Last week, we posted 4 key Facebook Ad insights we gleaned from over $28 million in ad spend over the past 12 months.
If you missed it, read part 1 here.
But we’re not done!
In this post, we’re picking up where we left off—sharing 5 more insights that have driven game-changing results for both our own brands and Smart Marketer Agency clients.
Pay attention! These are the data-backed strategies that are working right now in Facebook Ads for brands across a wide variety of industries.
In case you missed part 1 of this article, these insights are based on a handful of key metrics. Here’s a quick recap:
- Clickthrough Rate (CTR): The percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it
- See More Rate: The percentage of users who clicked the “See More” link to view your full ad copy
- Thumbstop Rate: The percentage of users who stop scrolling long enough to watch 3 seconds of your video ad
- Post-Click Conversion Rate: The percentage of landing page visitors who purchase your product or opt-in to your list
Insight #5: Use Native-Looking Images for a Higher See More Rate
Key metric: See More Rate
Insight: Want more clicks? Try native-looking images that blend in.
Ads that feature a more natural, organic-looking photo tend to earn a higher “See More” rate than ads with text overlay or video ads.
Why? Because when the creative doesn’t give away the whole story, it sparks curiosity…and people click “See More” to learn more.
Leave ‘em wanting more, we always say.
Another reason is because native ads don’t look like ads. Instead, they resemble everyday Facebook or Instagram posts.
Check this out: these two ads use the exact same copy, but the native-style image drove significantly better engagement:
| Image 1 See More Rate = 1.97% | Image 2 See More Rate = 0.58% |
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Actionable Tip: Swap out studio-quality visuals for raw, authentic photos.
Think casual selfies, candid moments, behind-the-scenes shots, or UGC. In other words, natural-looking photos that look like organic posts. This tactic shines brightest when paired with strong, curiosity-driven copy.
Native ads are also helpful when testing new ad copy. Because the creative doesn’t explain much, it puts more pressure on the copy to present and sell your offer—which is a faster way to gauge the impact of your ad copy.
Implementation: Pair native-looking creative with a storytelling caption to encourage curiosity. There’s a good chance you’ll see a higher “See More” rate.
Be sure to look further downstream, too, to find out if higher engagement leads to improved performance in terms of CPA or ROAS.
Insight #6: Always Consider CTR Alongside CPM
Key metric: CTR
Insight: Don’t just an ad by its CTR alone.
Don’t get me wrong, CTR is an important metric—but it’s just one piece of the puzzle, and it should never be analyzed in isolation. What really matters is how CTR and CPM work together to influence your CPC.
Or to put it another way: a high CTR doesn’t always mean you’re getting cheap clicks…or profitable ones.
Let’s look at 2 BOOM ads as an example. The first ad had a much higher CTR, yet the CPC for both was nearly identical. Not only that, but the ROAS was similar, too.
Why? Because CTR is only part of the equation.
| Ad 1 CTR = 3.14%CPC = $1.28ROAS = 1.34 | Ad 2 CTR = 1.71%CPC = $1.32ROAS = 1.33 |
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A low CPC might look great at first glance, but that doesn’t mean the ad is driving results. It might be engaging enough to earn cheap clicks, but that doesn’t do you any good if those clicks aren’t converting.
As we’ll show in insight #9, CTR also fluctuates by audience. Older demographics, for instance, tend to have higher CTRs—especially when the creative resonates with them. That helps to explain what happened in the ads above (which were delivered to an older audience): the ad featuring an older woman earned a higher CTR than the ad featuring a younger woman.
Another important consideration is: How well does your ad creative prime people for the offer on your landing page?
This translates into a higher post-click conversion rate, which helps to improve your return on ad spend (ROAS).
For instance, video ads often have a higher CPC but a better post-click conversion rate. Why? Because people who watch a video are likely to have a better understanding of the product.
Actionable Tip: Look at ad performance holistically. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Customize your reporting dashboard to include metrics like See More Rate, Thumbstop Rate, and CVR (landing page view to purchase ratio) in your dashboard, to help ensure you don’t fixate too much on CTR.
- Evaluate CTR alongside CPC and ROAS. A high CTR with a high CPC might not be profitable, while a lower CTR ad could drive strong ROI if it converts well.
- Look beyond the click. If your landing page isn’t converting, a high CTR might just mean your ad is acting like clickbait that’s failing to deliver on its promise.
Insight #7: Thumbstop Rate Varies by Age Group
Key metric: Thumbstop Rate
Insight: Thumbstop Rate varies by age group.
We’ve found that older demographics are more patient and more willing to engage with long-form content, while younger demos tend to have a shorter attention span. As a result, ads targeting older people are liable to have a higher thumbstop rate than ads targeting younger people.
To illustrate this different, here are the results from 3 businesses across different industries:
| Amount spent: £1,182,362 | Amount spent: $1,001,042 | Amount spent: $680,349 |
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Notice how the thumbstop rate increases over time across multiple industries.
