Starting out fresh with Facebook ads can be daunting when you have no idea what type of copy and creative might work, or which landing page will perform best. Many marketers face these challenges and issues.
This is common, and the tools available for research are quite limited. Sometimes you cannot rely solely on the data. But what if I told you Facebook itself provides a tool that helps you analyze other advertisers' ads?
Yes, with the help of the Facebook Ad Library, you can examine and learn from other people's ads and their strategies.
Facebook launched this in 2019. The purpose of this platform was to increase transparency of political ads.
But it soon became very popular among ad researchers and marketers. Today we will dive deep into this tool and guide you through how to find the right information to beat your competitors.
Features of the Facebook Ad Library
When running ads, we often experiment with images, videos, ad copy, and landing pages. With the Ad Library, we can analyze all these elements and even see how long ads have been running and which platforms they're appearing on, whether that's Facebook, Instagram, or both. Here's what we can research in the Ad Library:
- Ad Creative Content: View all images, videos, and text used in active ads
- Campaign Duration: See when ads started running and how long they've been active
- Platform Distribution: Check which platforms the ads appear on (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger)
- Advertisement Versions: View different variations of ads being tested by advertisers
- Geographic Targeting: See which regions and countries the ads are targeting
- Page Information: Access details about the advertising Page, including name changes and creation date
- Ad Transparency Details: View disclaimers and additional information required for certain ad types
These features make the Ad Library a powerful tool for research and competitive analysis in digital marketing.
How to Find Your Competitor
To observe your competitors or research other competitors, we need to find them first in the Ad Library.
To do that, visit the Ad Library website
When you open the website, you'll see several options. You can select your country, for example, if you want to see ads running in Germany, simply select Germany as your country. Next, choose your category: either "Elections and Politics" or "All Ads."
After selecting these options, enter your competitor's name. Their page will appear, and you can click on it to see all their running ads.
When viewing the ads, you can filter them further by language, platform, media type, active status, and impressions by date.
You can also search for specific keywords within a particular page's data to find specific information or types of ads.
Implementing the Learnings from Competitors
Just seeing the ads won't help you, you have to analyze them. To get better insight, we recommend studying 3 to 5 competitors to understand their creative approaches and marketing strategies before creating and running your own ads.
This will help you understand what's currently working. Since the Ad Library might show old ads, use filters to sort active ads and see which ones have been running for a long time. Ads that have been running for extended periods are likely profitable.
Read More: What are some tips to get better at Facebook ads?
Read More: Why Does My Facebook Ad Is Not Delivering?
Do your research and make a list of ways you can improve your ad copy and website based on your findings.
Then plan out and create all the elements needed for your ad campaign before publishing.
Also, keep an eye on your competitors regularly. Sometimes well-known companies use new trends and tactics to stay ahead of others. Monitoring them helps you better understand the market and prepare your future strategies.
What Can We Learn from Competitors?
While researching, many don't know exactly what to look for in their competitors, so let us tell you what you need to focus on during your research.
- Look at their ad copies and see how they're structured. Are they offering huge discounts? If not, they probably have good reasons, Facebook often flags large discounts as spam.
- Examine the types of creatives they're using. Is it an image or a video? Is the creative design bright or simple?
- Study their website and note what sections they have. What type of content do they feature?
- Check how long they've been running their ads.
- Finally, analyze their Facebook page to gain more insight into their brand and see how they're optimizing their presence.
Conclusion
Make sure to look closely at all the details while doing research. To get more accurate data, use filters and apply these learnings to improve your own ads' results.
FAQs
Q1. How to access Facebook Ad Library?
Ans: To access Facebook Ad Library, follow these simple steps:
- Visit the Facebook Ad Library website.
- Select your country from the dropdown menu to see ads running in your region
- Choose between "Elections and Politics" or "All Ads" category
- Enter the name of the advertiser or keyword you want to research in the search bar
- Click on the page you want to analyze from the search results
- Use the available filters to narrow down your search by:
- Language
- Platform (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger)
- Media type (image, video, etc.)
- Active status
- Impressions by date
The Ad Library is free to use and accessible to anyone, even without a Facebook account. However, having a Facebook account may provide additional features and easier navigation.
Q2. Is the Ad Library free to use?’
Ans: Yes, the Facebook Ad Library is completely free to use. Anyone can access and browse through the Ad Library without any subscription or payment required.
Q3. How often should I monitor competitors?
Ans: It's recommended to monitor your competitors' Facebook ads regularly, ideally at least once a week.
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