If you’ve recently created a new ad campaign on Facebook, Google, or another online advertising platform, you may have noticed your ad is stuck in the “learning phase”. This initial period when your ad is gathering data can be frustrating, especially if you’re not seeing the results you expected right away.
Don’t panic if your new ad is still learning. The learning phase is a normal and necessary part of the online advertising process. With a bit of patience and optimization, you can get through this period and achieve success.
What is the learning phase for online ads?
The learning phase refers to the initial period when an ad campaign is first launched and the advertising platform is collecting data to determine how to best optimize delivery. This phase can last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks depending on platform and campaign objectives.
During the learning period, the ad platform uses the early performance data being gathered, such as clicks, impressions, conversions, etc., to determine which audience segments, placements, times of day, devices, and other factors drive the best results for your ad. The platform’s artificial intelligence then optimizes delivery around these high-performing areas to maximize results.
It takes time for an ad platform to collect enough data points to effectively optimize for an ad’s objectives. For example, if your goal is conversions, the system won’t have enough information on what’s driving conversions until your ad has been shown to enough users. Hence, the need for a learning period before the ad leaves the initial ramp-up phase.
Key reasons your ad is still in learning phase:
- Your ad campaign recently launched
- You made significant changes to the ad creative or targeting
- Your daily budget is too low to quickly gather data
- Your offer or landing page has changes to optimize
- Your audience size is still expanding
How long does the learning phase last?
There is no definite answer for how long the learning phase lasts, as many factors impact the length of time needed to gather enough data. However, here are some general guidelines on average learning phase duration for major advertising platforms:
- Google Ads: 3-7 days for Search campaigns, 7-14 days for Display/Video
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: 7-14 days
- Microsoft Ads: 5-10 days
- Amazon Sponsored Ads: 3-7 days
Note these timeframes assume your daily budget is high enough to quickly accumulate data. If your budget is very low, it will take longer to gather the volume of data points needed to complete the learning period.
Tips to move through the learning phase
Here are some tips to help speed up the learning process so your ad can start optimizing delivery and driving better performance:
1. Make sure your daily budget is high enough
Having a daily budget that’s too low is one of the biggest obstacles to getting through the learning period quickly. Without enough budget to accumulate sufficient data, the platform won’t have the information needed to optimize effectively.
Aim for at least $50-$100 per day in daily budget when launching a new campaign. You can adjust down later once data has been collected.
2. Drive traffic to a dedicated landing page
Send traffic from your ad to a dedicated landing page that is aligned to the ad’s messaging and offer. This consistency will help the platform better understand what content and messages resonate with your target audience.
3. Use strong calls-to-action in your ad copy
Having clear, click-worthy calls-to-action in your ad copy gives users a reason to click and teaches the algorithm what motivates engagement.
4. Track conversions in your ads account
If driving conversions is the campaign objective, make sure conversion tracking is properly set up so the platform can effectively optimize for conversions.
5. Create separate ad sets for different audiences
Breaking your audience into different ad sets based on behavior, demographics, interests etc. allows the platform to learn what works for each group.
6. Review your targeting for relevance
Ensure your targeted audience, placements, devices, etc. align closely with your offer and objective so that the platform can more easily discern what is driving your desired outcome.
7. Make changes gradually
Avoid making too many changes to the campaign while in learning phase, as significant changes reset the data gathering process. Make adjustments gradually once learnings come in.
8. Check back in 2 weeks if still learning
Be patient through the first couple weeks of the learning period. If your ad is still in learning after 2 weeks, you may need to review your daily budget, landing page, or other aspects of the campaign for needed optimizations.
What to expect after the learning period
Once your ad gathers enough data and exits the initial learning phase, here’s what typically happens next:
- The platform automatically optimizes your ad delivery based on the results observed during the learning period. Delivery is focused on the best-performing audience segments, placements, times, etc.
- You may see an increase in conversion volume as the ad is now showing to more of your potential customers.
- Your cost-per-click, cost-per-conversion or other cost metrics may initially decrease as the ad targets more qualified users.
- Your ad delivery may look different day-to-day as ongoing optimization continues.
In summary, the learning period enables the ad platform to gather data on which targeting and creative aspects of your campaign are working. As those winning combinations are determined, your ad enters a phase of automated optimization based on what drove the best results during learning.
What if my ad is still not performing after the learning phase?
If you’ve passed the initial learning period but your ad is still underperforming, there are a few additional things you can try:
- Take another look at your audience targeting – expand it if it’s too narrow.
- Split test different versions of your ad creative.
- Try expanding to new placements or ad formats.
- Review your landing page for needed updates.
- Increase daily budget if it’s still too low to drive conversions.
- Check your cost-per-click – you may need to lower your max bid.
Don’t keep running an underperforming ad indefinitely if it fails to yield results even after the learning phase. At that point it’s likely time to pause the ad and rework your strategy before relaunching.
Conclusion
The learning phase is a crucial, but sometimes frustrating, part of launching any new online ad campaign. Give your ad sufficient time and budget to get through this initial ramp-up period. With a bit of patience, you’ll soon be out of learning and onto achieving your desired results through ongoing optimization.
