#122: What To Do When Your Ads Stop Working

Read Time: 2.5 Minutes

Since April, I've had a Facebook Ad that's been an absolute workhorse.

Driving sales, generating page reads, just quietly doing its thing in the background.

You know the feeling when you've got that one ad that just works?

Yeah, that was me!

Then about 3-4 weeks ago, everything changed.

Performance started dropping. Costs crept up. Sales slowed down.

The ad that had been so reliable for months, was now looking like dead weight.

Here's What I Did Next

Most authors panic at this point. They either:

→ Throw more money at the dying ad (bad idea)

→ Give up entirely and blame "the algorithm" (worse idea)

→ Make one tiny tweak and expect miracles (terrible idea)

I did none of these things this time (though I'm 100% guilty of doing all of these things in the past).

Instead, I got methodical.

I started testing.

A LOT.

New Headlines. Different images. Fresh Primary Text angles.

And here's the brutal truth: most of the ads failed.

For weeks, I was creating ads that went nowhere.

Burning through budget.

Watching metrics that made me want to close my laptop and go for a very long walk.

But I didn't stop testing.

Because here's what I've learned after years of running ads:

The algorithm doesn't owe you anything.

Facebook doesn't care that your ad worked for 5 months.

It doesn't care that you've got bills to pay or targets to hit.

The only thing that matters is what's working right now.

And sometimes "right now" means your golden goose ad has reached the end of the road.

The Breakthrough (Finally)

Earlier this week week, after what felt like endless testing, I found it.

A new ad. Different angle, fresh creative, completely new approach.

And it's working. Really working.

Sales are flowing again. Page reads are climbing. The numbers that matter are moving in the right direction.

The relief was huge. But more than that, I remembered something important:

This is how advertising actually works.

It's not about finding the perfect ad that runs forever.

It's about building systems that let you find the next winner when the current one fatigues (because every ad will eventually fatigue; guaranteed).

Most people think advertising is about creativity. And sure, that matters.

But really? It's about persistence.

What This Means For You

If you're running ads and something stops working, don't panic.

Don't throw good money after bad trying to resurrect a flailing ad.

And definitely don't give up because "Facebook Ads don't work anymore."

Instead, get systematic:

→ Test new creative angles

→ Try different audiences

→ Experiment with fresh copy

→ Be prepared to fail (a lot)

→ Keep going when others quit

The winning ads are out there. But they don't announce themselves with fireworks.

They reveal themselves through patient, consistent testing.

Most advertisers give up after 3-5 failed tests. The smart ones keep going until they find what works.

One more thing

I know this might sound like I'm making it seem easy. Trust me, it's not.

Those weeks of testing felt brutal.

Every failed ad felt personal.

The doubt creeps in fast.

But here's what I held onto:

→ Every "no" gets you closer to "yes"

→ Every failed test teaches you something about your market

→ Every disappointing result eliminates one path, bringing you closer to the right one

The advertisers who win long-term aren't the ones who never fail.

They're the ones who fail faster, learn quicker, and keep testing (even when nothing seems to be working).

Your next winning ad is just a few tests away.

The question is: will you stick around long enough to find it?

If you're struggling with your ad performance right now, you're not alone. It happens to all of us.

To get a little stoic...

The difference between success and failure isn't avoiding these moments—it's how you respond to them.

Trust me, you've got this.

To Your Success
– Matt