Episode 215: Winning Ad Creative: What Works Now & How to Measure It

Episode 215 – Smart Marketer Show

Winning Ad Creative: What Works Now & How to Measure It

Episode Description

What makes an ad actually perform in 2025? In this episode, John Grimshaw and Ben Bennett pull back the curtain on the creative process that drives real sales—from emotional resonance to performance metrics. You’ll learn why good creative starts with empathy, how to identify your strongest hooks, and which numbers really matter.

Plus, we introduce a brand-new metric (yes, we named it), and show you how AI is changing the creative game—without replacing your team.

“If your ad doesn’t have a heart, it will not perform well.” —Ben Bennett

You Will Learn

• The 3 key metrics that reveal if your ad creative is working

• How to identify and fix poor-performing ads (without guessing)

• Why emotional hooks beat flashy tactics every time

• How to use AI image tools like ChatGPT to speed up creative

• The “thumb stop ratio” metric you should be tracking (and how)

• A 30-minute Action of the Month to sharpen your creative instantly

Links & Resources

• smartmarketer.com/hyros – Hyros attribution tool

• Smart Marketer Free Resources – smartmarketer.com/free-resources

• Smart Marketer Agency – smartmarketer.com/agency

Timestamps (Chapters)

02:05 – Meet Ben Bennett: Creative Director at Smart Marketer 03:15 – Top 3 Metrics That Matter for Ad Creative 07:24 – Metric 1: Unique Link Click-Through Rate 11:54 – Metric 2: Conversion Rate & Ad Scent 15:51 – Metric 3: Thumb Stop Ratio