Optimizing ads for better performance

What Is Creative Testing?

Creative testing systematically evaluates and optimizes ad creatives (images, videos, copy, or formats) to determine which elements perform best in driving specific goals like clicks, conversions, or engagement. It involves running variations of creatives in controlled campaigns to identify high-performing "unicorn" ads while eliminating underperformers.

Based on Manson Chen’s Webinar, let’s explore some important points that will help you understand creative testing in 2025! But first, who is Manson Chen?  

Manson Chen founded Sovran.ai, a platform dedicated to boosting creative production through direct response video automation and generative AI. With extensive experience in growth marketing, Manson has worked with top brands like Calm and Cash App, managing multi-million-dollar ad budgets. His expertise lies in scaling subscription brands, optimizing creative testing, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to increase creative speed and drive measurable results.  

So, let’s recap what the creative testing webinar is all about!  

Understanding the Current Market:

As Manson mentioned, finding high-performing "unicorn" ads is challenging!  

A study found that just 2% of ad variations receive 68% of ad spend, while 90% of spend is focused on only 10% of ads. To find top-performing creatives, brands need to test many variations, with fast-growing advertisers testing 11 times more ads per month. However, the required budget for testing can be difficult for smaller advertisers. Creative trends to watch include lo-fi ads, AI-generated UGC (User-Generated Content), AI video hooks, and podcast-style ads, which perform well due to their authenticity.

Moral of the story? Testing multiple ads efficiently, optimizing creative production costs, and using tools like the Conversion API can help brands succeed in creative testing.

Takeaways:    

-Creative testing is more critical than ever.

Building a Successful Creative Testing Program:

To successfully scale ad campaigns, it's essential to continuously test new creatives, as relying on a single winning ad can lead to fatigue over time. Allowing 10-20% of the marketing budget for creative testing ensures fresh content that can maintain momentum. Using customer language and using testimonials, such as uploading reviews into tools like ChatGPT for targeted insights, can increase ad performance. Drawing inspiration from successful brands with diverse creative strategies and tracking ad performance data allows for ongoing refinement. The process involves iterating on the most effective ads and abandoning those that underperform, affirming optimal results and sustained growth.

Moral of the story?  Consistent innovation, data-driven testing, and leveraging authentic customer insights are key to sustaining and scaling successful ad campaigns over time.  

Takeaways:  

-The importance of laying strong foundations for testing.

-Emphasizing creative diversity and audience research to discover winning strategies.

Setting Up a Cost-Effective Testing System on Facebook:

One of the things we recommend to do is upload your reviews into ChatGPT and asking it to find 20 short five-star reviews that can be used for Facebook ads. These testimonials can be used in simple static ads!  At Calm, they tested 50 testimonials (the maximum per ad set), and ran a simple test to identify the top three to five testimonials. They then used these in all our video ads, which proved to be a great way to determine the best social proof or messaging for ads.

Another helpful tool is the GigaBrain, which allows you to explore what people are saying about your brand or category online. It's great for finding the language that resonates with your audience, which you can then use in your ads. Additionally, checking ad libraries like Motion Analytics' free tracking tool can give you inspiration from high-volume brands that test various creative strategies. You can look at brands like Calm, Headway, and Loopier for new ideas.  

Moral of the story? Using tools, customer insights, and inspiration from successful brands can help refine ad messaging, uncover impactful brand credibility, and create ads that truly connect with the target audience.

Takeaways:  

Best practices for running objective and efficient creative tests.

Overall, Keep an open mind, keep testing and experimenting with creative ideas  

Here is  a short A Guide to High-Performing Ads:

Here’s a brief guide with tips that go beyond typical creative testing, to help you boost your ad performance in 2025 and give you that extra push!    

1. Focus on emotional impact  

Ads that connect emotionally tend to perform better! Whether through storytelling, humor, or tapping into pain points, emotional ads are more likely to capture attention and trigger action. Use real customer stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or even user-generated content to create a deeper connection with your audience.

Let’s take a look at Noom and how they use emotional impact to influence their audience! This Noomcommercial is designed to bring on a range of emotional responses that connect with viewers struggling with weight loss. By presenting relatable scenarios of food cravings, the ad triggers empathy and connection. It simultaneously builds hope by suggesting that lasting weight loss is achievable, motivating viewers to take action. The emphasis on the psychological aspects of weight loss creates curiosity about Noom's unique approach while prompting self-reflection and awareness of personal habits.  

