Root Causes
Digital marketers and advertisers have experienced a precipitous drop in click-through rates (CTR) on digital campaigns, including paid advertising, in recent years. While this drop in CTR does affect you, the Feathr user, this is an industry-wide trend in digital marketing with a combination of causes.
Google’s introduction of AI-driven search results and its attempts to phase out 3rd-party cookies in its Chrome browser have been the primary drivers of the changing digital landscape, as well as changes in user behavior. While Google has ultimately abandoned its quest to phase out cookies (for now), nearly every digital platform has implemented changes in order to adapt.
The result is that the digital advertising space is not the same as it was 1-5 years ago, and the metrics used to determine marketing effectiveness have to change as well. This shift in data tracking, privacy, and the preponderance of AI is forcing marketers industry-wide to come at the measurement of their success from different angles.
What Feathr is doing about it
These changes in digital advertising don’t only affect Feathr, but we at Feathr have been and continue to work hard to adapt. We have recently implemented a number of updates to data processing on our platform, with the goal of providing you, the user, with the most accurate data and the most targeted audiences available to any digital marketers. Since fall of 2024 alone, Feathr has:
- Updated campaign and audience data processing to provide real-time results, directly from our advertising partners.
- Implemented Omni-targeting, allowing you the option to target your campaign audience on all of their devices.
- Added enhanced bot detection, ensuring your campaigns are seen by real humans in your target audience
- Updated Affinity and Retargeting campaigns to offer “and” targeting, which allows you the user much tighter control of the exact audience you are reaching
- Added support for native formats in Meta advertising, such as Facebook Carousels and Instagram Reels
We are constantly working to adapt to changes in the industry, because Feathr is committed to you and your success, not inextricably tied to any specific method or technology.
In H2 of 2025, you will see a major example of this commitment to adaptation with the introduction of Feathr’s most impactful new campaign type in its history: Pixl Plus campaigns. Pixl Plus campaigns reach their audience not by cookie but by a new identity framework which includes a sophisticated combination of identifying markers that enable better audience tracking and broader advertising reach. Keep an eye out for more information as we announce the release of this groundbreaking campaign.
What you can do to improve your campaigns
Understanding that the industry is changing and Feathr is adapting to it rapidly, know that you are not a helpless pawn on the chessboard of digital advertising technology. There are many ways you can take control of your campaigns, improving their effectiveness.
Closely following Feathr’s recommended best practices, including:
- Swapping out creatives often, to combat banner blindness
- Focusing on narrowly-defined target audiences with highly relevant messages
- Incorporating animation and video in your campaign creatives
- Using Flights to move audiences efficiently down the marketing funnel
- Having a strategy to get the most value from your own first party data as third party results decline
- Prioritizing native formats in your social media campaigns
Read more about best practices here.
FAQs
What is a good CTR benchmark?
This is a difficult question to definitively answer, as CTR will vary drastically depending on the audience, message, and industry of your campaigns. However, a CTR as low as 0.15% is still an indicator of a healthy campaign and may not be cause for concern. Expect a range anywhere from 0.15-1.0% CTR to be indicative of an effective campaign. More important than comparing your CTR against industry standards is developing a consistent practice of reaching the right audience for your message.
When should I reach out to Feathr support?
If you see your campaign’s CTR drop below 0.09%, or if you notice your daily stats stall for more than 48 hours straight, there may be a reason beyond the attention span of your target audience. In those cases, contact Feathr support, where a representative will be happy to investigate if there are any technical issues impacting your campaign performance.