Frequency is calculated as impressions divided by reach. Some repetition helps people remember and act, but past a point results decline: click-through rates fall, costs per result rise, and negative feedback can increase. The tipping point depends on audience size, creative variety, and the offer — and smaller audiences fatigue faster.
The warning signs are rising frequency alongside falling CTR and rising CPM or cost per result. The fixes are fresh creative — new hooks, formats, and angles rather than minor tweaks — broader audiences, and frequency controls on awareness campaigns.
Example
A retargeting campaign's frequency climbs to 9 over two weeks while its CTR halves, signaling fatigue; new creative brings the cost per lead back down.
How Sloss Digital uses it
We monitor frequency and fatigue signals weekly and keep a pipeline of new creative ready, so performance doesn't decay while an ad wears out.