Which ads perform
All 56 ads that spent money from 14 Oct to 4 Nov, and what "high-performing" should mean
Only 4 ads cost less than $10 per thousand impressions. All 4 are in the Taiwan app-install ad set, and every ad in that set passed, including one with no installs. So a CPM under $10 marks the route (app installs in Taiwan), not a good ad. The useful test is how an ad does against the other ads in its own ad set.
Verdict
A CPM under $10 is a property of the route, not of the ad
The same ad costs 5 to 30 times more per thousand impressions on a different route. "Middle after 50" cost $4.56 in the Taiwan app campaign and $95.91 on English web. Inside one ad set, the creative moves CPM by up to about 3 times.
- Cheap impressions did not make cheap sales. The Taiwan app route had the lowest CPM ($4.72). Only 1 in 10 Taiwan taps opened the app, so a sale or free week there cost about $70. The English app route cost $13.58 per thousand impressions and about $40 per sale or free week.
- High-performing should mean: better than its own ad set. In the app, compare cost per install. On the web, compare cost per lead and per checkout. Then check that Meta charges the ad no more than the set average.
- Six ads pass that test with real spend. Two Taiwan app videos, one English app video, two plan statics on Taiwan web, and "Says Who 15s" on English web. Section 4 lists them.
1. The four ads under $10 CPM
All four ran in "App installs · TW · W45–64", 29–31 Oct. Meta counts installs through SKAdNetwork, which undercounts. Per install below uses Meta's count.
| Ad | Spend | Share of set | CPM | CTR | Hook | Thruplay | Installs | Per install | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 腰腹50歲後變了 · Middle after 50 | $81.95 | 59% | $4.56 | 2.4% | 34% | 15% | 25 | $3.28 | Winner |
| Put up with it · Taiwan character | $41.07 | 30% | $4.58 | 3.1% | 58% | 29% | 13 | $3.16 | Winner, best hook of all 56 ads |
| 黏土日記 · 找回身材 | $12.29 | 9% | $6.22 | 4.3% | 46% | 25% | 3 | $4.10 | Too little spend to judge |
| Clay diary · Feel like myself again | $3.40 | 2% | $6.81 | 1.2% | 39% | 17% | 0 | – | Meta barely ran it |
"Put up with it" had the highest hook rate (58%) and thruplay rate (29%) of every ad in the review. "Middle after 50" got the most money and the most installs.
2. Where CPM comes from
The same ad, on different routes
Each row is one creative. Each cell is its CPM on that route, with its spend in brackets.
| Creative | App · Taiwan | App · CA/GB/AU | Web · Taiwan | Web · Ireland | Web · New Zealand | Web · CA/GB/AU | Web · Singapore | Web · US/CA/GB/AU solo test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle after 50 | $4.56 ($82) | – | $35.59 ($12) | – | $46.30 ($8) | – | $65.85 ($6) | $95.91 ($4) |
| Put up with it | $4.58 ($41) | – | – | – | – | – | – | $124.12 ($28) |
| Says Who 15s | – | $19.19 ($4) | – | $47.25 ($135) | $80.41 ($125) | $99.22 ($147) | $123.96 ($78) | $133.33 ($28) |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | – | $15.06 ($7) | – | $43.26 ($12) | $59.38 ($16) | $93.46 ($33) | $84.20 ($63) | – |
| Plan static · Challenge table | – | – | $31.93 ($104) | – | – | $60.99 ($25) | – | $101.15 ($8) |
| Plan static · Age blocks | – | – | $26.33 ($54) | – | – | $57.73 ($30) | – | $63.15 ($7) |
Route by route, from cheapest CPM. Cost per lead counts an email on the web, or reaching the paywall in the app. Sales or free weeks are counts, so read them as signs.
