How to Spy on Your Competitors' Ads (Using Facebook Ad Library)
Why reinvent the wheel when you can just see what the other guys are driving? In the old days, you had to wait for a competitor's flyer to come in the mail to see their deals. Today, you can see exactly what they are doing, what they are saying, and what pictures they are using—legally and for free. It is time to do some detective work.
Did you know Facebook has a public database of every single ad currently running? It isn't a secret hack; it is a transparency tool called the Facebook Ad Library, and it is completely free.
How to Use It
1. Go to Google and search "Facebook Ad Library."
2. Select "All Ads" in the category drop-down.
3. Type in the name of your competitor (e.g., "Nike" or the local bakery down the street).
You will instantly see every image, video, and headline they are paying for right now.
What to Look For
Don't just look at the pictures. Act like a detective.
Longevity: If an ad has been running for 3 months, that means it is making money. Nobody pays for a bad ad for 3 months.
Format: Are they using videos or photos?
The Hook: specific words are they using to grab attention?
Check the Landing Page
Click on their ad! See where it takes you. Do they send you to a homepage or a specific product page? Analyzing their whole funnel will teach you a lot.
Take Inspiration, Then Innovate
Once you see what works for others, you need to make your own version. You want to be unique, not a copycat.
Stirling helps you iterate. You can take the concepts you learned from your research—like a specific type of headline—and use Stirling to generate fresh, unique versions for your brand in minutes.
Create unique ads based on what works with Stirling at TryStirling.com
