Definition
Ad fatigue
Ad fatigue happens when an audience sees the same creative too often and performance drops.
What it means
Ad fatigue is the decline in performance caused by overexposure. As people see the same ad repeatedly, attention and novelty drop, leading to lower CTR and weaker conversions. The fix is usually new creative angles, hooks, and formats—not just tweaking bids.
Why it matters
- Fatigue increases costs (higher CPM/CAC) and reduces scale.
- Creative refresh speed becomes a competitive advantage.
How to improve it
- Rotate new hooks weekly while keeping the core offer stable.
- Create multiple angles for the same product (objection, proof, story, demo).
- Segment winners by audience so you know what to refresh first.
Common mistakes
- Refreshing only the caption while video stays the same.
- Assuming fatigue is always bidding or targeting.
Related terms
Apply this with free tools
Use August Ads tools to generate better hooks and scripts, then test variants: