UGC Ad Benchmarks: How to Measure & Improve Your Performance

So, you got your UGC videos and set up your Meta ads.

And… they’re not performing. 😬

Frustrating, right?

But if you're only looking at sales, engagement, or click-through rates, you might be missing out on a hidden opportunity.

Here’s the thing—sometimes, the only difference between a weak creative and a winning one is a better hook.

And the only way to know for sure?

Digging into the right metrics, like thumbstop ratio (just to name one).

In this post, we’ll break down key media buying terms and benchmarks to help you track your UGC ad performance.

More importantly, we’ll show you how to use these insights to tweak your creatives and scale effectively.

Key Takeaways:

• ​Thumbstop ratio over 30% indicates a strong hook.
• CTR between 1% to 1.5% is considered good.​
• High thumbstop & low conversion suggest CTA issues.​
• Low thumbstop ratio indicates ineffective hooks​
• High CTR & low conversion may signal landing page problems

Our Pro Tip: on average, only 1 in 8 creatives on Meta will scale. So before you write off UGC, remember—it’s probably not that UGC doesn’t work. It’s just that this creative isn’t the one. 🫣

Let’s Break Down Some Key Metrics

Before you start making changes to your creatives, it’s important to understand the metrics that matter. Here are some of the most important ones:

Thumbstop Ratio

This tells you how good your video is at grabbing attention. It measures the percentage of people who watch at least the first 3 seconds of your video. A higher thumbstop ratio usually means your creative is engaging enough to make people pause their scroll.

📊 Formula:
(3-second video plays / impressions) × 100

CVR (Conversion Rate)

Your conversion rate tells you the percentage of users who take a desired action—like making a purchase—after clicking on your ad. A low CVR could mean that your ad is getting clicks but not convincing people to take action.

📊 Formula:
(Number of conversions / Number of clicks) × 100

CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR measures how many people click on your ad compared to how many saw it. A low CTR usually means your ad isn’t compelling enough to make users take action.

📊 Formula:
(Number of clicks / Number of impressions) × 100

Thruplays

This metric counts the number of times your video ad plays to completion (or at least 15 seconds if autoplayed). It helps you gauge how engaging your video is and whether people are sticking around to watch the full message.

Understanding these metrics will help you make smarter tweaks to your UGC ads and improve performance. 🚀

Common Performance Issues for DTC E-Commerce Brands

When running UGC ads, you’ll often come across these patterns. Here’s what they mean—and how to fix them.

📌 High Thumbstop (30%+) & Low Conversion Rate

✅ What’s happening? Your hook is solid, and people are clicking, but they’re not buying.
🔧 Fix it:

• Experiment with your CTA—change it completely or move it earlier in the video. (You can have more than one!)
• Check your landing page UX and loading speed—a slow or confusing page can kill conversions.

📌 Low Thumbstop Ratio

✅ What’s happening? Your ad isn’t stopping the scroll.
🔧 Fix it:

• Change the hook—test a new opening that grabs attention right away.

📌 Low CTR & High Conversion Rate

✅ What’s happening? The people who do click are converting, but not enough are clicking.
🔧 Fix it:

• Strengthen your CTA—make it more compelling and urgent.
• Test different ad angles to appeal to a wider audience. [Get inspiration here!]

📌 High CTR & Low Conversion Rate

✅ What’s happening? You’re getting lots of clicks, but people aren’t buying.
🔧 Fix it:

• Ensure your USPs in the ad match what’s on your website—consistency builds trust.
• Improve your landing page UX to remove friction.
• Try a retargeting campaign with an offer. [Check out offer ads you can recreate here!]

📌 Low CTR & High Thruplays

✅ What’s happening? People are watching your ad, but they’re not clicking.
🔧 Fix it:

• Embed the CTA mid-video instead of waiting until the end.
• Ensure your messaging is clear and aligns with your website.

📌 High Thumbstop, Low Thruplays, Low CTR

✅ What’s happening? The hook works, but the rest of the video loses momentum.
🔧 Fix it:

• Move the CTA earlier in the video.
• Keep the hook, but rework the rest of the video for a stronger message.

Small tweaks can make a huge difference. Test, analyze, and refine until you find your winning creative! 🚀

Creative Benchmarks: What’s Good vs. What Needs Work

These benchmarks are general guidelines, not hard rules. Performance varies by niche, audience, and product type, so use these as a reference—not a one-size-fits-all metric.

📌 Thumbstop Ratio > 30%

The best-performing creatives have a thumbstop ratio of at least 30%, meaning they have a strong hook that grabs attention.

🚨 If your thumbstop ratio drops over time, it’s a sign of audience fatigue. Try:

• Changing the hook to keep it fresh.
• Experimenting with capitalization, emojis, or different wording.

✅ Things to keep in mind:

• Relatable products/problems tend to have higher thumbstop rates. But high thumbstops don’t always mean high sales—don’t get distracted by vanity metrics.
• Niche audiences/products may naturally have lower thumbstop rates. Instead of chasing a fixed number, track your own best-performing creatives and set benchmarks accordingly.
• Avoid clickbait hooks—they may boost initial engagement, but they violate Meta’s ad policies and could get your account banned.

📌 CTR (Click-Through Rate) > 0.8% - 1%

A CTR below 1% means there’s room for improvement, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the ad is failing. Here’s a quick guide:

• 0.8% - 1%: Needs work, but could still be profitable.
• 1% - 1.5%: Performing well, but can still be optimized.
• 1.5%+: High-converting ad—keep scaling!

Final Thoughts

These are just a few key benchmarks to help you gauge your UGC ad performance. If a creative isn’t scaling right away, don’t stress—analyze the data, find the issue, and tweak accordingly.

And remember, you can easily order extra hooks, CTAs, or re-collaborate with winning creators on Influee to fine-tune your strategy.

Keep testing, keep optimizing—you got this! 🙌