The Facebook Ad Library can work as a magic wand for your business growth. Facebook created this amazing tool to openly and transparently share the information about any advertisement shown on the platform. Ever since its creation, the library has been enabling everyone to inquire about all kinds of information that circulates through media. Above all, the Facebook Ads Library offers limitless opportunities to gain inspiration and useful tips for marketers.
Since making a Facebook ad from scratch might be quite challenging, you can always borrow some valuable experience from powerful campaign examples. You can take heed of the ad formats your competitors are using. These formats might include video ads, static ads, carousel ads, and slide show ads.
Uncover the peculiarities of using fb ad library and start a new chapter for your business.
The Facebook Ads Library is a huge collection of all active and inactive ads across the Facebook and other Meta products (including Instagram, Audience Network, Messenger). Initially, it was launched as a transparency tool after the 2016 Facebook political ad scandal. Everyone can view the information about ads, even users whose Facebook accounts are not active anymore, and people who don’t have accounts at all.
You can find all ads that are currently available on Facebook including static ads, carousel ads and those that have been inactive for no more than seven years.
The Facebook Ads Library is a powerful tool for marketers and can be used to their advantage. It provides the opportunity to keep track of the helpful information about other businesses’ advertising campaigns, how much they cost and what demographics they reach.
The library allows you to filter by keyword, country, category or location. The database supports different platforms. Once you select the platform you’re using, you can see the results from the Facebook Ads Library for that specific platform. It’s also possible to filter ads by audience and budget.
If you have already identified your target audience, the Fb Ads Library can help you find examples of similar ads. You can search the Facebook Ads Library for services and products to find out the most popular ones.
Implementing of the Facebook Ad Library into your advertising campaign can enable you to efficiently spy on your competitors' ads, stay viable, and win the hearts of your potential customers.
Though it might seem too good to be true, the Facebook Ads Library is absolutely free to use. It can be accessed by anyone (including unregistered users). But please note: when using the Meta Ad Library without signing in with your Facebook account, you are not able to view ads with adult content or report inappropriate or abusive ads.
The Meta Ads Library stores all active ads across Facebook for a maximum period of seven years. The platform also made a decision to make available inactive political ads and advertisements about different social issues and elections to promote transparency around illegal discrimination by advertising clients.
It doesn’t really matter whether you personally viewed some ads or not - the Facebook Ad Library will show them against all odds. Thus, spying on Facebook ads of your competitors has never been easier. As a marketer, you can take advantage of the treasure trove of valuable ideas for your future campaigns, get inspired by your competitors’ activities, and monitor your project progress.
You can use the Facebook Ad Search for a variety of reasons. First of all, exploring different ads can help you find inspiration for creating and launching your first marketing campaign. What is more, the Facebook Ad Library might be an excellent tool for evaluating your ideas, studying your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, and even improving your running campaigns. Plus, the Ad Library Facebook is a perfect way to inspire your creativity, shift your thinking, renew focus and stay current on what your audience likes and dislikes.
Let’s face it, business success often depends on taking something that already exists and adding your own spin to improve it. It’s called inspiration. Spying on your competitors with the help of the Facebook Ad Library Search offers an infinite source of inspiration for creating your own marketing campaigns. Keeping track of your competitors’ ad creatives can help you understand your audience’s preferences and prevent you from making some unwanted mistakes. Remember that competition makes you better and don’t underestimate the power of Facebook spy ads to shape and polish your marketing strategy.
Let’s dive into the key features of the Fb Ad Library that will help you understand the use and benefits of this tool much better.
• You can look for any advertisement
You can search for ads by title, keywords, category, brand, etc., through the Facebook Ad Library search engine. As a result, you’ll see ads of all kinds, including static ads, carousel, videos, posts, fan pages, and Instagram content.
• It’s accessible to everyone
Every person can view ads from the library, except the ones displaying alcoholic drinks or gambling. Such ads are available only to the of-age people signed in to Facebook.
• There are informative trackers
You can enjoy multiple trackers providing lots of significant information (for example, data on ad reach or spending). The Fb Ad Library provides the opportunity to see if there have been any issues within the database. Above all, you can access the details of each ad, including its publication date, disclaimer information, and different versions.
• The library provides important information on Facebook spy ads
As mentioned above, you can see Facebook ads of all types in the library. There is also a great opportunity to filter ads by platform and audience. Besides, you can see whether or not you have already viewed the ad. Every advertisement is shown in the Facebook Ads Library within 24 hours from the moment of their appearance. The database displays every single update made on ads.
The Fb Ad Library is very simple and user-friendly. Facebook has left no stone unturned to make it as easy-to-use and accessible as possible. Therefore, everyone can find the necessary ad information, even those individuals who have no idea how to use Facebook or have ever had a Business account there.
1. Open the library
Click here to access the Facebook Ad Library report or type facebook.com/ads/library into your browser. The page is similar to a usual search engine. Don’t forget to select the correct country in the top right corner of the screen before starting your search session.
2. If you are using an Ad Blocker, you need to turn it off before making a search
3. Pick your category
To begin with, you need to pick the category you are interested in. You can choose from two categories because Facebook has divided all ads into general ones and those connected with elections, issues, and politics. In case you want to see commercial ads, click on “Search all”.
4. Search by country
You can choose countries from the list or search for all countries.
5. Search by brand
If you need to find some particular ad, write the name of the brand or company that is running it into the search bar. You’ll be shown all ads that belong to this brand.
6. Click on ad details
When you’ve chosen a category or brand and got all their ads, you can click “See Ad Details” under each ad to receive more information about it. The details include different versions of the ad, its start date, the platforms the ad is published on (for instance, Instagram, Facebook, Audience Network, Messenger).
7. Use filters
While searching for ads, you can use some filters to make your search more effective and precise. There are such filters as Platform and Impressions.
The first filter, Platform, can be used when you need to specify which Facebook or Meta product you want to see ad creatives for. In other words, if you’re looking for some ads that you came across on Instagram, you should select “Instagram”.
The second filter, Impressions, shows when this or that ad has been viewed. You might need this filter to check the ads that received impressions during a particular period of time.
Try to take advantage of each piece of information as it can turn out to be crucial for your marketing strategy and can help you not to fall behind. See which platforms your competitors are using to run ads, when they publish ads, and so on. Once you learn to use this tool correctly, Facebook Ads Library Search will allow you to empower your marketing efforts and acquire a competitive edge.
Nothing is perfect in this world. There might be some issues preventing you from using and enjoying the Facebook Ad Library to the fullest. Let’s take a look at the most common instances:
1. You can’t see your ad when you search for it. According to Facebook rules, about 24 hours are needed for an ad to be included in the library after it receives its first impression. So if you are running a fresh campaign and have just published your ad, you need to wait 24 hours before it appears. Updates to your ads also need 24 hours to be added.
2. Restricted content is searched for. Facebook does not forbid companies to advertise for such restricted things as gambling, online dating, alcoholic beverages. Nevertheless, you can view these ads in the Fb Ad Library only if you are logged in to your Facebook account.
3. Make sure you don’t overuse the Facebook Ad Library Search. You should know when enough is enough. Though it’s not very widespread and this fact is not mentioned in any documentation, you should note that the excessive use of the library can lead you to being blocked from the service completely. Be careful!
Gaining fruitful information from the Meta Ad Library is great, but a good question arises here – How can it boost your marketing strategy? Now that you know how to use the library, get insight into helpful tips that will enable you to take your ads to the higher level.
• Stay inspired
Don’t focus on the numbers when viewing ads. Listen to your inner artist and ask yourself how each ad makes you feel and what it encourages you to do. Pay special attention to the visuals and try to derive inspiration from what you see.
• Choose a different approach
If you want to outperform your competitors, you should learn to stand out from the crowd. Don’t copy your competitors as it will only lead you to the same results. Instead, try to adopt their advantages and avoid their mistakes for your projects.
• Pay attention to your messaging
Good messaging in a key to success. You need to polish your messaging and tone of your copy if you want to drive more traffic.
Facebook Add Library shows your competitors’ wording, so you can figure out what works well and create your exclusive messaging that suits your brand and industry.
Stick to the following questions:
• Is the message clear?
• Is it persuasive enough?
• Is the tone of voice official or friendly?
• Will prospects click on this ad?
You can start crafting your messaging only after you’ve answered each of these questions. Try to make your CTAs understandable and to the point. And of course, add high-quality visuals to your copy to make it a hit.
• Extend your audience
The Facebook Ads Manager platform can help you identify and expand your exposure to similar audiences. You should also carefully explore other industries to detect pieces with intersecting audience and extend your ad’s reach to them.
• Never miss a trick
Try to monitor and implement trends but don’t do this excessively. Just take a look at the ads that have longevity. You can borrow some top-notch ideas from the major brands.
• Cross industry/domain expertise
Try to keep track of ads created by brands outside your industry. This will enable you you to consider ads from different perspectives and spark your creativity.
• Don’t use Facebook alone
Note that Meta applies the same ad policy to all of its platforms. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to expand your reach to Instagram, Whatsapp, and Messenger.
• Conduct research with the help of online tools
Facebook Ads Library is an awesome tool that provides a wealth of useful information for marketers. But it’s not the only one. Why not trying some competitor analysis tools to boost your ad campaigns?
Here are some tools that can be of service to you:
• BuzzSumo — a cloud-based platform that gives social insights into the best outreach, engagement and content opportunities.
• Ahrefs — an SEO software tool for keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis, link building, etc.
• Lemons Digital — one of the best animation studios that can help scale up your business and boost your ad efficiency not only on Facebook but also on other social media platforms.
Facebook Ads Library is truly a storehouse of precious information about your competitors’ ad campaigns. Exploring and analyzing their advertising strategies allows you to enhance your own Facebook ad strategy and reap the benefits of the best tactics. Let’s delve into the list of what you can do with the Facebook Ad Library to move forward and boost your marketing activities in the most efficient way.
1. Study ads from different areas
Once you get access to the Facebook Ad Library, you can’t resist spying over your competitors. No doubt, it’s a great idea and might be very beneficial for your business. But don’t ignore other brands and industries and brands! Sometimes they can offer surprisingly cool experience that is worth adopting. Explore what they are doing really well, what specific strategies they use, and what features you’d like to borrow.
2. Analyze your competitors’ A/B tests
One of the undeniable advantages of the FB Ads Library is that it allows you to see different ad versions. You can identify the elements being tested starting from a different call to action and ending with an entirely different copy.
The Facebook Ad Library makes it easy to build a set of ad features to A/B test. It enables you to optimize your ad creatives and achieve better results.
3. Discover trends and view ads that have longevity
Spare no pains to surf the Facebook Ad Library and unravel some of the most popular trends in layout, typographics, design, etc. Try to analyze every detail. For example, figure out whether other brands use image ads, video ads, slideshow ads, carousel ads, etc. This can help you understand the current preferences of your target audience. The Meta Ad Library will also enable you to find successful ads from big brands that have been live for quite a long time. You can find this information by checking the date when the ad was first published.
Active ads that run for a considerable amount of time mean they are working very well. Try to think why they are so effective and don’t hesitate to apply their patterns and strategies to your business.
4. Explore the timing
Timing is crucial for successful marketing campaigns. When it comes to deciding when to run your ads, take a look at other advertisers and see what timing they use.
This is especially needed when you are planning some high-budget events like Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, and many more. Explore all the ads running at those times of the year and try to observe some patterns for your own campaigns.
5. Figure out ad funnels
It’s common knowledge that ads are associated with funnels. Funnels consist of an advertisement that drives traffic to a destination, usually a landing page that is designed to make users perform some actions.
The Fb Ad Library allows you to investigate your competitors’ funnels by clicking their ads. Carefully analyze where they take you and what you can see on their landing pages.
Imagine you are a customer, explore the pros and cons of your competitors’ funnels, and use this information for your future marketing campaigns.
6. Use the Report feature
This feature helps to search for particular ads such as social or political ads. It gives insight into where the ads are located and how much they cost.
7. Compare ad formats and copies
Don’t underestimate the power of comparison and analysis. See what ads other brands in your area and different areas are running and compare them to your own ads. Pay attention to similarities and differences in the tone of voice, length, word choice, format, etc.
The Facebook Ads Library opens up the door to myriads of different ads from a variety of businesses. This can help you analyze the benefits and potential impact of each type of ads as well as gain useful information about your competitors. The Facebook Ad Library is inspiring, free, and easy to use. Looking for ways of using the Facebook Library Ads and taking your business to a new level, consider building your advertising campaigns with Lemons Digital. This animation studio will enable you to stay up to date with video marketing trends, monitor your competitors, and develop one-of-a-kind creative video ads.
Sometimes links from the Facebook Ad Library expire and can't be downloaded or shared. So don’t hesitate to use Spyder - a top-notch solution that makes downloading, sharing and storing videos more convenient than ever before.
Want to collect creatives faster and more efficiently? Check out Spyder and find references for your high-performing ads today!
