When it comes to online advertising, having multiple ads running in rotation allows you to A/B test different creatives and target various audiences to determine the optimal combination for your business. Most experts recommend having at least two ads running at a time, but anywhere from two to five ads in rotation is ideal for robust testing and to keep your audience engaged.
Why Have Multiple Ads in Rotation?
There are a few key reasons why experts recommend having multiple ads in rotation rather than just running one ad continuously:
- A/B Testing – Running multiple ads allows you to A/B test different images, copy, calls-to-action, landing pages, etc. to see which combination performs the best. This helps you optimize your ads over time.
- Reach More Audiences – Different ads may resonate better with different audience segments based on demographics, interests, behavior, etc. Rotating several ads allows you to potentially engage a broader range of customers.
- Ad Fatigue – If a user sees the same ad over and over, they are more likely to tune it out over time. Rotating multiple ads helps combat ad fatigue.
- Branding – Running a variety of ads reinforces branding across different creative styles, messages, etc.
- Remarketing – You can create specific ads to target previous site visitors for remarketing campaigns.
By leveraging multiple ads in rotation, you can achieve ongoing optimization, reach, and relevance that a single static ad cannot provide.
How Many Ads Should You Have in Rotation?
So how many different ads should you have running at any given time? Here are some general guidelines from digital marketing experts:
2-3 Ads
Two to three ads in rotation is a good starting point for most businesses. This allows you to A/B test one or two variables at a time, such as:
- Ad image
- Headline
- Call-to-action
- Landing page
With two or three ads, you can gather solid data on which variant performs better without things getting overly complicated. The goal should be to take the best performing elements and combine them into a new, improved ad.
3-4 Ads
Bumping your rotation up to three to four ads allows you to test multiple variables simultaneously. For example, you could test two different headlines against two different images while keeping the body copy the same. Or test two offers against two different target audiences.
Three to four ads provide more data points for optimization while still being a manageable number of campaigns. This approach gives you flexibility to experiment more outside of the core elements that are already working well.
4-5 Ads
For advanced A/B testing, four to five ads in rotation is ideal. This provides enough variants to test different combinations of headlines, offers, images, layouts, colors, calls-to-action, landing pages, and more.
Brands running robust paid social or search campaigns at higher budgets can take advantage of four to five ads rotating to collect ample data on higher-level optimization. However, analysis becomes more complex at this level, so you need the time and resources to parse the data.
Best Practices for Multiple Ads in Rotation
Here are some tips for running and optimizing a multi-ad rotation effectively:
- Test one variable at a time when possible, otherwise it’s hard to determine what impacted the results.
- Give each ad equal budget and run time, minimum 2 weeks, so performance data is accurate.
- Rotate ads evenly using ad scheduling or sequential rotation settings.
- Label and organize ads and ad groups carefully for easy reporting.
- Compare click-through-rate and conversion rate, not just impressions.
- Consolidate learnings into new ads and retire underperformers frequently.
- Monitor for ad fatigue and pause overexposed ads periodically.
What Factors Impact Ideal Ad Rotation Numbers?
While 2-5 ads rotating is the typical recommendation, the ideal number for your business depends on several factors:
Budget
Your paid advertising budget plays a role in how many ads you can support in rotation simultaneously. More budget allows you to run more ads efficiently. Start conservatively until you know your cost-per-click and conversion rates.
Offer/Product
Simple products and offers can be advertised effectively with fewer ads, while more complex services may require more creative styles and messages. Factor your product nuances into ad rotation plans.
Audience
Are you targeting a general audience or specific personas? Niche audiences often respond better to highly targeted ads. But different segments within a broad target need more variant testing.
Platform and Formats
Ad platform and formats impact possible variation. Search ads have less flexibility than display in terms of creative styles. Video, images, carousels all factor into testing options.
Campaign Duration
The longer your campaigns run, the more ads you can cycle through to attract attention and optimize over time. Set ad refresh schedules according to seasonality.
In-House Expertise
Your team’s expertise in PPC management also determines how complex you can get with multi-ad campaigns. More advanced strategies need ample analytical skills.
Ad Rotation Recommendations By Campaign Type
Beyond the general guidelines, here are recommended ad rotations for different online advertising channels:
Google Ads Search Campaigns
2-3 ads – Focus on testing ad copy, headlines, display URLs. Limit variances for clear data.
Google Ads Display/Remarketing Campaigns
3-4 ads – Test different image styles, banner sizes, ad copy, calls-to-action.
Facebook/Instagram Ad Campaigns
4-5 ads – Take advantage of format flexibility for images, video, carousels. Test captions, text, layouts.
Microsoft Advertising Search Campaigns
2-3 ads – Follow Google Ads principles. Test headlines and landing pages.
LinkedIn Sponsored Content Campaigns
3-4 ads – Test images, copy length, CTAs. Align ads to different audience segments.
Amazon Sponsored Product Campaigns
3-4 ads – Focus on strong product imagery. Test copy highlights features vs. benefits.
Youtube Video Campaigns
3-4 ads – Test video editing styles and captions. Consider repurposing existing content.
What If You Only Want to Run One Ad?
While multiple ads provide much more optimization potential, some businesses may only want to manage one ad at a time, especially when starting advertising or with limited resources.
In that case, here are a few tips:
- Split test the ad in different ad groups to compare results.
- Frequently test new images, even if you don’t change other elements.
- Refresh copy regularly, change up headlines and descriptions.
- Update the call-to-action every few months to introduce variety.
- Make seasonal or time-based variations.
- Remix the layout or ad format every so often.
Even with one ad, you can and should iteratively test improvements over time. But you miss out on simultaneously comparing multiples creatives and offers that reveal the optimal combinations.
Key Takeaways
To summarize key learnings:
- 2-3 ads allows basic A/B testing of single variables.
- 3-4 ads provides more robust testing of ad combinations.
- 4-5 ads is ideal for advanced multi-variable testing.
- Equal budgets, run time, and rotation is important.
- Consolidate learnings into new improved ads.
- The optimal number depends on budget, product, audience, and expertise.
- Even 1 ad can be improved by iterative testing over time.
Conclusion
Having multiple ads in rotation provides significant optimization benefits versus relying on a single static ad. While 2-3 ads is a good starting point, platforms like Facebook and broad audiences can support testing 4-5 variations or more. Just be sure to follow best practices like equal rotation, labeling, and result analysis to get the most out of multi-ad campaigns.
Consider your advertising objectives, audience, budget, and capabilities when deciding how many ads you can manage in ongoing rotations. With the right analytics approach, multiple creatives working in harmony will outperform any single ad.