This guide will help you check a finished video, a script, or a shot plan. You don't need to be running ads yet. Use the scorecard at the end as you read.
Already running ads? Start with the numbers
Three metrics can help you separate an attention problem from a message or offer problem:
- Hook rate: 3-second video plays ÷ impressions. Are people stopping?
- Hold rate: ThruPlays ÷ 3-second video plays. Are they staying?
- Click-through rate: Clicks ÷ impressions. Are they acting?
On Meta, a ThruPlay means the video played to the end or for at least 15 seconds. "Hold rate" isn't a standard term, so make sure you're comparing the same formula across ads.
Published benchmarks vary widely by source, audience, and video length. Your own past ads are often the most useful comparison.
| What you see | Likely problem | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Low hook rate | The opening isn't stopping the scroll | Fixes 1, 2, and 7 |
| Good hook rate, low hold rate | The video doesn't deliver on its opening | Fixes 3, 4, and 6 |
| Good hold rate, low click-through rate | People watch, but aren't moved to act | Fix 8, plus the offer |
| Good click-through rate, few conversions | The problem may be after the click | Your landing page and offer |
1. Open with the payoff
Cut the logo animation and the slow introduction. Open with the viewer's problem, the result, or the most interesting visual you have.
A simple test: if someone only saw your first three seconds, would they know why this ad is for them?
2. Test more than one hook
Your hook is the part of the ad most worth testing, and you don't need to reshoot the whole video to do it if you plan ahead. Film three to five openings that lead into the same body of the ad.
Try different angles, such as a question, a bold claim, a customer's words, or a striking visual.
3. Write for attention
A simple structure keeps the ad moving: hook, pain, solution, CTA.
- Hook: Earn the next few seconds.
- Pain: Show the viewer you understand their problem.
- Solution: Show how your product or service solves it.
- CTA: Tell them exactly what to do next.
Stick to one audience and one message. An ad written for everyone gives no one a strong reason to keep watching.
4. Earn the length
There's no perfect length, but every second should give the viewer a reason to stay. Short cuts often suit cold audiences in social feeds, while longer versions can work when the viewer needs more explanation or already knows you.
If you cut a long video down, don't just trim the ending. Rebuild it so the short version has its own hook and complete message.
5. Get your message in early
Many viewers will leave before the end, so don't save the most important information for the final seconds. Introduce the brand or core message early enough that someone who leaves midway still takes something away.
6. Tighten the pacing
Cut pauses, repeated points, and anything that doesn't move the message forward. Change the visual when it supports the story, using a new angle, a close-up, a graphic, or relevant b-roll.
Good audio matters as well. Viewers who have the sound on will notice muddy or uneven audio right away.
7. Plan for sound off
Use captions, and make sure on-screen visuals carry the message without audio. Then watch the ad muted. If the point is lost, fix the visuals as well as the captions.
This matters most in social feeds. For CTV, assume more viewers will hear the ad, so don't rely on captions to make up for weak sound.
8. Match the CTA to the next step
Ask for one clear action, and make sure the landing page continues the same promise. If the ad promises a quick quote, the page shouldn't open with a long company history.
9. Build for every placement
Different placements call for different shapes. Meta recommends 9:16 for Stories and Reels, and social ads may also need other ratios such as 4:5, while CTV typically uses 16:9.
Keep captions, faces, and key visuals inside each platform's safe zones so interface elements don't cover them. Check current platform specs before final export, since they do change.
10. Frame it before you film it
This is the fix that post-production can't fully make for you.
A wide shot can lose its subject when cropped to vertical. A vertical shot can look awkward when forced into 16:9. Captions and graphics that work in one format can land in the wrong place in another.
Good framing starts on set, with each shot planned for the formats it needs to fill.
What you can fix now, and what you can't
You can often improve an existing video by adding captions, cutting the intro, tightening the pacing, or changing the CTA. Those fixes are worth making first.
But some problems were set before anyone opened the editing software:
- You only filmed one hook, so you have little to test.
- The script spends too long getting to the point.
- The footage doesn't crop well for every placement.
- Long and short cuts weren't planned, so the short version feels chopped down.
If your scorecard points to these issues, the best fix is usually in the next production, not another round of edits.
Want a second opinion? Score your video or script using the checklist below. Or send it to 45th Pictures, and we'll score it and tell you what we'd change first.
Video Ad Retention Scorecard
Score a finished video, script, or shot plan, giving it 1 point for each statement that's true. The final column shows where the fix usually happens.
| # | Statement | Point | Usually fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Script or edit | ||
| 2 | Edit | ||
| 3 | Pre-production | ||
| 4 | Pre-production | ||
| 5 | Script or edit | ||
| 6 | Edit | ||
| 7 | Shoot or edit | ||
| 8 | Edit | ||
| 9 | Shoot | ||
| 10 | Script or edit |
Your score: 0 / 10
Rethink the next video. More editing is unlikely to solve this alone. Start with the script and shot plan.
What your score means
- 8–10: Strong foundation. Test new hooks and compare the results.
- 5–7: Fixable leaks. Start with the edit-stage items, then use the next shoot to solve the rest.
- 0–4: Rethink the next video. More editing is unlikely to solve this alone. Start with the script and shot plan.
Then check what you missed. If most of your missed points are in pre-production or the shoot, editing won't fully solve them.
A high score doesn't guarantee results, since audience, offer, and budget also matter. It simply tells you whether the creative is giving your campaign a fair chance.