Thoughtful Retargeting Strategies**

Retargeting ads can have fantastic ROI, and yet it’s a strategy that’s often forgotten
or mishandled. Whether you’re retargeting existing customers for an upsell, or app
downloaders that haven’t yet purchased, make sure you have a deliberate strategy
for your most essential use-cases.

⌊Thoughtful Retargeting Strategies Part 1⌉⌊Thoughtful Retargeting Strategies Part
1⌉⌊Thoughtful retargeting strategies part 2 ⌉⌊Thoughtful retargeting strategies 
part 2 ⌉⌊Thoughtful retargeting strategies part 3⌉⌊Thoughtful retargeting strategies
part 3⌉Start by splitting out your retargeting and prospecting campaigns (with the
right exclusions, of course). Then split out your buyers’ journey into distinct 
segments and develop ads for each.

There are endless ways to slice and dice your current customers or web visitors 
to retarget, and we typically recommend spending a good portion of your budget on
remarketing. **We devote about 13% of our total budgets on retargeting** while the
rest is devoted to reaching net new users through prospecting or user acquisition
campaigns.

## **Unique Strategies for iOS and Android**

We’ve also found that separating iOS and Android is a good way to scale more efficiently.**
Across the top-performing ads, we analyzed, about 80% of our campaigns separate 
out iOS and Android.** Why does this work?

At the bare minimum, make sure your app is available on each OS and to only target
devices that meet the minimum download requirements.

⌊Specific Mobile Devices & Operating Systems⌉⌊Specific Mobile Devices & Operating
Systems⌉Going a step further, take into consideration what kinds of devices your
users are on; if you are selling a luxury good you might want to target higher-end
devices and visa versa. Furthermore, Android and iOS users often represent different
demographics, and thus may need different bidding, targeting, or creative strategies.

## **Designing captivating creative**

Designing captivating ads is just as important as reaching the right audience. Now
that it’s easier and cheaper than ever to produce a high-quality image or video 
assets, there’s no excuse for advertisers creating ugly ads.

## **External Validation**

Quotes, user reviews, logos. However you do it, leverage existing trust and relationships
to your advantage. We’ve all heard of NPR, Oprah, TechCrunch, etc. and trust what
they have to say. If NPR (or other reputable sources) has ever so much as mentioned
your brand, drop everything you’re doing and make an ad with that quote as your 
ad copy.

![External Validation](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/External-Validation-
min.png)

Similarly, logos, user reviews, and even app store icons tend to increase conversions.**
_Ads implementing this strategy have up to 27% lower acquisition costs._**

## **Illustration and Emojis**

A quick way to increase your CTRs and in many cases improve conversion rates in 
certain demographics is the use of emojis in ad copy and images. Illustrations work
similarly, communicating product features and benefits or to express your brand’s
general vibe.

⌊illustration and Emojis⌉⌊illustration and Emojis⌉

**_For one client, ads with illustration had 24% improved conversion rates. _**Bamboo
recently named illustration as one of the top Facebook ad design trends utilized
by top brands.

## **In-Image CTAs**

In-image CTAs are a Bamboo favorite. **_Whether placed in a video end card or a 
static image, CTAs within images have on average, 38% better conversion rates._**

![In-Image CTAs examples](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/In-Image-
CTAs-examples-min.png)

It might seem simple, but they work wonders at grabbing attention, inciting clicks,
and most importantly, setting straightforward expectations about what you’ll be 
redirected to, which leads us to our next section.

## **Starting a cohesive buyer’s journey**

You might be scoring CTRs over 2%, but without conversions, what does it matter?
The last part of creating a top-converting ad has less to do with the targeting 
or the ad, and more to do with starting and **completing** a cohesive dialog.

Here are a few tips to set realistic expectations upfront and a cohesive purchase
journey.

## **Consistent messaging and imagery**

False advertising is undoubtedly the worst marketing offense. A lesser offense is
creating an inconsistent story or having disjointed imagery. Digital advertisers
often get caught in the pitfall of taking liberties with ad copy or imagery, or 
making silly mistakes.

Here are a few not-so-harmless mistakes:

 * Promising a discount in an ad without applying the discount on site/app or in
   the cart. This is a huge faux pas that can result in detrimental friction.
 * Advertising individual products that lead to generic web pages. We’ll discuss
   this concept more in the next point, but remember that deep linking is your friend!
 * Promoting products that are actually sold out. This happens **a lot** with dynamic
   ads; make sure to keep your product feed up-to-date to avoid this mistake.
 * Using inaccurate or confusing CTAs (i.e. ‘Learn More’ on a very obvious e-commerce
   ad. Just use ‘Shop Now). We’re all for testing different CTAs, but don’t forego
   logic or honesty for an incrementally improved CTR.
 * Click-baity titles and ad copy for content that doesn’t quite make good on those
   claims.
 * Going overboard with connecting to something seasonal or geographic when the 
   product or service has little to do with either of those things.

As a rule of thumb, follow logic and stick to your brand guidelines and construct
a consistent narrative starting the moment someone sees your ad to the moment they
make a purchase (and beyond).

## **Product-specific landing pages**

If you’re advertising a specific product, no matter the ad format, you should direct
your browsers to that product’s page. It may seem like a no-brainer, but the effects
can be impactful; **_the ads we analyzed that led to geographic or product-specific
pages had on average 53% better conversion rates._**

What’s more, make sure that the product page isn’t a dead end. Give them inroads
to other products, and make it easy for them to create their own experience or to
stay in touch.

## **Have a backup plan**

If your primary goal is to acquire purchasers, your advertising strategy should 
aim at doing exactly that. Of course, not everyone will purchase, so it’s your duty
to do all you can to keep them in your buyers’ journey and give them chances to 
convert in the future.

Whether that’s an email subscribe pop-up, push notifications, or just capitalizing
on your retargeting strategy, never give up. Side note: If you do invest time and
resources in this backup plan, be sure to capture data with reporting Pixels or 
SDKs and be sure to measure results — or they didn’t happen.

No matter how many thousands of dollars you spend on photoshoots and graphic designers,
your ad needs to convert. And to convert real people into valuable customers, your
ads should combine thoughtful and accurately-timed targeting with captivating and
consistent messaging.

Thanks to Andy Carvell.