2. Make it mobile-friendly first  

According to Digitalslik mobile browsing dominates internet traffic, with over 61.5% of global internet traffic! Global internet connectivity is experiencing a huge jump, with approximately 5.35 billion total internet users and 4.32 billion active mobile internet users. The mobile internet ecosystem is projected to expand dramatically, reaching an estimated 7.49 billion users globally by 2025. Short, snappy content with bold visuals and easy-to-read text works best on mobile. Keep your message clear and to the point, with a strong call to action that’s easy to click on a small screen.

Crunch Fitness demonstrates effective advertising in 2025 through its "Feel Good, Not Bad" campaign, which cleverly uses relatable scenarios to connect with potential gym-goers. The campaign, launched in late 2023 and continued into 2025, shows short, snappy content across various media platforms to capture attention quickly

3. Use responsive ads

Dynamic ads personalize the user experience by automatically showing the most relevant products to each individual based on their browsing behavior. Using Facebook’s dynamic ads can lead to higher conversion rates by making sure your audience see the products they are most likely to purchase.

LocalIQ provides an extensive strategy for boosting Facebook ad performance in 2025 by focusing on precise audience targeting, engaging copywriting, emotionally powerful creative strategies, continuous A/B testing, and a holistic approach to digital marketing that combines paid advertising with organic growth techniques.

4. Check ad timing and reach

Ad frequency and timing can impact performance. Too much repetition can lead to ad fatigue, while too little exposure can prevent your audience from noticing your message. Test different timeframes and ad frequencies to find the optimal balance, making sure your ads are seen enough to influence decisions without becoming overbearing.

One example is OOH advertising with digital elements and real-time marketing, which allows brands to create memorable experiences and engage consumers when they're most receptive. By carefully timing their ads and strategically placing them in high-visibility areas, Oreo successfully increased brand awareness and consumer interaction, demonstrating the continued relevance of well-executed Out-of-home advertising in the digital age.

5. Test different types of ads  

While image and video ads are the go-to formats, exploring other formats like carousel ads, slideshows, and collections can give you new opportunities to present your products and message in creative ways. Experiment with different formats to see which generates the most engagement and conversions.

Pro Tip: Take advantage of Facebook's new Video Carousel feature to boost your audience engagement!

Learn from HowToHarbor - this video demonstrates the process of creating carousel posts on Facebook, which can be adapted for video carousels to enhance audience engagement.

6. Improve targeting with segmentation

Advanced audience segmentation helps you reach the most relevant users. Rather than targeting broad categories, break down your audience into smaller segments based on behavior, interests, or demographics. Customizing your messaging for each segment increases relevance and leads to higher engagement.

7. Use customer reviews and testimonials

Consumers trust other consumers more than brands. Include testimonials, reviews, and user-generated content in your ads to boost credibility. Social credibility shows potential buyers that real people trust and use your products, making them more likely to convert.

8. Add interactive features  

Interactive ads like polls, quizzes, and games can engage users in a fun, participatory way. These types of ads not only increase engagement but can also provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences, which can help refine future campaigns.

9. Use retargeting to drive traffic  

Retargeting allows you to show ads to users who have already interacted with your brand or website. These users are warmer leads, making them more likely to convert. Implement dynamic retargeting ads that display the exact product a user viewed on your website or add new incentives like limited-time discounts to prompt action.

10. Track more than just clicks

Don’t focus solely on clicks. Track the full customer journey, including how many users actually converted, the average order value, and lifetime customer value. A high click-through rate doesn’t always mean success if it doesn’t lead to meaningful conversions.

Before we continue, let’s take a moment to showcase the AI tool every growth marketer should have! Sovran.ai uses AI technology to streamline and automate the creation of direct-response videos. This tool is transforming the way marketers approach video ad creation. By applying the power of artificial intelligence, Sovran simplifies the process of producing direct response videos, allowing businesses to create, remix, and test multiple ad variations in a fraction of the time. With its user-friendly platform, marketers can easily experiment with different hooks, body content, calls-to-action, and music, making sure their video ads are optimized for maximum impact. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, Sovran’s AI-driven solution accelerates creative testing, helping teams boost performance and achieve growth goals faster and more efficiently. Ready to take your video ad production to the next level? Sovran is here to make it happen!

How does this connect to Scrolling Media? Well, creative testing runs through our blood! Our mission statement is to revolutionize the creative testing process, integrating it deeply into account management to boost campaign effectiveness and drive results. We believe that creative testing is essential for understanding audience preferences and optimizing ad performance. If you're interested in learning more about how we can maximize your marketing efforts through creative testing, don't hesitate to reach out!

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