🤫 Steal These Ad Secrets (From Your Competitors!)

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Spy School 101: Decoding Your Competitors' Winning Ads

Hey everyone, ever wonder what your competitors are up to with their ads? It’s not about sneakily copying them, but more like learning from their homework. They’re spending money to figure out what ads get people interested, and we can often see some of that for free!

Think of it like this: if a competitor keeps running the same type of ad for a long time, it’s probably because it’s working for them. And that gives us clues about what might work in your market too.

Today, we're putting on our detective hats and going to "Spy School 101." We'll talk about how to peek at your competitors' ads and start figuring out their game plan.

🔍 The Big Idea: Learn from Competitors' Tests for Free!

Your competitors are out there spending their money testing different ads to see what clicks with customers. The cool part? You can often see which ads they're running, especially the ones they've kept active for a while. Why does that matter? Because ads that run for a long time are usually their winners – they’re bringing in customers! By looking at these, you get free lessons on what kinds of messages, visuals, and offers are likely working in your market.

This is a key part of Module 3: Competitor & Market Research. Understanding what others are doing helps you find your own unique path.

🧱 The Framework: How to "Spy" Smart (And Ethically!)

Spying on ads isn't about being sneaky; it's about being observant. Here’s a simple plan:

1. Your Mission – Pick Your Targets: First, list 3-5 main competitors. These are the brands you want to learn from.

2. Your Top Spy Tool – The Meta Ad Library:

   • What is it? It’s a free online place where Facebook (Meta) shows you all the ads currently running on Facebook and Instagram. Anyone can use it!

   • How to find it: Just search "Meta Ad Library" or "Facebook Ad Library" online.

   • You can search by a brand's name to see their ads.

   • (There are other paid "spy tools" out there for more advanced stuff, but the Meta Ad Library is perfect to start with.)

3. What to Look For – Decoding Their Ads: When you find your competitor's ads, look for these clues:

   • Ad Formats: Are they mostly using pictures? Videos? Ads with multiple pictures you can swipe (carousels)? Short Story ads? What seems to be their go-to?

   • Hooks (How They Grab Attention):

     • For videos: What happens in the very first 3 seconds? Is it a question? A surprising image? A quick problem shown?

     • For text/image ads: What’s the first sentence you read? What’s the main image trying to do?

   • Angles (The Main Message or Big Idea):

     • What main problem are they talking about solving?

     • What big benefit are they promising?

     • Are they comparing themselves to others ("Us vs. Them")? Talking about a limited-time offer (scarcity)? Showing lots of happy customers (social proof)?

   • Calls to Action (What They Want You to Do): What does the button say? "Shop Now"? "Learn More"? "Sign Up"? "Get Quote"?

4. Spotting Patterns – Connecting the Dots:

   • Look at several ads from one competitor. What things do they do over and over?

   • Then, look at ads from all your chosen competitors. What things are many of them doing?

   • Examples:

     • Are lots of them using videos of customers talking about how great the product is (testimonials)?

     • Are they all talking about the same big benefit, like "super fast shipping" or "easy to use"?

     • Do their ads often start with a similar type of hook, like asking a question?

   • These patterns can show you what your market generally likes or what type of messages they are used to seeing.

🧠 Real-Life Application: Using Your Spy Knowledge Wisely

Okay, so you’ve got some notes on what your competitors are doing. Now what?

• Don't Copy, Get Inspired: The goal isn't to make ads that look just like theirs. The goal is to understand what kinds of messages and styles seem to work in your market. Use this as inspiration to spark your own creative ideas.

• Find Your "Zig" When They "Zag": If all your competitors are doing the same thing (like all talking about low prices), maybe you can stand out by doing something different (like focusing on top quality, amazing customer service, or a unique feature they don't have).

• Consider Testing Proven Angles (Your Way): If you see that a certain type of ad (like video testimonials) or a certain message (like solving a specific common problem) is working well for many competitors, it might be a good idea to test a similar approach for your brand – but always with your own unique style, product benefits, and voice.

