From Campaign Metrics to Real Growth
Running ads is simple. What truly sets strong marketers apart is how they review those campaigns once the numbers are in. A campaign review isn’t just about collecting CTRs, CPAs, or ROAS—it’s about uncovering the story behind the data and turning it into a plan you can act on.This guide lays out a clear framework for reviewing performance marketing campaigns, with practical examples to show how to move from raw metrics to meaningful next steps.
Step 1: Start With Goals and Benchmarks
Performance campaigns are designed to deliver measurable outcomes. If you don’t define those outcomes in advance, your review will turn into a descriptive report (“CTR is 1.5%”) instead of an evaluative one (“CTR is below our 2% benchmark, so creative testing is required”). Goals create direction; benchmarks create context.
Key questions to clarify upfront:
What was the primary campaign objective? (e.g. drive purchases, app installs, leads, or brand lift)
What were the success thresholds? (e.g. ROAS > 2.0, CPA < $25, CPI < $1.50, Day 7 retention > 20%)
What attribution window was used? (1-day click, 7-day click, 28-day view—different windows can shift reported performance dramatically)
Which cost structure are we evaluating? (pure ad spend, or blended including influencer fees, discounts, logistics?)
Are we evaluating against historical benchmarks (our own past campaigns) or market benchmarks (industry averages)?
Example: E-commerce Campaign on TikTok
Suppose you run a TikTok Ads campaign with the objective of driving product purchases. You set your success benchmarks as:
Target CPA: <$25
Minimum ROAS: 2.0
CTR benchmark: 2% (based on past TikTok campaigns)
When you review the campaign results, you see: CPA at $28, ROAS at 2.3, and CTR at 1.8%. Without benchmarks, you might conclude performance is mixed. But with benchmarks, the picture is sharper: the CPA is above target, CTR is slightly underperforming, but ROAS exceeds expectations. This tells you that while acquisition is slightly costly, the higher order value is compensating—your next step is to optimise creatives to lower CPA while keeping the strong AOV.
Step 2: Map the Funnel
After defining your goals and benchmarks, the next step in a campaign review is to map the funnel. Think of it as reconstructing the customer journey: from first exposure to the ad, all the way to the desired end action (like an in-app purchase). A funnel view lets you connect the dots, identify where users are dropping off, and decide whether the issue lies with the creative, targeting, or the product itself.
Typical funnel stages:
Impressions – Did the ad reach enough players at the right cost?
CTR (Click-Through Rate) – Did the creative spark enough curiosity to tap?
App Store Visits → Installs – Did users follow through on the click and complete the download?
Tutorial or Onboarding Completion – Did players get past the first experience and see the game’s value?
Day 1 / Day 7 Retention – Are players sticking around after the first session?
In-App Purchases / ARPU – Are users monetising enough to justify the CPI?
Example: Gaming Ads on Facebook/Instagram
Imagine your campaign delivers the following results:
Impressions: 2M
CTR: 0.9% → 18,000 clicks
App Store visits: 16,500
Installs: 12,000 (CPI = $0.90, well under the $1.50 target)
Tutorial completions: 3,000 (25% of installs)
Day 7 retention: 12% (benchmark was 20%)
ARPU after 14 days: $0.70
On the surface, acquisition looks strong—installs are cheap and volume is high. But the funnel exposes the real leak: only a quarter of players complete the tutorial, and fewer than 15% remain active after a week. Monetisation also trails behind acquisition costs, which means scaling spend would simply waste budget on low-quality users. The funnel makes it clear that while creative is working (CTR is strong enough to drive volume) and acquisition appears efficient (CPI is under target), the real issue lies in the product experience and onboarding. Retention and ARPU fall short, signalling the need for in-game fixes rather than increased ad spend.
Step 3: Interpret Metrics and Diagnose the Root Cause
A campaign review that stops at CTR, CPA, or ROAS is purely descriptive and rarely actionable. The real value comes from two moves: first, interpret the story the numbers reveal about user behaviour (what is happening); then, diagnose whether the root cause lies in the creative, the audience, or the offer (why it’s happening).
