Most founders look at CAC and ROAS to decide whether to scale an ad. By the time those numbers show up, though, it’s often too late. A creative scorecard, checked within the first 48 hours, tells whether a new ad is worth pushing harder before those lagging metrics ever arrive.
1. Hook rate
Three-second views divided by impressions. Did it stop the scroll? If people aren’t watching for at least three seconds, the hook is weak — no matter how strong the rest of the video is.
2. Hold rate
ThruPlays divided by impressions. Did they care enough to keep watching? A great first three seconds means nothing if people drop off right after.
3. CPC (cost per click)
Did the ad earn the click affordably? A reasonable CPC signals real curiosity and relevance. If people watch but don’t click, the call to action likely needs work.
4. CPA (cost per acquisition)
Did it actually sell? This is the ultimate signal, but it should never be the first one checked — use CPA to confirm what the earlier metrics already predicted, not to discover the problem from scratch.
Why this scorecard matters
It allows moving fast without guessing, catching winners before ROAS even has time to show up, and cutting losers before they drain real budget. It also builds a repeatable creative testing framework, and it makes it possible to diagnose which specific part of an ad is underperforming instead of blindly reshooting the whole thing.
Filter signal from noise early
Waiting on ROAS to guide decisions is like checking the scoreboard after the game’s already over. Hook rate, hold rate, CPC, and CPA together give a much earlier read — that’s how scaling happens with clarity instead of chaos.
Further reading
Meta’s own video ad performance metrics guide is a useful companion resource here.
Related reading on this blog: