In the 2003 rom-com classic How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Kate Hudson sets out to prove she can sabotage any relationship in record time. Unfortunately, many brands are running the same experiment, but with their app users.

Retention benchmarks indicate only 26% of users stick around on Day 1 (Adjust). By Day 7, that drops to 13%. By Day 30, it’s a mere 7%. In other words, most apps are losing users faster than a bad breakup.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Similar to dating, keeping users is about connection, respect, and delight. Let’s walk through the “10 days” of losing a user and what to do instead with your creative to keep the spark alive.

How to Lose a User in 10 Days... and How to Win Them Back with Creative That Connects

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Day 1: Make a Terrible First Impression

How you lose them: Flat creative that looks like everything else in the feed. Generic images, no hook, no story. Users can spot the difference and they’ll swipe away faster than a bad Hinge profile. It’s the equivalent of showing up to a first date in sweatpants and forgetting their name.

The fix: Lean into bold, interactive creative that immediately communicates your value. Playables, dynamic end cards, and storytelling visuals create intrigue.

Day 2: Confuse Them at Onboarding

How you lose them: Complicated onboarding with unclear creative assets, walls of text, or visuals that don’t show the app’s value.

The fix: Keep onboarding lightweight and visual. Highlight benefits with crisp, story-driven creative: think swipeable cards, short animations, or clear interactive demos.

Day 3: Bait-and-Switch Ads

How you lose them: Your ad promises one thing, but the in-app experience delivers something else. These tricks get attention but kill trust. It’s like saying you love dogs on your dating profile and then admitting you’re allergic.

The fix: Consistency is key. Deloitte found that even a single misleading ad makes 1 in 5 users quit forever.

Day 4: Disruptive Ad Tactics

How you lose them: Auto-redirects, hidden close buttons, or forced interactions. Users feel tricked, not wooed. It’s like interrupting a date mid-sentence to shove a ring box across the table.

"The goal with advertising should be to provide an authentic experience to the user. One that is engaging and sets a realistic tone for the end product." — Ryan Ondriezek, Creative Director at CRAFTSMAN+

The fix: Respect the rules of engagement. The IAB’s LEAN principles (Light, Encrypted, Allowing choice, Non-invasive) are industry standards for building trust.

Day 5: Forget Personalization

How you lose them: One-size-fits-all creative that ignores context. Showing the same static ad to a gamer in Seoul and a shopper in Chicago makes users feel unseen.

The fix: Personalize your creative dynamically. Use behavior, region, or vertical insights to tailor experiences. Meeting users where they are turns “just another ad” into an experience that resonates.

Day 6: Overwhelm with Clutter

How you lose them: Ads crowded with CTAs, colors, or confusing design. It’s the equivalent of monologuing about your entire life story over appetizers.

The fix: Simplify the user experience. Feature one core message per ad and reinforce it with visuals. Streamlined design eases users into your world, building confidence and driving action.

Day 7: Ignore User Motivations

How you lose them: Creative that doesn’t tap into why users engage—competition, connection, relaxation, or recognition.

The fix: Build creative around specific user motivations. For gaming, highlight competition; for fitness, highlight progress and community.

Day 8: Fail to Refresh

How you lose them: Repeating the same stale ad creative long after users are fatigued. They start ignoring you, as if you’re telling the same bad joke on every date.

The fix: Monitor creative fatigue and refresh frequently. Keep the story evolving.

Day 9: Ignore Feedback

How you lose them: Bad reviews pile up, and your creative strategy doesn’t address them. Users feel unheard.

The fix: Use creative to show you’re listening. Highlight updates or new features. Playables can double as feedback loops by revealing where users drop off.

Day 10: Chase Short-Term Wins

How you lose them: Aggressive tactics might spike CTRs today, but they tank retention tomorrow. You might win the fling, but you lose the relationship.

The fix: Invest in high-quality, user-first creative. When creative delights, users stay. That’s how you build lifetime value.