Common Patterns and Their Meanings:
High CTR, Low CVR → People click the ad but don’t convert. Interpretation: misalignment between ad promise and landing page/product. Likely lever: offer.
Low CTR, High CVR → Few people click, but those who do convert well. Interpretation: creative isn’t pulling enough attention. Likely lever: creative.
Low CPI, Low Retention → Installs are cheap, but users churn quickly. Interpretation: wrong people are downloading. Likely lever: audience.
High CPA, High ROAS → Acquisition is expensive, but users spend enough to offset it. Interpretation: profitability is fine, scale is the challenge. Lever: monitor audience and offer mix.
Examples:
B2B Lead Generation on LinkedIn
A SaaS company runs a campaign for a whitepaper. The results show a CTR of just 0.3% (well below benchmark) and a CPL of $80 (too high), but the silver lining is that lead quality is strong, with 20% converting into pipeline opportunities. The interpretation here is that while the ad isn’t generating enough clicks, the few who do engage are highly intent. The diagnosis points to a creative problem—the messaging simply isn’t compelling enough to draw attention at scale. The next step is to test a bolder headline such as “How CFOs Cut Cloud Costs by 30%” to lift CTR without sacrificing lead quality.
Mobile App Installs on Instagram
A fitness app achieves a CPI of $1.20, which looks efficient on the surface. However, Day 7 retention falls to only 10%, well below benchmark. The interpretation is that while acquisition costs are healthy, users churn quickly and don’t stick with the app. This points to an audience problem: the campaign is attracting casual downloaders rather than committed users. The actionable fix is to shift targeting toward a lookalike audience based on paying subscribers and to retarget users who completed onboarding, improving both retention and long-term value.
Subscription Service on YouTube
A streaming service campaign drives strong CTR at 2.2% and drive plenty of landing page visits, yet trial sign-ups stall at only 1%. The interpretation is straightforward: the ad is effective and the audience is interested, but the conversion is blocked at the final step. Here the diagnosis is an offer problem—the requirement to provide credit card details upfront creates unnecessary friction. A simple, testable action is to experiment with a “7-day free trial, no card required,” reducing barriers to sign-up and lifting conversion.
Step 4: Translate Insights Into Action
Once you’ve identified what’s happening and why, the next step is to decide what to do about it—and commit to concrete, testable actions.
How to Move From Insight to Action
Identify the lever → Is the issue creative, audience, or offer?
Design a specific test → What variable will you change? (e.g. hook in the first 3 seconds, audience segment, price bundle)
Set a success benchmark → What outcome signals improvement? (e.g. CTR > 2%, Day 7 retention > 20%, ROAS > 2.5)
Limit the scope → Run 2–3 focused experiments rather than changing everything at once.
Document next steps → Capture the plan so the team can execute and measure.
Example: TikTok E-commerce Campaign (Creative Fix)
A fashion brand runs TikTok ads to drive purchases. Results show CTR at 0.9% (below the 1.5–2% benchmark), conversion rate at 2.5%, and ROAS at 1.8 (under the 2.2 target).
Insight: The funnel shows the weak point is at the top—too few people are clicking.
Diagnosis: This is a creative issue. The current video uses static product shots that fail to grab attention in the first 3 seconds.
Actionable next steps:
Produce 3–5 new short videos using UGC-style filming instead of studio shots.
Test hooks that show transformation or results immediately (e.g. “before/after” outfit reveal).
Add bold on-screen text in the opening seconds to highlight the product’s unique selling point.
Collaborate with micro-influencers to create authentic try-on content.
Keep each video under 20 seconds with a clear CTA: “Shop Now.”
Success benchmark: CTR lifted from 0.9% → ≥1.5% and ROAS improved from 1.8 → ≥2.2 within 14 days.
