Why Your Meta Ad Fails, and What to Do About It.

It’s not the lighting
It’s not the production
It’s the first 3 seconds

A bad hook = no attention.
No attention = no action.

I saw an example today whilst scrolling. A paid ad for a premium supplement brand.

The influencer (who I didn’t recognise) opened with:

“What is my favourite supplement? Hmm, let me think… I’d choose pizza, because it gives me energy.”

(It wasn’t pizza. But maybe it should have been)

Here’s a common problem with scripted influencer ads:

A) You’re assuming the audience knows who the person is.

B) You’re forgetting viewers still need to know why it matters to them.

A familiar face might grab attention, but without an emotional payoff or a clear indication of benefit. Attention dies fast.

The WIIFM test (What’s In It For Me?) still rules.

What could she have said instead?

“After just one slice of this, I’m instantly fired up for a full day of filming.”

“I took just this one supplement before I created this viral piece of content — no magic, just science (and pepperoni).”

Notice the shift in focus:

Action ➔ Transformation
Resolution ➔ Causation

Every great ad, with or without an influencer, answers this:

How does using this product make life better for the consumer?

The secret sauce (had to) lies here.

Influencer marketing isn’t a shortcut. It’s an amplifier. Magnifying what’s already working by leveraging their success to validate your product.

The influencer will stop the scroll, the hunger is made from the hook.