CTR (Click-Through Rate)
CTR is the percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it, calculated as clicks divided by impressions times 100.
CTR is the bridge between awareness and action. A high CTR means your creative, copy and targeting are aligned — people see the ad and feel compelled to learn more.
On social platforms like Meta and TikTok, a 1–2% CTR on cold traffic is healthy and 3%+ is strong. Google search ads run higher (3–8%) because the intent is already there. Display and programmatic campaigns are lower (0.1–0.5%).
CTR directly affects your CPC: since most platforms bill by CPM, a higher CTR means more clicks for the same spend, lowering cost per click. Improving the hook of your video ad is the single fastest way to raise CTR.
Formula
CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100%
Example
Related terms
CPC
CPC is the average cost you pay each time someone clicks your ad, calculated as total ad spend divided by total clicks.
CPM
CPM is the cost an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions, used to compare media costs across platforms and campaigns.
Hook
A hook is the opening 1–3 seconds of a video ad, designed to stop the scroll and compel the viewer to keep watching.
CVR
CVR (conversion rate) is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action — a purchase, signup or lead — after clicking through to a landing page.
Ad Creative Fatigue
Ad creative fatigue occurs when an audience has seen the same ad too many times, causing declining CTR, rising CPM and worsening performance.