Facebook Ads Library: Spy on your competitors & improve your ads with this secret tool
Facebook is now the most popular platform for advertisers to reach their customers. Facebook and Instagram are used by over 10 million businesses, and this number has almost tripled in the last seven years.
Veterans of Facebook advertising recall a time when Facebook costs were low and ROI was limitless. Facebook advertising remains a worthwhile investment for many businesses. However, the constant influx new advertisers are driving costs up. This makes the network more competitive. Meta announced in 2022 that Facebook Ad CPMs had increased by 18%.
Advertising on Facebook or Instagram means you have to be better than your competitors. Facebook Ad Library is a tool that’s underutilized by advertisers. It allows them to see what ads their competitors are running and level the playing fields. The Facebook Ad Library isn’t just for ads.
I will share in this post.
- What is the Facebook Ad Library HTML1?
- Find your competitors’ ads on Facebook Ad Library
- Four more ways to utilize the Facebook Ad Library
Let’s dive right in!
What is Facebook Ad Library?
Facebook Ad Library has been officially renamed the Meta Ad Library. Users can use this tool for free to search and view ads from any advertiser. It was launched in 2018 to promote ads related to social and political issues. Since then, it has been expanded to all advertisers using Meta’s platforms.
Facebook created the Ad Library in order to improve transparency for users. You can access the Facebook Ad Library directly at https://www.facebook.com/ads/library.
Facebook Ad Library
The Facebook Ad Library provides a transparent, free and exhaustive look at any advertiser using Facebook or Instagram.
How to use Facebook Ad Library.
Search Facebook Ad Library
The first step is simple: Navigate to Meta Ad Library at https://www.facebook.com/ads/library.
You’ll see a search bar in the Facebook Ad Library. Select the country for which you’d like to see ads, and then click “All Ads”.
Enter a keyword or topic in the search box.
You’ll then be able see all relevant results to your search.
Click on the result to see it
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- { Is the ad active or inactive?<span 201341983="201341983" data-ccp-props="Does the ad appear active or inactive?
- When did it start running? When did the ad stop running if it was inactive?
- { Which platforms (Facebook, Instagram) the ad ran on<span 201341983="201341983" data-ccp-props="What platforms (Facebook or Instagram) did the advertisement run on
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The ad may have been flagged as being in a special category (such s credit, housing, employment or social issues).
You’ll also notice that beneath each ad, in the Meta Ad Library you will see a button “See Ad Details”. By clicking on the button, you can explore all variations of an ad, including different headlines, descriptions or calls to actions.
Add an filter
You can add filters from the Facebook Ad Library if you want to focus on a particular element. You can filter their ads to:
- Language
- Platform (Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network or Messenger)
- { Media (Images, memes, images and memes, videos, and no image or video)<span 201341983="201341983" data-ccp-props="Media (Images and memes or images and memes and videos but no video or image)
- { Active status (Active or inactive)<span 201341983="201341983" data-ccp-props="Active Status (Active or Inactive)
-
Active Date (Any date within the last seven years)
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Facebook Ads: How to make the most of them
Free guide >> 7 Fundamental Facebook Advertising Tips
Find out what ads your competitors are running on Facebook by using the Facebook Ad Library
The Facebook Ad Library is the best place to begin your research when it comes to Facebook Ads of your competitors.
To find out what ads are being run by a competitor on Facebook Ads, navigate to the Ad Library and select the country they’re targeting. Type in their company name.
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You can then see all of the ads associated with that advertiser for the last seven years. Comcast Business, for example, has 130 public ads available.
Click on the cards to view details, or use filters to get more information about the ads of your competitors.
You can filter the results to see a competitor’s entire creative strategy, including text, images, and videos, as well as what ads were run in previous years for specific holidays or promotional times!
Facebook Ad Library: 4 additional reasons and uses
The Facebook Ad Library is more than just a way to see a competitor’s Facebook ads. You can utilize it to assist with other aspects in your marketing strategy.
Find new ideas
You can find new ideas in the Facebook Ad Library by searching for keywords or topics.
Instead of typing a brand name, enter a keyword relevant to your company in the search bar. Facebook will then display thousands of ads created by other businesses.
You can search for “taqueria” and see real Facebook ads from thousands of local restaurants. They use Facebook to promote their new locations, specials, promotions and to hire people.
This is a great resource for anyone just starting out with Facebook Ads, or who needs some fresh ideas. You can see what other local businesses create every day and get new ideas to use in your Facebook ads and beyond.
Stand out by taking advantage of opportunities
You can make your Facebook Ad Library ads more effective by searching for similar ads.
Analyze the results of a keyword search for ads related to your company or your competitors. You might find that ads from businesses in your field look the same, have the same language or emphasize the same value propositions.
This analysis will help you to create Facebook ads that stand out. This could mean using a different ad format, highlighting a benefit that isn’t obvious, or trying out new words and phrases to grab your audience’s interest.
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You can analyze your own ads
How long has it been since you looked at your Facebook and Instagram ads in detail? The Facebook Ad Library allows you to view the history of your ads.
A quick glance at your results can reveal some ways to optimize and refresh your Facebook ads. It’s time to update the creative. Change your copy? Try out new call to action. Promote a new service or product?
Give them something to look at that’s exciting!
Agency prospecting
The Facebook Ad Library can be used by agencies to pitch prospective clients. You can use the Facebook Ad Library before you even speak to a potential client.
Check to see if the prospect has any Facebook ads running
It is possible that a highly technical pitch will not be well understood by a prospect who is new to social media advertising. Knowing if they are running Facebook ads or not will help you to frame the conversation on their level. You can view the ads they’re running and research their goals, calls-to-action, and provide concrete examples on how to improve them.
Find out when your prospects last used Facebook ads
You may discover several inactive ads in their account-understanding when or how recently they paused their campaigns may give you insight into their challenges or goals as well. You may notice that many ads coincide with important holidays, such as Christmas, summer, or back to school. You can use this information to make your pitch, or plan ahead for upcoming campaigns.
Determine the size of the marketing team or current agency at your prospective client’s company
The Meta Ad Library shows more than just what ads are running on a page. It also tells you who’s responsible for the page and where it is located. Click the “About’ button on the right of the page name to find out how long that business has been active on Facebook, and how many people are responsible for managing the page. This local orthodontist, for example, seems to be run by a single person who is likely wearing multiple hats at the practice.
Social campaigns for larger companies may be handled by teams of people or agencies located around the globe. Netflix, for example, has over 200 employees managing their Facebook campaigns and page from around the world, according to Facebook Ad Library.
If there are multiple people in charge of their Facebook page, you will either need to manage many stakeholders right from the start or they may already be partnered with an agency that is managing their account. In this case, probably both!
Stand out from the crowd with the Facebook Ad Library
Competition will increase as more advertisers flock to Facebook. Meta Ad Library is a powerful equalizer within the dynamic Facebook Ads ecosystem. Facebook Ad Library allows advertisers to monitor the competition, find the most effective ads and keep up with the latest ads.
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