What if you had a methodology that could help you consistently lower your cost per acquisition (CPA) just by changing the copy and images in your ads? Watch this YouTube Live replay, (https://marketingexperiments.com/a-b-testing/display-ad-optimization-how-to-lower-your-cpa-consistently-with-the-right-copy-and-imagery) Flint McGlaughlin dissects a simple heuristic the MECLABS team uses to optimize the messaging in display ads. ea = 2at + i + as © ea: Effective advertisement at: Ability to capture attention i: Ability to turn attention into interest as: Force of the “ask” He uses the heuristic to achieve three tasks: 1) Attract attention, 2) generate interest, and 3) ask for the click. (Remember, the goal of an effective banner ad is NOT to make a sale, but to get a click.) McGlaughlin also explains how to use five important design elements — size, color, shape, motion and position — along with good usage examples. Watch the video to learn how to optimize your ads and lower your CPA consistently.

1. Display Ad Optimization:
How to lower your CPA consistently with
the right copy and imagery
Flint McGlaughlin
Managing Director
MECLABS Institute

2. MECLABS pioneered the industry, defining the
primary standards for scientific testing in
conversion marketing and teaching at Adobe,
Microsoft, Google, Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and
many others.
We have invested $138 million in research
partnerships with groups like Google, Amazon,
Verizon as well as small startups
 20,000+ sale path experiments
 1 billion tested emails
 500,000 executive interviews
 2,200 brand-side case studies
 36,980 companies benchmarked

3. Facebook Ad Testing Background
Considerations, constraints, and collateral
Collateral Options
In the interest of time, we are
limiting ourselves to current
imagery and video
4
Audience Selection
We will be using a 1% US
look-alike audience created
from MECLABS active
subscribers
1
Ad Formats
We will only be using the
image and/or video ad
formats
3
Character Limits
Facebook has several
character limitations
2
Message
90 characters
Link HL
25 characters
Caption
30 characters
CTA
Options
limited by FB
Link Desc.
30 characters

4. What if you had a methodology that could help you consistently
lower your cost per acquisition (CPA) just by changing the copy
and images in your ads?
In this YouTube Live replay, Flint McGlaughlin dissects a simple
heuristic that the MECLABS team uses to optimize the
messaging in display ads.
He uses the heuristic to achieve three tasks: 1) Attract attention,
2) generate interest, and 3) ask for the click. (Remember, the
goal of an effective banner ad is NOT to make a sale, but to get
a click.)
Watch the video to learn how to optimize your ads and lower
your CPA consistently.
WATCH THE VIDEO NOW

5. An Experiment
Part 1

6. Background: Medical company offering minimally invasive back surgery
for pain relief
Goal: To decrease CPA for a campaign in the Google Display Network
Primary research question: Which ad messaging approach will produce
the lowest CPA?
Approach: A/B multi-factorial split test
Test Protocol: TP4061
Experiment ID: North American Spine Micro Incision Test
Location: MECLABS Research Library

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NorthAmericanSpine.com/AccuraScope -20%
Cost Per Action
46%
Clicks to Conversion

8. How can we consistently optimize
the messaging of our display ads?

9. The goal of an effective banner ad is to get a qualified click.
To get a qualified click a banner must powerfully accomplish
3 key objectives:
• Attract Attention (at)
• Generate Interest (i)
• Ask for the Click (as)
ea = 2at + i + as ©

10. The Three Ad
Objectives
Part 2

11. Objective 1: Attract Attention
ea = 2at + i + as ©

12. i9 presentation to Joe Smith12
THE FIVE Key Elements for Attracting Attention in a Banner Ad
Attracting attention is a relative differential. To affect this
differential, we can change five elements of our ad:
1. Size
2. Shape
3. Color
4. Motion
5. Position

13. i9 presentation to Joe Smith13
The ad dominates
most of the page
Size

14. i9 presentation to Joe Smith14
The cloud shape
contrasts with the
square design of
the rest of the page.
Shape

15. i9 presentation to Joe Smith15
The orange color of
the ads contrast
with the rest of the
page.
Color

16. i9 presentation to Joe Smith16
The banner uses
eye-catching
animation to draw
attention.
Motion

