How Often Should You Update Ads and Campaigns?

Robotic hand connecting to digital network nodes representing campaign optimisation and ad updates

How Often Should You Update Ads and Campaigns?

Digital advertising is not a set-and-forget exercise. Campaigns that perform well today may start to decline tomorrow if they are not monitored and refreshed. The big question is: how often should ads and campaigns be updated?The short answer is that updates should be made regularly, but the timing depends on your objectives, budget, and platform. Let’s break it down.

Why Updating Ads and Campaigns Matters

  • Ad fatigue: Audiences stop responding to the same creative after seeing it too often.
  • Platform changes: Algorithms and ad formats evolve constantly.
  • Competitor activity: Your competitors may outbid or out-strategise you.
  • Data insights: Campaign results provide new information that should guide optimisation.

How Often Should You Update Campaigns?

At Stellar Digital Media, we recommend the following as a starting point:
  • Search ads (Google Ads): Refresh ad copy every 4 to 6 weeks, but review performance weekly to optimise bids, keywords, and extensions.
  • Social media ads (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn): Rotate creative every 2 to 4 weeks depending on frequency and audience size.
  • Display and YouTube ads: Update visuals and placements monthly, while testing new audience segments.
  • Always-on campaigns: Keep the structure, but test new creative and offers regularly to avoid fatigue.
Tip: Use A/B testing to change one element at a time (such as headlines or CTAs). This ensures you know what really impacts performance.

What Triggers an Update?

Instead of sticking to a rigid calendar, campaigns should also be updated whenever you see:
  • Click-through rates declining
  • Cost per acquisition increasing
  • Conversion rates dropping
  • Negative feedback or poor relevance scores
These are clear signals that the campaign is losing effectiveness.

Balancing Stability and Freshness

Updating too often can stop campaigns from gathering enough data to optimise properly. Updating too rarely risks wasted budget. The key is finding balance:
  • Allow at least 7 to 14 days for algorithms to stabilise after changes.
  • Use ongoing reporting and dashboards to decide when an update is necessary.

Why Work With Stellar for Campaign Optimisation?

At Stellar Digital Media, we don’t just launch campaigns, we monitor, test, and optimise them continually. Our team blends creative and data-driven insights to keep campaigns fresh while protecting ROI.If you want your campaigns to work harder, not just longer, talk to us! 

FAQ’s we get asked

  • Q: How often should you update ad creative? A; Every 2–4 weeks on social, every 4–6 weeks on search, or sooner if results decline.
  • Q: What happens if you don’t update ads? A: Ad fatigue sets in, performance drops, and costs rise.
  • Q: Should I update campaigns on all platforms at the same time? A: Not necessarily. Each platform and audience behaves differently. Update based on data, not dates.
  • Q: How do I know when it’s time to refresh a campaign? A: Look for falling click-through rates, higher costs, or fewer conversions, these are red flags.