🧰 Bonus: AI Prompt to Analyze Your Competitor Ad Notes!

Let's say you've peeked at a few competitor ads in the Meta Ad Library and jotted down some key details. Now, you can use AI to help you spot patterns and summarize what you've found.

I'm looking at ads from my competitor, [Competitor's Brand Name], to understand their strategy. I've written down some details from a few of their current ads. Can you help me analyze them?

Here's what I found:

Ad 1:
* What kind of ad is it? (e.g., Video ad)
* How does it try to grab attention at the start (the hook)? (e.g., Asks the question, "Is your old software too slow?")
* What's the main idea or message? (e.g., Shows how their new software is much faster and saves people time.)
* What do they want people to do? (e.g., "Try for Free")

Ad 2:
* What kind of ad is it? (e.g., Picture ad with a customer quote)
* How does it try to grab attention at the start (the hook)? (e.g., Shows a happy customer picture and the text "I get so much more done now!")
* What's the main idea or message? (e.g., Focuses on how the software helps people be more productive, using a customer's success story.)
* What do they want people to do? (e.g., "See Plans")

Ad 3:
* What kind of ad is it? (e.g., Short video showing the software in use)
* How does it try to grab attention at the start (the hook)? (e.g., Quick demo of its coolest feature in action.)
* What's the main idea or message? (e.g., Highlights one specific, powerful feature that solves a big problem for users.)
* What do they want people to do? (e.g., "Learn More")

Based on these ads from [Competitor's Brand Name]:
1.  What types of ads do they seem to use most?
2.  What common messages or ideas keep appearing in their ads?
3.  What problems are they usually trying to show their product solves?
4.  What kinds of hooks do they often use to get attention?
5.  What do they usually ask people to do at the end of the ad?
6.  Overall, what do you think their main advertising plan is for this product?

(PS I have an automation ready to scrape competitors Facebook Ad Library and I will share it soon - it’s mindblowing).

Example AI Output (If the ads were for a software product):

• Types of ads: They use videos (demos and problem-focused) and image ads with customer proof.

• Common messages: Their software is fast, saves time, boosts productivity, and has cool features.

• Problems solved: Slow old software, not getting enough done, missing useful features.

• Common hooks: Asking about a problem, showing customer happiness, quick demos of cool features.

• What they ask people to do: "Try for Free," "See Plans," "Learn More" – it changes depending on the ad's message.

• Main advertising plan: They seem to show their software as a solution that makes work faster and easier, using direct problem/solution messages and happy customer stories to build trust.

💣 Value Bomb (Quick Spy Tip!)

When you're in the Meta Ad Library, look for a way to filter or sort the ads. See if you can find ads that have been "Active" or "Running" for the longest time. These are often their best-performing ads that they keep using because they work!

🛠 Tactical Tip (Your Mission This Week!)

1. Pick ONE of your main competitors.

2. Go to the Meta Ad Library (search for it online if you need to).

3. Search for your competitor's brand name to see their active ads.

4. Look through their ads and try to find 3 different "angles" or main messages they are using.

   • Example: Are they mainly talking about how cheap their product is? How easy it is to use? A special problem it solves that others don't? Its amazing quality?

5. Write down these 3 angles. This is your first step in becoming an ad detective!

👋 Closing

See? Checking out competitor ads isn't about copying – it's about learning smart. By understanding what they're doing, you can get great ideas for how to make your own ads even better and stand out.

What’s the most interesting or surprising ad you’ve stumbled upon in an ad library? Hit reply and share!

On Friday, for our AI Edition, we'll explore some cool AI prompts to help you brainstorm brand new ad angles, using what we're learning from our customer and competitor research!

To the next one, Tomasz.

PS - do you know we just launched the AI Creative Strategist?
Ask it anything related to creative strategy. It can help you:

• Craft compelling ad copy

• Brainstorm fresh ad ideas

• Gain campaign strategy insights

• Receive data-driven recommendations

Give it a try and let me know what you think!