Actionable Tip: If you’re targeting older demographics, lean into narrative-driven videos with slower pacing, clear narration, and informative storytelling.
But for younger audiences, keep your videos fast-paced and dynamic. Use quick cuts, subtitles, and bright visuals to grab their attention.
Testing Tip: Create age-specific ad variations with a variety of video lengths and styles, and compare engagement rates to find the sweet spot for your business in all your major demographic groups.
Insight #8: See More Rate Varies by Age Group
Key metric: See More Rate
Insight: Just like Thumbstop Rate, “See More Rate” varies significantly by age group.
Older audiences are far more likely to click “See More” and read the full text before taking action. They tend to be more deliberate in their decision-making and want more information up front.
Younger audiences? Not so much. They’re faster to scroll and often make split-second judgments based on headlines, visuals, or the first line of copy.
Here’s some data pulled from 3 businesses across different industries. This covers both image and video ads:
| Amount spent: $2,515,235 | Amount spent: £6,223,272 | Amount spent: $1,879,906 |
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Note: data for the 18-24 age group may be misleading, because in all 3 examples, our ad spend was significantly lower in that age group.
With that exception aside, See More Rates were consistently higher for older demographics.
Actionable Tip: Older users tend to read more of your ad before clicking, so don’t be afraid to use longer, more informative copy for these users.
For younger audiences, lead with punchy text and a strong hook—then get out of the way.
Testing Tip: Split-test your copy length by age group to find the right balance of detail vs punch, and monitor your See More Rates by age group.
Use shorter copy, tighter headlines, and eye-catching openers for your younger demographics, and add more meaningful detail for older demos.
Insight #9: Pros & Cons of Targeting Older Demos
Key metric: CTR, See More Rate, Thumbstop Rate
Insight: Older audiences have high engagement—at a cost.
In a way, this insight pulls together some of the pieces we’ve been discussing in insights #6, #7, and #8.
On average, older demographics tend to pay closer attention and are more willing to engage with ads, resulting in higher CTR, See More Rate, and Thumbstop Rate.
However, reaching these users comes at a premium: CPMs are typically higher due to increased competition and fewer available impressions (since older users tend to log in less often).
How pronounced is this effect? Here’s a table showing the combined results from multiple ad accounts across different industries:
(Note: The Thumbstop Rate column in this table includes multiple ad formats, not just video. But even so, it still illustrates the broader trend.)
Implementation Strategy for Older Demographics
1) Plan for High Frequency
Older users are online less often, so they’ll see the same ad multiple times in a short span.
Action Step: Start with 3–5 creative variations per concept. Test them simultaneously to identify winning themes early. Once you find what resonates, scale all variations for each winning concept so your audience doesn’t get creative fatigue as quickly as usual.
2) Use Diverse Formats and Messaging
Repetition kills performance, so keep your creative fresh and varied.
Action Step: Rotate between image, video, and carousel formats. Test different angles like “How It Works,” “Testimonials,” or “Before & After.”
3) Segment Your Audience to Extend Ad Life
Don’t treat all 50+ users the same. There are meaningful differences between 50–59, 60–69, 70+, etc.
Action Step: Customize messaging for each subgroup to spread impressions and keep creatives feeling personal and relevant.
Implementation Strategy for Younger Demographics:
1) Use Fast-Faced, Scroll-Stopping Creatives
Younger users move fast, and tend to be impatient. Your ad needs to grab them instantly.
Action Step: Hook them in the first 2–3 seconds using dynamic visuals, quick cuts, bold text, and sound. Think TikTok-style pacing.
2) Shorten Your Copy and Lean on Visuals
Young users rarely click to “See More” in the text of an ad.
Action Step: Keep your ad copy short and punchy. Use emojis, bullet points, and even single-sentence hooks to deliver your message in a skimmable format.
3) Ride the Trends
Younger audiences respond to cultural relevance and meme fluency. If you can incorporate references to pop culture or social media challenges in a way that feels authentic, it can dramatically improve engagement with young users.
Action Step: Keep a pulse on what’s trending and incorporate new trends into your ads. Just be quick about it, because trends fade fast.
4) Capitalize on Lower CPMs with Testing
Low CPMs can mean that testing is cheaper and faster with younger audiences.
Action Step: Divide your budget across multiple creatives or audiences. Scale the winning variation that hits your KPI first.
Conclusion
Thanks for sticking around to learn about the Facebook Ad strategies that are working in 2025!
Today, we unpacked how engagement metrics vary across age groups—and more importantly, how to tailor your creative and copy to match.
Whether you’re targeting fast-scrolling Gen Z or more attentive older audiences, these insights give you a clear path to smarter, more effective campaigns. Try them out, test what resonates, and let us know what you discover!
