The Overlooked Metrics Driving Ad Performance

What if two underused metrics could change the way you create and optimize Facebook video ads forever? According to top advertisers, Hook Rate and Hold Rate are the secret to unlocking high-retention, high-converting campaigns. These two powerful metrics are not visible by default inside Ads Manager—but they can be manually created and tracked.

In fact, experts at Great Marketing AI swear by them when analyzing creative performance and testing winning ad variations.

What Is Hook Rate?

Hook Rate measures how effectively your ad grabs attention in the first few seconds. It's calculated by dividing 3-second video views by impressions. For example, if your video gets 10,000 impressions and 4,500 people watch at least 3 seconds, your Hook Rate is 45%.

The benchmark for a strong Hook Rate is 35% or higher. If you're below that, it's time to tweak your opening visuals or messaging.

🎥 Want to see this in action?

Here’s a YouTube video where we break down how to calculate and apply Hook Rate and Hold Rate step by step:

What Is a Hold Rate?

Hold Rate tells you how well your video keeps a viewer’s attention after the hook. It’s calculated by dividing through plays (15-second views or full views) by the number of 3-second views.

A good Hold Rate is 50% or higher. Between 40–50% is average. Below that means the body of your ad isn’t connecting. Strong hooks won’t help if you can’t hold attention.

How to Track These Metrics in Ads Manager

Since Hook Rate and Hold Rate aren’t default columns, you’ll need to create them manually:

• Go to Ads Manager > Customize Columns > Create Custom Metric

• For Hook Rate: 3-Second Video Views ÷ Impressions

• For Hold Rate: Through Plays ÷ 3-Second Video Views

• Set each as a percentage and give them a name and description

Once created, you can add them to your dashboard and compare across creatives.

Pro Tip: Mix & Match Hooks and Bodies

Once you have these metrics live, test multiple hooks with the same body of content. Film 3–5 hook variations and mix them with 1–2 core ad bodies. Use Hook and Hold Rates to identify the top performers.

If you're focused on how to scale a business with ads, this kind of creative testing is non-negotiable.

Final Thoughts

While CPCs and CTRs still matter, it’s time to go deeper. Hook Rate and Hold Rate help you understand how people feel about your video content—and that’s what drives conversions.

Start measuring what matters. Optimize like a pro. And let Great Marketing AI guide you to higher-performing, smarter ad strategies.