| Route | Spend | CPM | CTR | Cost per arrival | Cost per lead or paywall | Sales or free weeks | Cost each |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App · Taiwan | $140 | $4.72 | 2.7% | $1.75 (9.9% of taps open the app) | $2.24 | 2 | $70 |
| App · CA/GB/AU | $119 | $13.58 | 3.2% | $1.42 (30% open the app) | $2.48 | 3 | $40 |
| Web · Taiwan | $260 | $34.09 | 5.7% | $0.68 | $5.00 | 3 paid | $87 |
| Web · Ireland | $147 | $46.89 | 1.7% | $3.34 | $16.32 | 0 | – |
| Web · Purchases, US/CA/GB, 14–18 Oct | $257 | $62.29 | 3.3% | $2.01 | $9.87 | 0 | – |
| Web · New Zealand | $149 | $74.58 | 3.2% | $2.66 | $10.65 | 0 | – |
| Web · CA/GB/AU, Proven and New | $384 | $86.81 | 3.5% | $2.78 | $9.84 | 3 paid | $128 |
| Web · Singapore | $147 | $99.99 | 2.6% | $4.21 | $49.06 | 1 paid | $147 |
| Web · US/CA/GB/AU solo tests | $154 | $120.74 | 4.7% | $2.70 | $6.42 | 1 paid | $154 |
- The app's cost per arrival is the cost per first open of the app. The web's is the cost per quiz lander.
- Taiwan's App Store step is the reason its cheap impressions end up costing more per sale than the English app.
3. How to tell a high performer
An ad competes against the other ads in its own ad set: same audience, same market, same day. Use these tests, in order:
- Cost per outcome below the ad set's. Use cost per install in the app. Use cost per lead and per checkout on the web.
- CPM no higher than the set's. "CPM vs set" is the ad's CPM divided by its set's CPM. Below ×1.00 means Meta charges this ad less for the same people.
- Enough spend to read. Under $20, call an ad promising, not proven. Read paid sales per ad only after about $100 per ad: one sale is noise.
| Tier | Rule |
|---|---|
| Proven | Beats its set on cost per outcome, with $40 or more spent |
| Promising | Beats its set, with less than $20 spent |
| Weak | Costs more per lead or install than its set with $15 or more spent, or CTR under 1.5% |
4. High performers by ad set
Proven.
| Ad | Ad set | Spend | CPM vs set | Why it wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 腰腹50歲後變了 · Middle after 50 | App · Taiwan | $81.95 | ×0.97 | $3.28 per install against $3.38 for the set; most installs (25) |
| Put up with it · Taiwan character | App · Taiwan | $41.07 | ×0.97 | $3.16 per install; hook 58%, thruplay 29% |
| Beginner friendly · Belly before/after | App · CA/GB/AU | $100.66 | ×0.97 | $4.19 per install; 24 of the set's 26 installs |
| Plan static · Challenge table | Web · Taiwan | $103.94 | ×0.94 | $0.60 per lander, $4.33 per lead, 6 checkouts, 1 paid; also 1 paid in CA/GB/AU |
| Plan static · Age blocks | Web · Taiwan | $54.46 | ×0.77 | $0.38 per lander (the cheapest web ad), $3.63 per lead, 5 checkouts |
| Says Who 15s | Web · CA/GB/AU, Singapore | $147.04 and $77.85 | ×1.05 and ×1.24 | The most leads in every set it ran in; 1 paid in each of two sets |
Promising: give these a fair budget.
| Ad | Ad set | Spend | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner friendly · Middle after 50 | Web · US/CA/GB/AU solo test | $4.22 | CTR 9.1%, $2.11 per lead, 1 paid |
| Walking selfie · 我一點都不特別 | Web · Taiwan | $8.83 | CTR 7.6%, 1 paid, but CPM ×2.47 |
| Clay diary · Feel like myself again | Web · Taiwan | $9.63 | $3.21 per lead, thruplay 22% |
| Static · Stairs | Web · Purchases | $7.57 | CPM ×0.54, $0.76 per lander |
Weak.
| Ad | Ad set | Spend | Problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking selfie 81s | Web · CA/GB/AU and solo test | $46.36 | CPM $149–$159, no checkout |
| Music video · Start your workout on November 2nd | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $15.88 | Hook 19%, no leads |
| Overhead · Guided workouts 21s | Web · Purchases | $45.10 | CPM ×1.53, $45 per lead |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | Web · Singapore | $63.15 | CTR 1.6%, $31.57 per lead |
| Chair workout 32s | Web · Proven (CA/GB/AU) | $14.65 | CTR 0.6%, 1 lander |
5. Patterns across the ads
- Statics buy cheaper impressions. Seven plan or exercise statics shared an ad set with videos. All seven had a CPM below their set's, from ×0.54 to ×0.97. No static has run in an app-install campaign yet.
- Meta puts most of the money on one ad. In 6 of 11 ad sets with more than one ad, one ad took 59–92% of the spend. The other ads in those sets are unread, not losers.
