What Is Ad Fatigue?

Content may be king, but it’s only natural to grow weary after being bombarded with uninspired marketing messages. As the old cliché states, variety is the spice of life – and it’s woefully needed in the often-repetitive world of marketing. Even the cleverest, most impressive campaign is eventually bound to bore users. Known as ad fatigue, this problem is far too common – but it’s by no means impossible to avoid.

Why Does Ad Fatigue Matter?

Ad fatigue is a problem of excess. It occurs when users become too accustomed to a certain type of ad. Over time, they tire of repetitive messages, often to the point where they actively resist moving forward in the sales funnel.

The real damage of ad fatigue lies in your campaign’s compromised return on investment (ROI). Building a vast audience is important, of course, but audience size means little if viewers fail to click through or convert. Why should they, when they’ve seen essentially the same ad on several occasions?

Thankfully, if you recognize fatigue early on, you can easily reverse the problem by bringing a fresh feel to your campaign. This could prove as simple as altering the image on Facebook ads or using Google’s customizers to adapt text based on the reader’s search habits and preferences. Most importantly, however, a strategic schedule should be employed to ensure that ads are only released at the most relevant times when they will deliver the highest possible ROI.

Top Indicators of Ad Fatigue

If you suspect ad fatigue but aren’t quite sure, keep an eye out for the following common signs:

• Lower Click-Through Rates – Arguably the most important metric for tracking and addressing ad fatigue, your click-through rate (CTR) can quickly determine whether viewers are willing to actively engage with your brand. If this number falls considerably over time, fatigue may be to blame.
• Fewer Engagements – How engaged are followers with your brand’s social media ads? Do they casually view them and move on, or do they comment and share? Reduced engagement could indicate ad fatigue, as followers will have little motivation to interact with content that looks or feels stale.
• Fewer Impressions – social media timelines are far from random. Only the most relevant content appears – and if your followers aren’t interacting with your paid posts, they’re far less likely to continue seeing them in the future.

When it comes to remedying ad fatigue, awareness is the first step. Once you realize that fatigue is to blame for your disappointing ROI, you can make small but critical changes to breathe new life into your marketing strategy.

The Value of Addressing Ad Fatigue

At Zero Gravity Marketing, we’ve witnessed firsthand the value of scaling back ineffective ad campaigns and employing a fresher, more strategic approach. This effort was highly effective for a client that had previously struggled to secure not only organic traffic and new website users but also the returning visitors critical to building a loyal following.

Significant improvements in campaign ROI occurred as the client utilized new and more effective keywords and set up goal tracking to better monitor everything from social media button clicks to account login form fills. This fresh approach produced significant improvements in just a few months, including a 17 percent increase in organic traffic.

If you suspect that your target audience is suffering from ad fatigue, it’s time to shift your approach. A few changes in keyword strategy, tracking, and ad placement could make all the difference. Luckily, the team at Zero Gravity Marketing can provide the strategic support you need as you strive for greater campaign ROI. Contact us today to learn more about our services.