What is Ad Fatigue?

Have you ever seen an ad so many times that it start to become background noise? Congrats, you’ve just experienced ad fatigue.

Ad fatigue is the result of over-exposure to an advertisement. When people see an ad too many times, they stop consciously processing it. The ad may still be technically registering in their brain, but it’s not having the intended effect.

Ad fatigue is a real problem for businesses. It’s estimated that after just three viewings, 95% of people will start to experience ad fatigue. And, once ad fatigue sets in, people are much less likely to remember your brand or take any sort of action. In fact, they may even start to develop a negative association with your brand.

So, how can you avoid ad fatigue and create higher-converting ads? Read on to find out.

Common Symptoms Attributed to Ad Fatigue

Ad fatigue can manifest in a few different ways. Most commonly, people attribute the following symptoms to ad fatigue:

Skipped ads: Have you ever clicked “skip ad” as soon as an ad started playing? That’s ad fatigue in action. When people are fatigue of an ad, they’re much less likely to watch it all the way through. In fact, they may not even give it a chance before clicking away.

Change in behavior: If you’ve ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling past an ad, you’re not alone. When people are experiencing ad fatigue, they’re less likely to pay attention to the ads they see. They may even start to develop negative associations with the brands they see too much.

Ad blocking: Ad blockers are on the rise, and ad fatigue is partly to blame. When people get tired of seeing ads, they’re more likely to take steps to avoid them altogether.

How to Diagnose & Cure It?

Now that you know what ad fatigue is and what symptoms to look for, you may be wondering how you can diagnose it. Luckily, there are a few tell-tale signs that ad fatigue is setting in:

A decrease in clicks: If you’re noticing a decrease in the number of people who are clicking on your ads, that’s a sign that ad fatigue may be to blame. When people become fatigued of an ad, they’re less likely to take any sort of action.

A decrease in conversions: A decrease in clicks often leads to a decrease in conversions. If people are seeing your ad but not taking the desired action, that’s a sign that ad fatigue has set in.

An increase in negative feedback: If you’re getting more negative feedback about your ads, that’s another sign that ad fatigue is to blame. When people become fatigued of an ad, they’re more likely to leave negative comments or take other actions to express their dissatisfaction.

Now that you know how to diagnose ad fatigue, let’s take a look at a few potential ad fatigue cures.

How Can You Cure Ad Fatigue?

It doesn’t always take a ton of work to reduce ad fatigue. Sometimes, making a few small changes can make a big difference. Here are a few potential ad fatigue cures to try:

Update the background color of your display ads: If your display ads are starting to blend in with the rest of the content on a page, try changing the background color. A more eye-catching color will help your ad stand out and avoid ad fatigue.

Customize your ads using ad customizers: Ad customizers allow you to customize your ads in real-time based on factors like the user’s location or the time of day. This can help your ad feel more relevant to the user, which can reduce ad fatigue.

Rotate your ads frequently: Showing the same ad to the same people too often can lead to ad fatigue. To avoid this, try rotating your ads frequently. Showing a variety of ads will help keep people engaged and reduce the risk of ad fatigue.

Ad fatigue is a real problem that can lead to decreased clicks, conversions, and even negative feedback. But, by taking steps to avoid ad fatigue, you can create higher-converting ads.