- A strong hook does not mean sales. "Walking selfie" on English web had a 37–39% hook and 5–8% CTR, but no checkout. Judge an ad on cost per lead and checkout, not on hook alone.
- Ireland and Singapore are the weak markets, not the ads. "Says Who 15s" had a 1.7% CTR in Ireland and 4.1% in CA/GB/AU.
6. What to do next
Recommendations
- Drop "CPM under $10" as the test of an ad. Compare each ad with its own ad set, and compare each route on cost per sale.
- Keep "Middle after 50" and "Put up with it" on the Taiwan app route.
- Fix Taiwan's App Store page before you add Taiwan app spend. It opens the app for only 9.9% of taps.
- Add the two Taiwan plan statics to the Taiwan app campaign. They had the lowest CPM and the most checkouts on Taiwan web.
- Give the English app's other ads a fair read. Run each in its own ad set for about $40, or 10 installs.
- If English web keeps running, keep "Says Who 15s", "Middle after 50" and "Challenge table". Pause "Walking selfie", the music video and "Overhead".
The app does not tell us which ad brought each paying user. To see sales per app ad, give each ad set its own App Store custom product page.
7. Every ad, by CPM
"Per lead" counts email leads on the web. Hook is 3-second views over impressions. Statics have no hook or thruplay.
| Ad | Ad set | Spend | CPM | CPM vs set | CTR | Hook | Thruplay | Installs | Per install | Landers | Per lander | Per lead | Checkouts | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 腰腹50歲後變了 · Middle after 50 | App · Taiwan | $81.95 | $4.56 | ×0.97 | 2.4% | 34% | 15% | 25 | $3.28 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Put up with it · Chinese TW character · 13s | App · Taiwan | $41.07 | $4.58 | ×0.97 | 3.1% | 58% | 29% | 13 | $3.16 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 黏土日記 · 找回身材 | App · Taiwan | $12.29 | $6.22 | ×1.32 | 4.3% | 46% | 25% | 3 | $4.10 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Clay diary · Feel like myself again | App · Taiwan | $3.40 | $6.81 | ×1.44 | 1.2% | 39% | 17% | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Beginner friendly · Belly before/after | App · CA/GB/AU | $100.66 | $13.19 | ×0.97 | 3.0% | 34% | 14% | 24 | $4.19 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | App · CA/GB/AU | $7.11 | $15.06 | ×1.11 | 4.0% | 38% | 8% | 2 | $3.56 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Clay diary · Fit my jeans again | App · CA/GB/AU | $5.42 | $16.99 | ×1.25 | 3.4% | 41% | 14% | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Says Who 15s | App · CA/GB/AU | $4.03 | $19.19 | ×1.41 | 5.7% | 44% | 12% | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plan static · Age blocks | Web · Taiwan | $54.46 | $26.33 | ×0.77 | 7.6% | – | – | – | – | 143 | $0.38 | $3.63 | 5 | 0 |
| 音樂影片 · 11月2日開始運動 | Web · Taiwan | $6.51 | $30.85 | ×0.90 | 2.4% | 41% | 13% | – | – | 5 | $1.30 | $3.25 | 0 | 0 |
| Plan static · Challenge table | Web · Taiwan | $103.94 | $31.93 | ×0.94 | 6.2% | – | – | – | – | 174 | $0.60 | $4.33 | 6 | 1 |
| Static · Stairs · Oct 17 | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $7.57 | $33.64 | ×0.54 | 4.0% | – | – | – | – | 10 | $0.76 | $2.52 | 1 | 0 |
| 腰腹50歲後變了 · Middle after 50 | Web · Taiwan | $11.53 | $35.59 | ×1.04 | 2.8% | 31% | 15% | – | – | 8 | $1.44 | $11.53 | 0 | 0 |
| 55歲 · 椅子運動 | Web · Taiwan | $14.31 | $36.23 | ×1.06 | 3.0% | 39% | 14% | – | – | 11 | $1.30 | $14.31 | 1 | 0 |
