why your ads are performing like sh*t
The speaker argues that ad performance depends on alignment between ad creative and funnel stage, not on which funnel type is inherently superior. Ads that do less selling require longer funnels to bridge the awareness gap. The match between awareness level in the ad and the funnel destination is the critical factor.
Summary
The speaker opens by addressing a common debate among advertisers: whether to send traffic to a product detail page (PDP), advertorial, or quiz. Rather than declaring one option superior, the speaker argues the real determinant of success is alignment between the ad creative and the funnel destination.
The speaker uses two contrasting ad types to illustrate this point. A native static ad with short-form copy and high curiosity is described as very top-of-funnel, leaving the viewer only 'solution aware.' In contrast, a UGC ad tends to be 'product aware' or even 'most aware' in nature, doing much of the selling work within the creative itself.
From this, the speaker derives a core principle: ads that do less selling in the creative require a longer, more involved funnel to complete the conversion journey. A native static ad should therefore flow into an advertorial — which moves the prospect from solution-aware to product-aware — before arriving at a PDP, and then finally to checkout. Sending a low-awareness ad directly to a PDP is described as a fundamental mismatch, likened to 'slapping someone in the face' with a product before they even realize they're being sold to.
The speaker concludes that the reason certain funnels scale exceptionally well — such as native static paired with an advertorial — is because the awareness levels of each stage are in harmony. No single funnel type is universally better; the optimal choice is entirely dependent on the awareness level implied by the ad creative driving traffic to it.
Key Insights
- The speaker argues there is no universally best funnel destination — only the one that has the best alignment with the awareness level established by the ad creative.
- The speaker contends that native static ads with short-form curiosity-driven copy leave the prospect only 'solution aware,' meaning the funnel must carry them through product awareness and most-aware stages before purchase.
- The speaker states that ads doing less selling in the creative require a longer funnel architecture — such as going through an advertorial before the PDP — rather than sending traffic directly to a product page.
- The speaker explains that sending a top-of-funnel native static ad directly to a PDP fails because the prospect is not yet aware they are being sold to, making an immediate product pitch a jarring and unconverting experience.
- The speaker identifies native static paired with an advertorial as a highly scalable funnel combination, arguing its success is due to both elements sharing the same level of awareness — making them, in his words, 'a match made in heaven.'
Topics
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