📱 What's Working on Meta RIGHT NOW

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There’s a lot to worry about when you’re growing a DTC brand. But probably top of the list at any given time is how to scale your paid ads.

Especially on Meta. 

Problem is, the answer to that question changes all the time.

So the question you should ask me is: “What’s working for you right now?”

Good news: I've been testing Meta strategies for SnapPad while talking with dozens of other DTC founders and marketers. Things might change tomorrow, next week, or next quarter, but for now…

Here’s the straight dope on what is scaling on FB. 

In this issue:

🔎 Lo-Fi, Authentic Content - Why "ugly" ads are crushing polished content 

🎬 Video Is Non-Negotiable - The UGC formula driving our best-performing ads

 👥 Influencer Content Surge - The whitelisting secret bigger brands are using

SnapPad’s Winning Ad: a Case Study

Let’s start off with what’s working for us. 

At SnapPad, our current Meta champion ad is a “UGC mashup” style featuring RVers explaining why they love the product and how it has changed their RVing experience. 

While we added professional editing and captions, the authentic user testimony remains the core of what's resonating:

This single ad has generated over $18,000 in revenue in Q1 so far with a 5.44 ROAS after reaching 300,000+ impressions. 

The blend of real customer experience, specific pain point targeting, and strategic editing is exactly why it works.

What makes this ad successful:

• Lo-fi, authentic content (real customer speaking honestly)

• Video format with captions and strategic editing

• Influencer-style delivery that builds trust

Here’s another example from Ridge:

This post is from Icon.me founder Kennan Davison. Checkout the post example (made with AI!). Here’s a snippet from his post: 

“There’s ONE AD FORMAT that consistently outperformed other formats for brands like Ridge, True Classic and Bloom.

UGC Mashups.”

So it’s not just SnapPad. This is a winning format for big brands too. 

Let’s get into why. 

Lo-Fi, Authentic Content Still Rules

We talked about Ugly Ads recently, and how stuff that looks “platform” native works. And, yup, it’s what’s working right now. 

After analyzing our campaigns plus comparing notes with other DTC brands, the pattern is clear: lo-fi, authentic content tends to outperform polished, studio-quality ads.

Why this is happening:

• Feed saturation means users have developed "glossy ad blindness"

• Meta's algorithm rewards engagement and authentic content gets more likes/comments

• Production value has an inverse relationship with perceived authenticity

• The speed of testing matters more than the quality of each creative

Practical Takeaways:

Stop overproducing. Your best stuff is going to feel natural in the feed. Meaning: not overly designed. 

Volume trumps perfection. Brands seeing success are launching 10-15 new creatives weekly, not 1-2 polished ones monthly.

Try this formula:

1. Shoot raw, authentic content (phone camera is fine)

2. Add simple text overlay with your key benefit

3. Launch within 24 hours of shooting

4. Look at soft metrics (hook rate, hold rate, CTR)

5. See what is grabbing people’s attention and iterate

Go back to our post on how to make ads on a budget and bookmark it ;)

Video is Non-Negotiable

Video works throughout the funnel, but it is especially effective at generating interest and awareness at the top of the funnel. That means it tends to be the more scalable and will be the most effective at finding news audiences for you. 

For us, the most consistent winners in our Meta account are strategic compilations of authentic user-generated video content.

Here's what makes them work:

Start with authentic testimony. The foundation must be real customers or creators genuinely using and explaining your product. This authenticity builds immediate trust.

Go beyond basic reviews. When analyzing our highest-performing ads and talking to other brands, we've found that generic testimonials like "I love this!" don't scale as well. What works are specific use cases, detailed pain points, and personal transformation stories.

Add strategic editing. While maintaining the authentic feel, add:

• Clear captions (85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound)

• Quick cuts to maintain attention (keep clips under 5 seconds each)

• Zoom effects to emphasize key points

• Simple branded elements like lower thirds

Focus on specific problems & solutions. Our best UGC compilations address a specific pain point and show the solution in action.

Test multiple variations: Mashups are a great way to “remix” UGC so you can find compelling  edits with:

• Different opening hooks

• Different text overlays

• Different lengths (6, 15, and 30 seconds)

FREE RESOURCE

Influencer Content Surge

The Whitelisting Secret Weapon

I've been comparing notes with several bigger DTC brands, and there's one strategy they're all pivoting to in Q1: whitelisting.

If you're not familiar, whitelisting is when you run partner ads on Meta where the creative is served from the influencer's social account, not your brand's account.

Why it's working now:

• Higher trust factor (comes from a person, not a brand)

• Better organic reach and engagement rates

• Lower ad fatigue (doesn't feel like "another ad")

• Often lower CPMs than traditional brand ads

At least three 8-figure brands I've spoken with say this is their key to profitable scale right now. These aren't small players—these are established brands that have tested everything and tend to spend 6-7 figures a month on acquisition. 

How to implement whitelisting:

1. Choose influencers based on performance (with this)

2. Get whitelisting permission (this requires formal approval)

3. Ask for personal stories and specific use cases, not generic reviews

4. Test both promoting their native content as-is or strategically editing the content to improve pace/energy.

When briefing creators provide them with key talking points, value props, and background context, but don’t be overbearing. 

Ask for real experiences, detailed pain points, and personal stories about how your product helped them. The most scalable content goes beyond "I love this product" to show authentic transformation or problem-solving. 

The key is maintaining that authentic feel. Don't make it too slick—it should still look like native content, not an overly produced ad.

Looking Ahead: Creative Testing

Here's what we're testing for Q2:

Reels-First Creative. Meta is pushing Reels hard, giving them premium placement and often lower CPMs. We're converting static images to simple motion videos and creating vertical-first content.

UGC Creation System. We're developing a streamlined process to brief multiple creators with the same talking points, get varied interpretations, and test different creator demographics.

The Secret Closer: Advertorial Ads. Another major winner for some brands we’ve talked is advertorial-style ads. 

These look and read like editorial content about your brand product. These ads provide more context in a format that feels educational rather than promotional.

This format is particularly effective for:

• Products with premium price points

• Items with longer consideration periods

• Complex offerings that need more explanation

Instead of hitting users with an immediate hard sell, advertorials build trust through information and storytelling before making an offer. The key is making them feel like genuine content rather than obvious advertisements.

These are a higher lift than the typical ad, to be sure. 

You have to design a landing page and write a convincing article about your offering (or get someone to do it for you). But we’ve seen dashboards where these ads hit a ROAS of 3+ easy. Especially if you can pair them with a creator + whitelisting. 

With ❤️,

Kent Wilson

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