Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a marketing metric that measures the effectiveness of an advertising campaign in terms of its return for every dollar spent. It is calculated by dividing the revenue generated from an ad campaign by the amount spent on it. This metric helps marketers and advertisers determine the effectiveness of their ad campaigns and can be used to adjust strategies in order to maximise ROAS.

How To Calculate ROAS

To calculate ROAS, use the ROAS formula: simply divide your total revenue by your total advertising costs. 

For example, if you spend $100 on ads and generate $1000 in revenue, your ROAS would be 10x (1000/100). A high ROAS indicates the specific ad campaign is generating a lot of revenue relative to its cost, while a low ROAS indicates it’s not performing as well. 

Generally speaking, a high ROAS is indicative of a successful ad campaign, while a low ROAS suggests changes need to be made. Additionally, ROAS calculation can be used to compare the relative effectiveness of different ad campaigns. For example, if one campaign has a ROAS of 10 and another has a ROAS of 5, the first ad campaign is outperforming the second.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that Return on Ad Spend is only one metric, and it should be considered alongside other metrics such as conversion rate and click-through rate. Other factors, such as customer lifetime value and brand awareness, should also be taken into account when evaluating the success of advertising efforts.

Factors That Influence Return on Ad Spend

There are a number of factors that can influence ROAS, including:

• Type of product being advertised, for example, physical products tend to have higher ROAS than digital products.
• Target audience, as different audiences respond differently to certain types of ads.
• Ad placement, as certain placements may be more effective than others.
• Ad creatives, such as copy, images and videos, as these can impact how engaging an ad is.
• Bidding strategy, as different strategies will yield different results.
• Quality of the landing page, as a well-crafted landing page will help to increase conversions.
• Price point, as products that are high-priced or targeted at a niche market are likely to have a higher ROAS than products that are low-priced or aimed at a mass market.
• Type of advertising campaign being run can also affect ROAS as ad campaigns that focus on brand awareness may have a lower ROAS than those that focus on direct sales.

By understanding the factors that influence ROAS, advertisers can make informed decisions about their advertising spend and maximise their return on investment.

Benefits of Optimising Your Ad Spend For Higher ROAS

Optimising your ad spend for a higher Return on Ad Spend can have many benefits, including:

• Increased revenue – A high ROAS indicates you are getting more bang for your buck and thus, generating more revenue.
• Better targeting – Optimising your campaigns for better targeting can help to increase conversions and ultimately, lead to a higher ROAS.
• Improved Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) – By optimising your advertising efforts to focus on customers with a greater potential CLV, you can maximise the return of each dollar spent.
• Lower Cost per Acquisition (CPA) – Increasing ROAS will typically lead to lower CPA which in turn leads to increased profits.

Examples Of How To Improve ROAS

There are several ways to improve ROAS, including:

• Optimising campaigns for better targeting – This involves understanding your target audience and creating campaigns that are tailored to their needs. For example, if you are targeting a certain demographic, create campaigns that speak to their particular needs and pain points.
• Fine-tuning ad creatives – Make sure your copy, images and videos are engaging and reflect the message of your brand. This will help increase conversions which in turn leads to higher ROAS.
• Testing different bidding strategies – Different bidding strategies can yield different results so make sure to test out which one is the most effective. Google Ads has a dedicated Target ROAS bidding strategy, but other options can work to improve campaign performance too. 
• Improving landing page quality – Make sure your landing page is well-crafted and optimised for conversions. This will help increase ROAS by improving customer experience.
• Using A/B testing – A/B testing allows you to compare two versions of an ad or landing page so you can determine which performs best.

How to Measure The Success of Your Campaigns Other Than ROAS

As mentioned above, tracking ROAS should not be the sole measure of success. There are a number of other factors to consider, such as the number of new customers acquired, the level of brand awareness generated, and the overall impact on revenue.

To get a complete picture of a campaign’s success, marketers need to look at a variety of metrics. For example, customer lifetime value (CLV) is a useful metric for evaluating the long-term success of a customer acquisition campaign. Marketing mix modelling (MMM) is another valuable tool for assessing the relative contribution of different marketing channels to business outcomes. 

By taking a holistic approach to measurement, marketers can get a true sense of whether their campaigns are delivering desired results.

Some of the metrics that can be used to measure success of your ad campaigns in addition to ROAS include:

• Conversion rate – This is the percentage of users who take a desired action after viewing an ad or landing page.
• Click through rate (CTR) – This is the number of clicks on an ad divided by the number of impressions it receives.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA) – This is the amount spent for each customer acquired through an ad campaign.
• Brand awareness – Measuring brand awareness involves tracking how many people are aware of your brand and what their opinion is of it.
• Customer lifetime value (CLV) – This metric takes into account how much revenue a customer is likely to generate over the course of their relationship with your brand.

Finally, it’s important to track the overall impact of marketing campaigns on business outcomes. This includes tracking sales revenue and other metrics such as:

• Revenue generated from campaigns
• Number of new customers or leads
• Average order value
• Engagement rate

It’s important to track these metrics in addition to ROAS as they provide a more comprehensive view of the success of a campaign and can help identify areas for improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is ROAS most useful for?

ROAS is most useful for marketers who are looking to measure the profitability of their ad campaigns. It’s a metric that helps them understand how much they are getting back in terms of profit, compared to what they have invested in advertising.

Where can marketers find ROAS data?

Most digital advertising platforms will provide ROAS data within their reporting dashboards, so marketers can easily access this information. Additionally, third-party analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics can also be used to track and measure ROAS.

In which situations should ROAS not be used to measure success?

ROAS may not always be the most appropriate metric when campaigns are focused on generating brand awareness or increasing customer loyalty. In these cases, it’s better to focus on metrics such as conversion rate, brand awareness or customer lifetime value.

What is a target ROAS?

A target ROAS is the desired level of profitability for a given ad campaign. It should be set based on the goals of the campaign, and can be adjusted over time as needed.

What is a good ROAS?

A good ROAS will depend on the goals of the campaign and the industry. Generally, a good ROAS should range between 1.5-3.0X or higher. It is important to remember ROAS will vary based on factors such as the industry and type of product/service being advertised. Therefore, marketers should use common benchmarks in their industry to determine what an “acceptable” ROAS would be.