Ad Fatigue Killing Your ROI? Here’s What to Do

Algorithm changes, shrinking marketing budgets, negative brand perception – there are plenty of things a marketer has to worry about. But beyond these, there’s a new threat emerging in the digital age and that is – ad fatigue.

Are your carefully crafted ads not converting as intended? Perhaps your engagement metrics are not as expected despite your best efforts? This might all be due to ad fatigue. It’s exactly what it sounds like – your audience is simply tired of seeing too many ads. Too many ads that look the same. Too many ads that sound and feel overly promotional. The result? Your audience becomes blind to your brand’s message in the process. Now, you do not want that, do you?

In this post, we’re exploring the detrimental effects of ad fatigue and some tips to overcome it. Particularly about any design tips that will help enhance your advertising efforts.

Let’s get started now, shall we?

Understanding the Impact of Ad Fatigue on Your Marketing Efforts

Some sources state that most consumers are exposed to thousands of ads every day. While we do not know if those figures are accurate, one thing we know for sure is that ads are everywhere. On that web page you browse, the app you use, and even in between those videos you watch. Naturally, ad fatigue is a serious concern. After all, no one likes promotional messages being shoved on them all day every day.

So ad fatigue leads to your customers becoming oblivious to your ads and your brand. When this happens, your ad reaches the right audience but does not drive the intended action. So, what does this lead to?

• Engagement rates decline – when users see the same ads over and over again, they stop engaging with it.
• Too many ignored ads lead to negative brand perception. You do not want your audience to view your ads as spammy, do you?
• Wasted ad spend – Poor-performing ads are a waste of marketing budgets. Did you know that the advertising market is expected to reach US$1,158 billion in 2025? With advertising expanding at this pace, you need to be sure that your ad spend is being utilized well.

With all these hassles to avoid, it’s time to think about preventing ad fatigue. So, how do you do that? Let’s find out.

Tackling Ad Fatigue – 7 Strategies to Explore

1. Diversity in ad formats – mix it up for good!

Each platform supports a different set of ad formats. There are image and video ads, interstitial ads that are immersive, Story ads, carousel ads, and more. What works on one platform might not on the other. And what works for one brand might not work for another.

Therefore, if you think that your ad metrics are not up to the mark, one of the first ideas to explore is to switch up ad formats. Repurpose your existing static posts and create carousel ads that encourage users to swipe through and grab more details.

Here’s one such ad where Google Ads promotes the same message but in two different formats. One simply talks about the £1200 ad credits advertisers can get on signing up. The static image ad is straightforward and promotional whereas the carousel ad is informative and engaging.