Why Shorter Ads Perform Better

Happy Wednesday!

This week, I want to share a crucial insight we've uncovered through our creative analysis. One that could significantly boost your ad performance:

Shorter, straight-to-the-point ads drive better results.

Of course, this is not the case for every brand. But for highly visual products, shorter ads seem to outperform every long storytelling ad.

What you will learn today:

• Why long, story-driven ads are causing your audience to lose interest

• How shorter, more direct ads with immediate product visibility perform better

• The key elements to focus on for creating highly engaging, visually driven ads

• A simple strategy to trim your ad content and improve performance

And much more…

3 Creative Concepts For You

If you run an ecommerce brand, mobile app, or SaaS and spend at least $10,000 a month on ads:

We will write 3 creative concepts for your brand completely free.

We want to show you our creative process and why our clients love it.

Simply fill out this form and we will write 3 concepts tailored to your brand.

Idea of the Week

Top Content of the Week

• I’m testing a switch from cost caps to lowest cost Meta campaign structure. See what people think.

• How health and wellness can grow and reach new customers. Read here.

• A simple trick to spy on your competitor’s bestsellers. See here.

Why Long Ads Are Not Working

One thing became clear from our analysis: long, story-driven ads aren’t performing as well as we’d hoped.

For products that are highly visual, complex storytelling is not only unnecessary, but it can actually be detrimental. Why?

Because it creates a barrier between your audience and the key information they need to make a decision.

Here’s what we found:

• Viewers lose interest when ads spend too much time on background stories.

• Shorter videos with immediate product visibility perform much better.

• Customers are most engaged within the first 5-10 seconds—so that’s where we need to hit hard.

Less Story, Better Performance

We noticed that longer ads, which try to weave intricate stories, tend to overcomplicate the message.

Especially for visually appealing products, the audience is more interested in seeing what the product looks like, what it stands for, and how it benefits them—quickly.

When we focus too much on crafting elaborate narratives, we lose that direct connection with potential buyers.

The reality is, people aren’t looking for a story—they’re looking for a solution.

A clear, concise ad that communicates the product’s value, its purpose, and why it’s worth their time is what converts.

The Game Plan for Better Performance

To capitalize on this insight, here’s the strategy we’re moving forward with for this specific brand:

• Cut the Fluff: Strip away the unnecessary storytelling and focus on what matters—the product and its benefits. Keep videos tight, no more than 10-15 seconds.

• Front-Load the Key Message: We’ll deliver the most important information right at the beginning. If you can grab attention in the first few seconds with a clear message, you’ve got a much better chance of driving results.

• Show, Don’t Tell: Visually appealing products speak for themselves. Our ads will let the product shine, with supporting captions to reinforce the message without overwhelming the viewer.

• Strong Hooks: We’ve seen great success with hook rates—some over 50%. We’ll build on this strength, making sure that every ad catches attention early and keeps viewers engaged just long enough to push them towards action.

Why This Works

This approach isn’t just about making ads shorter for the sake of it. It’s about removing the obstacles between your audience and the message you want them to take away.

In today’s fast-paced environment, people don’t have the time (or patience) to sit through a long narrative. They want to know what your product is, why it matters, and how it benefits them—immediately.

Our testing shows that straightforward, visually driven ads—ones that showcase the product in the first few seconds—lead to better click-through and retention rates and ultimately, more conversions at lower CPA.

People don’t need a long story to be convinced; they need clarity, and they need it fast.

What You Should Test Tomorrow

Try shortening your existing ads.

Review any long-form ad creative and trim them down to focus on the core message—show the product clearly within the first 5-10 seconds, cut out any unnecessary storytelling, and get straight to the benefits.

This quick adjustment can help boost engagement and drive more conversions almost immediately.

Winning Ad Creative Breakdown With 4.15 ROAS and 50% Hook Rate

We've created, tested, and optimized several ad concepts with multiple variations.

In the second half of the year, our winning ads brought in over $400,000 in revenue with 4.25 ROAS and $95,000 in ad spend.

We were able to reduce CPA by 42%, and increased the average ROAS from 2.24 to 4.25.

You can read my detailed breakdown here or watch my Loom video in the same link.

How We Can Help You

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways we can help you…

1. If you’re looking for a creative partner who will handle your entire creative production, deliver winning ads every month, and help you scale, apply to work with us here. We have worked with brands like HexClad, BestSelf, Product Hunt, Morning Brew, and others.

2. Want us to train your internal team and implement all of our creative production systems and strategies in your business? Apply here and we will help you build an in-house team that can create hundreds of winning ads every month.

3. If you’re looking to take your ad performance to the next level and have a consistent stream of winning creative, but don’t want to hire anyone, we have created a program that teaches you our entire creative production process and everything we have learned over 3 years of creating tens of thousands of ads.