How often should you refresh your video ads?

Even the best video ads lose their power over time. Ad fatigue is real — and if your metrics are slipping, stale creative might be the reason.

Here’s how to know when to refresh your ads and how often you should be doing it.

1. Watch for performance dips

Your data tells the story. If you see any of these signs, it's time for new creative:

• CTR dropping week over week
• ROAS steadily declining
• CPC rising despite no change in targeting
• Frequency above 3 and results falling

These are signs your audience has seen it — and is over it.

2. Match refresh cycles to spend level

The more you spend, the faster your creative fatigues.

• Low spend (<$100/day): refresh every 4–6 weeks
• Mid spend ($100–500/day): every 2–4 weeks
• High spend (>$500/day): every 7–10 days

The higher the impressions, the faster your audience tunes out.

3. Don’t wait for fatigue to kill performance

Proactive brands plan ahead. Build a rotation of fresh hooks, formats, and angles — even if one ad is still working now.

• Bank multiple hooks per concept
• Use modular editing to swap intros or CTAs
• Repurpose winning content with a twist

4. Focus on variety, not just volume

You don’t need 10 new ads. You need 3 smart variations.

Examples:

• Same footage, new hook
• Different opening line
• Different CTA timing
• B-roll cut vs. UGC talking head

Even small changes can reset performance.

Final thought

Creative is the lever that moves your results. Don’t set and forget. Plan for creative fatigue — and stay ahead of it.

Want to avoid the five most common video ad mistakes?

Download our free guide at upstir.co/5-video-ad-mistakes

It is 14 pages of real tips to help you improve your hooks, lower ad costs, and create content that actually works.