| Clay diary · Feel like myself again | Web · Taiwan | $9.63 | $39.15 | ×1.15 | 4.1% | 47% | 22% | – | – | 9 | $1.07 | $3.21 | 0 | 0 |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | Web · Ireland | $11.94 | $43.26 | ×0.92 | 1.8% | 20% | 6% | – | – | 4 | $2.98 | $11.94 | 0 | 0 |
| 新手友善居家運動 · Beginner friendly | Web · Taiwan | $3.38 | $44.47 | ×1.30 | – | 33% | 12% | – | – | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Beginner friendly · Middle after 50 | Web · New Zealand | $8.01 | $46.30 | ×0.62 | 2.3% | 25% | 9% | – | – | 3 | $2.67 | $8.01 | 0 | 0 |
| Says Who · 15s · validation cut | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $3.01 | $46.31 | ×0.74 | 9.2% | 42% | 14% | – | – | 6 | $0.50 | $3.01 | 1 | 0 |
| Says Who 15s | Web · Ireland | $134.98 | $47.25 | ×1.01 | 1.7% | 36% | 10% | – | – | 40 | $3.37 | $16.87 | 1 | 0 |
| 黏土日記 · 找回身材 | Web · Taiwan | $39.10 | $49.56 | ×1.45 | 3.2% | 38% | 14% | – | – | 22 | $1.78 | $13.03 | 3 | 1 |
| Beginner friendly at home · 37s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $46.33 | $53.19 | ×0.85 | 2.8% | 35% | 15% | – | – | 21 | $2.21 | $5.79 | 4 | 0 |
| 新手友善 · 瘦小腹 before/after | Web · Taiwan | $8.13 | $53.49 | ×1.57 | 2.6% | 42% | 23% | – | – | 3 | $2.71 | $8.13 | 0 | 0 |
| I'm 55 · Chair workout · 32s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $61.12 | $55.87 | ×0.90 | 3.3% | 28% | 9% | – | – | 35 | $1.75 | $12.22 | 2 | 0 |
| Plan static · Age blocks | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $29.79 | $57.73 | ×0.73 | 3.5% | – | – | – | – | 16 | $1.86 | $7.45 | 0 | 0 |
| Static · Armchair rise · Oct 17 | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $6.32 | $58.52 | ×0.94 | 5.6% | – | – | – | – | 5 | $1.26 | $6.32 | 0 | 0 |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | Web · New Zealand | $16.27 | $59.38 | ×0.80 | 2.9% | 28% | 6% | – | – | 6 | $2.71 | $8.13 | 0 | 0 |
| Static · Floor rise · Oct 17 | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $10.10 | $60.12 | ×0.97 | 7.7% | – | – | – | – | 12 | $0.84 | $2.52 | 0 | 0 |
| Beginner friendly 37s | Web · Proven (CA/GB/AU) | $19.68 | $60.74 | ×0.64 | 1.5% | 30% | 10% | – | – | 3 | $6.56 | $19.68 | 0 | 0 |
| 12-week at-home challenge · 30s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $19.23 | $60.85 | ×0.98 | 2.5% | 30% | 10% | – | – | 7 | $2.75 | – | 0 | 0 |
| Plan static · Challenge table | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $24.64 | $60.99 | ×0.77 | 3.2% | – | – | – | – | 12 | $2.05 | $12.32 | 1 | 1 |
| Plan static · Age blocks | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $6.82 | $63.15 | ×0.80 | 2.8% | – | – | – | – | 2 | $3.41 | $6.82 | 0 | 0 |
| Beginner friendly · Middle after 50 | Web · Singapore | $6.19 | $65.85 | ×0.66 | 4.3% | 19% | 12% | – | – | 5 | $1.24 | – | 0 | 0 |
| UGC · Wall of text · Jog selfie · 8s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $22.67 | $69.33 | ×1.11 | 1.5% | 51% | 28% | – | – | 5 | $4.53 | $22.67 | 1 | 0 |
| UGC · Wall of text · Abs mirror · 5s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $14.87 | $73.61 | ×1.18 | 4.5% | 38% | 27% | – | – | 8 | $1.86 | $14.87 | 0 | 0 |
| rank08 · At-home workouts · 15s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $20.42 | $75.07 | ×1.21 | 2.9% | 31% | 8% | – | – | 7 | $2.92 | $20.42 | 0 | 0 |
| Says Who 15s | Web · New Zealand | $124.87 | $80.41 | ×1.08 | 3.3% | 37% | 15% | – | – | 47 | $2.66 | $11.35 | 1 | 0 |