17. i9 presentation to Joe Smith17
The ads are positioned in
the eye path with a lineup
of editorial content
Position

18. Objective 2: Generate Interest
ea = 2at + i + as ©

19. i9 presentation to Joe Smith19
THREE Key Points for Generating Interest in a Banner Ad
Generating interest in a banner ad is largely a function of creating a derivative value
proposition from the value proposition of the overall offer.
Every ad must answer the question, “If I am the ideal customer, why should I click on this ad
rather than take another action?”
You can measure the level of interest for a banner ad in the same way you would measure
the force of a value proposition:
• Appeal
• Exclusivity
• Credibility
• Clarity

20. Background: The company sells language learning products for people
who need to learn a language fast.
Goal: To increase conversion rate
Primary research question: Which banner ad will generate the highest
purchase rate?
Approach: A/B multi-factorial split test
Test Protocol: TP1685
Experiment ID: Pimsleur Language Learning Solutions
Location: MECLABS Research Library

21. i9 presentation to Joe Smith21
Control Treatment 1
Treatment 2 Treatment 3
All four of these banners
represent the kind of tone
that was standard in their
online banner approach
But how effective
is this sales-
driven, hype-
toned approach?

22. i9 presentation to Joe Smith22
Treatment 4
• The team designed a final
treatment that took a direct
approach and clearly stated the
value proposition, “See how Dr. Paul
Pimsleur Discovered You can Trick
your Brain to Learn a Language in
10 Days”
• We included an image of the video
as well as some credibility
indicators.
22
113%
Purchase Rate

23. Objective 3: Ask for the Click
ea = 2at + i + as ©

24. i9 presentation to Joe Smith24
FOUR Key Points for Optimizing the Force of the Ask
1. The banner’s ask is the main CTA for the ad. There are four key points to consider when
optimizing the CTA.
2. The category of the ask
• Implied
• Direct
3. The incremental decision level of the viewer
4. The tone of the ask
5. The level of authentic urgency

25. i9 presentation to Joe Smith25
Control
Treatment
By clearly creating a call-
to-action that didn’t ask
for too much too soon,
the treatment generated
a 92% increase.
92%
Application Rate

26. i9 presentation to Joe Smith26
Background: Popular automotive magazine, Car & Driver sought to
increase the total visits to their Car Buying Guide.
Goal: To increase number Car Buying Guide visitors
Primary research question: Which banner will generate the most
Buying Guide visits
Approach: A/B multi-factorial split test
Experiment ID: Car & Driver Buying Guide Test
Location: MECLABS Research Library

27. i9 presentation to Joe Smith27
Control Treatment
74%
Clickthrough Rate

28. Designing the
next test
Part 3

29. Facebook Ad Testing Background
Considerations, constraints, and collateral
Collateral Options
In the interest of time, we are
limiting ourselves to current
imagery and video
4
Audience Selection
We will be using a 1% US
look-alike audience created
from MECLABS active
subscribers
1
Ad Formats
We will only be using the
image and/or video ad
formats
3
Character Limits
Facebook has several
character limitations
2
Message
90 characters
Link HL
25 characters
Caption
30 characters
CTA
Options
limited by FB
Link Desc.
30 characters

30. -36.5%
Clickthrough Rate

36. Engagement rate ranking explains how your ad's expected
engagement rate compared to ads competing for the same audience.
The expected engagement rate calculates the likelihood that a
person will click, react to, comment on, share or expand an ad.
Conversion rate ranking explains how your ad's expected conversion
rate compared to ads with the same optimization goal competing for
the same audience.
The expected conversion rate calculates the likelihood that a person
who viewed your ad will complete your optimization goal.
Source: Facebook

37. According to Social Media Examiner…
When you create a video ad, you’re able to add a headline
and a call-to-action button, but both of those features
very clearly mark your ad as an ad.
You’ll often see better results when you omit them.
To do this, it’s best to publish your video to your
Facebook page and then use that post to create an ad,
instead of creating a video ad within Ads Manager.
Navigate to your ad within Ads Manager, highlight it,
and click on Edit. Then click Use Existing Post instead of
Create Ad.
Source: https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/improve-
facebook-ads-relevance-score/

39. MECLABS.com/QuickWinIntensive