If you’re looking to spy on your competitor’s Facebook Ads, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss six different ways that you can do just that.
Some of these methods are free, such as learning how to find Facebook Ads competitors using its database, while others will require a bit of investment. But no matter which method you choose, we guarantee that you’ll be one step closer to understanding what your competitor is up to.
1. Use Facebook Ad Library
Do you know that Facebook (or Meta) has already provided you with the best tool to spy on your competition? It’s called Facebook Ad Library.
What is it? It is a repository or a database of all ads published on the Meta universe, which are Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Depending on the niche or category of your competitor, you can see inactive and running ads. Further, you can get plenty of information about these ad materials, ranging from the date of publication, owner of the ad, cost, and source of funding.
Launched in 2018, this tool initially aimed to make Facebook more accountable and transparent about the ads its users see in their newsfeeds. This is after lawmakers and the public criticized the website for its handling of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.
Finding competitor ads on the Facebook Ad Library is easy. You search for the Ad library and then narrow down the results using various filters, such as location and niche. You don’t need to be a Facebook member to do this, although you cannot report an ad or see adult content.
2. Do a Manual Search on Facebook
The Facebook Ad Library should already help you spy on your competitor ads quickly. But if you feel overwhelmed by the many results or you are already focused on ads of a particular competitor, then go ahead and do a manual search.
The process is fairly simple and straightforward. Just type in the name of your competitor in the search bar, click on the Pages tab, and then go to the Ads section. If you’re not signed in to Facebook, you’ll be prompted to do so.
The advantage of this process is that you can quickly see all the ads that your competitor is running at a particular moment. The downside, however, is that you will not be able to see the inactive ads or those that have already expired.
3. Use Social Media Monitoring Tools
If you want to take your spying game up a notch, then consider using social media monitoring tools. These platforms not only help you track your own social media performance but also that of your competitors.
Some of the best social media monitoring tools on the market are Hootsuite Insights and Sprout Social. You can use these platforms to track competitor ads, get insights, and even compare your performance with theirs.
A huge reason to do this is to get an idea of what’s working for your competitors and adapt their strategies to your own business. But, of course, to use these platforms, you need to spend some money.
4. Use Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a free platform that allows you to receive notifications whenever there are new search results matching your specified keywords. You can use this tool to set up alerts for when your competitor launches a new ad campaign.
To do this, simply go to Google Alerts, type in the name of your competitor, and select “All results.” You can also specify how often you want to receive these alerts and where you want them delivered.
Although free, this comes with a major downside: you have to sort all the ad-related mentions of your competitor. This process can, therefore, take a lot of time. Of course, if your rival is popular, you will receive plenty of alerts, flooding your inbox.
5. Look for Any Clues in the Ads Themselves
This is probably the most challenging way to find your competitor’s Facebook ads. But if you’re up for the task, then go ahead and give it a try.
The process is simple: when you see an ad that interests you, take a closer look at it and see if there are any clues that can help you identify the advertiser. These hints can come in the form of website addresses, logos, or even slogans.
Once you have these pieces of information, conduct a Google search or visit their website to verify if they are running ads on Facebook. Of course, this process can be quite tedious and time-consuming. But if you’re lucky enough to find just one clue, then it would all be worth it.
6. Hire a Facebook Ads Spy Agency
If you really want to step up your spying game, then consider hiring a Facebook ads spy agency. These companies help businesses track their competitors by providing them with access to a vast database of Facebook ads.
Of course, these services come at a price. But if you’re serious about tracking your competitor’s Facebook ads, then it would be worth your while to invest in one of these agencies.