Fort Worth Report has partnered with Social News Desk since 2023 to support subscriber growth through paid social. While earlier years benefited from lower overall advertising costs, this case study focuses exclusively on 2025 performance, when rising media costs made efficiency more critical than ever.
Throughout most of 2025, the campaign primarily utilized dynamic ad formats. In November 2025, Social News Desk introduced static ads as an additional creative approach, allowing for greater control over messaging, creative consistency, and testing within a higher-cost advertising environment.
Strategy Evolution
- January–October 2025: Dynamic ads as the primary format
- November 2025 and beyond: Dynamic ads supported by high-performing static creative
Rather than replacing dynamic ads, static ads were added to the creative mix to evaluate whether clearer, more direct messaging could improve conversion efficiency and scale during a more competitive period.
Results
October 2025 (Dynamic Ads):
- CPL: $2.69
- Leads: 2,792
November 2025 (Full Static Campaign Introduced):
- CPL: $1.95
- Leads: 3,845
December 2025 (Full Static Campaign Continued):
- CPL: $1.88
- Leads: 3,982
December is historically one of—if not the—highest CPL months for lead generation, with average CPLs near the $3 mark. Despite this seasonal trend, Fort Worth Report significantly outperformed that benchmark, delivering both lower costs and higher lead volume.
Clear Impact
After introducing static ads, Fort Worth Report achieved a 30% decrease in cost per lead (from $2.69 to $1.88) and a 43% increase in leads (from 2,792 to 3,982). These gains came during the most expensive lead generation period of the year.
Outcome
By expanding the creative approach to include static ads, Fort Worth Report significantly reduced cost per lead while increasing subscriber volume. The strong December 2025 performance pushed the campaign beyond its anticipated annual subscriber goal.
Why This Worked
Introducing static ads allowed Social News Desk to deliver clearer, more focused messaging to prospective subscribers. With fewer creative variables and stronger message control, the ads reduced friction in the conversion process—making it easier for users to understand the value and take action.
This approach proved especially effective during a high-cost period, demonstrating that the right creative strategy—not just increased spend—can drive stronger performance and improved ROI.
What This Means for Other Publishers
Fort Worth Report is not alone. As advertising costs continue to rise, more Social News Desk clients are incorporating static ads into their paid social strategy to improve efficiency, scale subscriber growth, and maintain performance during competitive periods.
Publishers evaluating ways to strengthen paid social performance can review Social News Desk’s Ads Managed Services for pricing information and details on how this approach supports sustainable subscriber growth.
