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Happy Tuesday peeps đź‘‹
Buckle up, It’s time to reveal some ad secrets.
Ad Secret #2: Static Testing
Ever wondered how the top DTC brands test their creatives?
Well, you’re in luck.
I’m going to spill the tea on how brands like Obvi are able to find winning ads faster than anyone else.
But first - why is testing important?
Testing is the backbone of long-term scaling.
It helps you find winning angles & iterations, so you can make more of what actually works.
Remember this: testing is a science, so test like a scientist.
Now, let’s dive deep into why testing with statics is so efficient.
The Obvi Way
If you’re in the DTC space, then you’ve probably heard of Obvi.
The founders, Ron & Ash, scaled Obvi to $40m in just 40 months.
Impressive stuff.
They also launched their own newsletter Chew On This where they share weekly insights on how to build and scale a DTC brand.
So, how do they test creatives?
Let’s start by looking at these 2 static ads.
Notice anything?
They are ALMOST the same ad, except they each have a different headline.
You might be thinking that this is just a headline test - but it’s more than that.
Each headline represents a different angle.
What’s an angle? People have different interpretations, but I think of it as a core reason someone would purchase a product. It could be an occasion, a benefit, a feature etc. It’s important to craft your ads around specific angles.
“Burn calories faster” is based on the weight loss benefit.
“Feel Younger, Look Younger” is based on the anti-aging benefit.
If they were to test these angles using videos, it would take much longer to produce and therefore, test.
Whereas with statics, all they had to do was change the headline.
I decided to reach out to Ash & Ankit from the Obvi team to hear their thoughts on testing with statics. This was their response:
“It’s easier to test statics first as you can test multiple concepts and angles quickly with less resources. once you prove out angles then you can develop these into more robust creatives with videos.”
“I wouldn’t say static is better than video as a good mix throughout the funnel is preferable but with that said static is 100% easier to test. Like you said the simplest changes such as flipping imagery and colors can give u a plethora of variables to test against the control. It’s mind blowing to see how these small tweaks make such a difference on the conversion end of things!”
I noticed Ash & Ankit both mention one key thing:
How quick & easy statics are for testing.
Here is how I see it:
1) Test statics to find winning angles quickly
2) Produce videos that expand on those winning angles
How to Test Static Ads
There are 2 main things you need to consider: production & purpose.
Production
Producing statics can be very simple (and fast)
You might have a graphic designer or creative agency, in which case you simply brief the creatives to them.
But there are many more options to choose from if you don’t have those.
A great tool for quickly producing statics using AI is adcreative.ai
Another amazing tool that uses proven templates is creativeos.io
(I have no affiliation to either of these businesses)
Purpose
What is the purpose of your test?
If you’re starting from scratch, I recommend starting with a headline test.
Why? Here are my 2 main reasons:
They have the highest impact on performance
They are perfect for testing different angles
You could test headlines that reflect the same angle. But, using headlines to test different angles is a lot more informative for your creative strategy.
Once you have tested headlines, you can go on to testing: visuals, CTA’s, social proof etc.
Alternatively, you can start testing videos that are crafted around the winners of your headline test.
But remember, always start with the highest impact variables first.
That’s all for this week folks.
Thanks for tuning in to another edition of Ad Secrets!
Cheers,
Tom