Don’t optimize for incrementality … cuz ya can’t

Yet another hard truth: You shouldn’t “optimize for” incrementality in isolation. It’s not a leaderboard, it’s a diagnostic tool—meant to inform your strategy, not dictate it.

Yes, in theory, you could juice your incrementality number by only targeting people least likely to convert. Any conversion in that group will look incredibly “incremental.” But in doing so, you’d likely tank your revenue, experience high CPAs, and spend a whole lot of budget on low-probability bets.

That’s why we caution against using incrementality as a goal in and of itself. It’s not something to maximize. 

Instead, treat incrementality as a directional signal. It’s your early warning system for waste—or opportunity. Is your spend still driving lift, or are you seeing diminishing returns? Is a certain channel tapped out? Is another performing above expectations? These are the questions incrementality helps you answer—not, “How do I crank this number up?”

Incrementality is helpful only if you use it correctly

The most thoughtful marketers we work with don’t chase the highest ROAS, lowest CPA, or highest incrementality. They chase the most efficient growth, with incrementality increasingly helping them know where and how to reallocate budget for the biggest impact.

Think of incrementality like a compass—not a scoreboard. It won’t tell you if you’re “winning,” but it will help you stay on the right path.