The Relevance Chain Break
⛓️ Why most ads win attention but lose buyers, Why quiz funnels break, and more!
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⛓️ The Relevance Chain Break: Why Most Ads Win Attention but Lose Buyers
Attention is no longer a rare resource in advertising. Relevance is.
Most ads fail today not because they can’t stop the scroll, but because they stop the wrong scroll. They attract curiosity from people who were never likely to convert, then wonder why performance drops after the first click. This is what I call the Relevance Chain Break.
The Hidden Failure Most Marketers Miss
An ad doesn’t work alone. It functions as a series of moments, with each one answering an unspoken question in the viewer’s mind:
Is this for someone like me?
Does this problem actually apply to my situation?
Is the action being asked consistent with why I stopped?
When those answers align, conversion feels natural. When they don’t, attention becomes friction. Most ads break the chain right after the hook.
A curiosity-driven hook attracts broad interest. The body copy targets a more specific buyer. The CTA requests a commitment only a high-intent user would make. Three different audiences. One ad.
The result is predictable: high CTR but low conversion. This creates confusing signals for the algorithm.
Why “Better Hooks” Made the Problem Worse
The industry’s answer to declining performance has been to chase stronger hooks. Louder claims, more emotional openers, and more pattern interrupts. That approach improves the first and second parts at the cost of everything that follows.
Stopping the scroll without maintaining relevance leads to waste. It trains platforms to find people who react, not those who buy.
Over time, the ad account fills with engagement-heavy traffic that never moves past curiosity. This isn’t a persuasion issue. It’s a problem of audience coherence.
Ads as Closed Relevance Loops
High-performing ads function like closed loops, not funnels. The hook doesn’t aim to impress everyone; it filters.
The body doesn’t expand the promise; it confirms it. The CTA doesn’t elevate commitment; it matches the intent already established. Every element answers the same question: “Is this still for me?”
When the answer remains yes, the ad converts quietly and consistently. When it changes, the buyer leaves, even if the copy is good.
The Strategic Shift That Changes Everything
Instead of asking, “How do we stop more scrolls?” the better question is, “Who should never stop scrolling in the first place?” That shift transforms how ads are written, tested, and scaled. It reduces wasted spending, stabilises performance, and gives algorithms clearer signals to learn from.
Winning ads don’t chase attention; they protect relevance. In a feed full of noise, the most valuable thing an ad can do is not be louder. It should be unmistakable for the right person, from the first second to the last click.
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⚡ Why Quiz Funnels Break (And How to Make Them Convert)
Quiz funnels fail when they focus on gimmicks instead of diagnosis. People don’t want to be categorized for fun, they want clarity on what’s wrong and what to do next. A quiz only works when it puts the customer’s problem into words they already recognize.
Why this works: Strong quizzes mirror real internal dialogue. They explore pain, past failures, and fear of what happens next. When the result page reflects that reality, explains why common solutions fail, and introduces one clear product as the next step, the decision feels natural.
The hidden upside: Quiz answers become raw insight. They reveal language, objections, and awareness levels straight from customers, which feeds better ads, landing pages, and offers across the entire funnel.
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🎥 Reel of the Day
What Works:
1. The crash isn’t shock bait, it’s context hijacking - The skateboard moment works because it looks like a dashcam clip, not content. Your brain switches from “scrolling” to “watching something real,” which buys him uninterrupted attention.
2. “Now that I have your attention” resets the power dynamic - Most ads pretend they didn’t interrupt you. He openly admits it. That honesty lowers resistance because it feels self-aware, not manipulative.
3. The local angle filters viewers before the pitch - By naming Calgary immediately, he’s disqualifying most viewers on purpose, making the message feel personal to the right people and invisible to everyone else.
This reel works because it doesn’t chase attention. It borrows it for two seconds, then earns it back with clarity and confidence. That’s why it feels memorable, not annoying.
Thanks for reading this edition! Keep pushing boundaries, testing ideas, and staying inspired. See you in the next edition with more ways to ignite your marketing success. 🥰