| Beginner friendly · Belly before/after | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $15.99 | $82.42 | ×1.04 | 4.6% | 27% | 14% | – | – | 7 | $2.28 | $5.33 | 0 | 0 |
| Walking selfie · 我一點都不特別 | Web · Taiwan | $8.83 | $84.10 | ×2.47 | 7.6% | 52% | 19% | – | – | 9 | $0.98 | $4.42 | 1 | 1 |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | Web · Singapore | $63.15 | $84.20 | ×0.84 | 1.6% | 26% | 5% | – | – | 10 | $6.31 | $31.57 | 2 | 0 |
| Chair workout 32s | Web · Proven (CA/GB/AU) | $14.65 | $85.67 | ×0.90 | 0.6% | 22% | 4% | – | – | 1 | $14.65 | – | 0 | 0 |
| Week six · Make it a habit | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $61.87 | $91.39 | ×1.15 | 4.0% | 33% | 8% | – | – | 24 | $2.58 | $8.84 | 1 | 0 |
| Comic diary · Till Christmas | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $33.18 | $93.46 | ×1.17 | 2.8% | 37% | 11% | – | – | 9 | $3.69 | $8.29 | 2 | 1 |
| Overhead · Guided workouts · 21s | Web · Purchases (US/CA/GB) | $45.10 | $95.15 | ×1.53 | 3.0% | 35% | 5% | – | – | 12 | $3.76 | $45.10 | 0 | 0 |
| Beginner friendly · Middle after 50 | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $4.22 | $95.91 | ×0.94 | 9.1% | 45% | 20% | – | – | 4 | $1.05 | $2.11 | 1 | 1 |
| Says Who 15s | Web · Proven (CA/GB/AU) | $147.04 | $99.22 | ×1.05 | 4.1% | 42% | 13% | – | – | 57 | $2.58 | $9.19 | 3 | 1 |
| Plan static · Challenge table | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $7.89 | $101.15 | ×1.28 | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Music video · Start your workout on November 2nd | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $15.88 | $103.12 | ×1.30 | 3.2% | 19% | 5% | – | – | 3 | $5.29 | – | 0 | 0 |
| Beginner friendly 37s | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $22.57 | $103.53 | ×1.01 | 3.7% | 36% | 13% | – | – | 7 | $3.22 | $11.29 | 2 | 0 |
| Says Who 15s | Web · Singapore | $77.85 | $123.96 | ×1.24 | 3.5% | 33% | 11% | – | – | 20 | $3.89 | $77.85 | 1 | 1 |
| Put up with it 13s | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $28.05 | $124.12 | ×1.00 | 4.0% | 31% | 12% | – | – | 9 | $3.12 | $14.03 | 0 | 0 |
| Chair workout 32s | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $27.41 | $131.15 | ×1.00 | 4.8% | 33% | 13% | – | – | 9 | $3.05 | $6.85 | 1 | 0 |
| Says Who 15s | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $27.60 | $133.33 | ×1.00 | 5.8% | 43% | 10% | – | – | 13 | $2.12 | $3.94 | 1 | 0 |
| Clay diary · Feel like myself again | Web · New (CA/GB/AU) | $4.11 | $137.00 | ×1.72 | 3.3% | 47% | 13% | – | – | 1 | $4.11 | $4.11 | 0 | 0 |
| Walking selfie 81s | Web · Proven (CA/GB/AU) | $16.86 | $149.20 | ×1.57 | 5.3% | 39% | 9% | – | – | 5 | $3.37 | $16.86 | 0 | 0 |
| Walking selfie 81s | Web · Solo test (US/CA/GB/AU) | $29.50 | $158.60 | ×1.00 | 7.5% | 37% | 12% | – | – | 13 | $2.27 | $4.92 | 0 | 0 |
Method
- Meta ad-level insights, 14 Oct – 4 Nov 2026. This page includes the 56 ads with delivery, $1,753 of spend.
- Web landers, leads, checkouts and paid sales come from PostHog sittings, joined to each ad by ad set and the ad's utm_content. Visits from Meta's ad-review data centres are left out.
- When two ads in one ad set shared a utm_content, their sittings were split by link clicks.
- Paid means money taken by 4 Nov, checked in Stripe. Two cancelled free weeks are left out.
- App routes: per-ad counts are Meta's installs. Route totals for opens, paywall and sales come from the 29–31 Oct app test in PostHog.