What is frequency, and when is it too high?

Short answer

Frequency is the average number of times each person saw your ad. It equals impressions divided by reach. Frequency is too high when results get worse as it rises, like falling click-through rates and rising cost per lead. There is no single safe number, since time frame, audience size and creative all matter.

In this answer

01The frequency formula
02Context changes the meaning
03Signs it is too high
04How to fix it

The frequency formula

One week of a retargeting ad

6,000ImpressionsTimes the ad showed
1,500ReachDifferent people who saw it
4Frequency6,000 divided by 1,500

Context changes the meaning

Four views in four days is a lot. Four views in four months is light. Retargeting audiences are small, so frequency climbs fast there. Broad audiences in a large city rarely see the same ad often.

Signs it is too high

Click-through rate falls week after week.
Cost per lead rises with no other change.
Comments complain about seeing the ad.
Results drop while spend stays the same.

How to fix it

Bringing frequency down

RefreshAdd new images, videos or angles.
WidenGrow the audience or service area.
ExcludeRemove people who already converted.
TrimLower budget on small audiences.

Good example. A gym sees retargeting frequency hit 9 in two weeks while leads drop. It adds three new videos and excludes members. Cost per lead recovers.

Bad example. A gym keeps one ad running to 2,000 people for three months. Its page fills with comments about the same ad.

For refresh ideas, see what makes social ad creative work. Our Facebook and Instagram ads management refreshes creative before fatigue sets in.

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