This hack is so good it feels illegal 🙊.
If you’re not running ads, you might be leaving cash on the table—and letting your competitors have all the fun. This month, we’re showing you how to spy on your competitors’ ads like a marketing Sherlock Holmes 🕵️♂️.
Ever wondered if your competitors are running ads and, more importantly, what they actually look like? Now you’ll know.
And the best part? No need for disguises, fake mustaches, or lurking in the shadows (unless you're into that sort of thing). This is all above board—and ridiculously easy.
Let’s get into it.
Before we spill the beans 🫘 on how to dig into your competitors’ ads, let’s talk about why you should actually care (besides just being as nosy as someone scrolling through their ex’s new relationship photos):
Gain Valuable Insights: Your competitors’ ads can show you what’s resonating with your shared audience. What messaging works? Has their paid search position changed over time? What keywords are they bidding on?
Find Untapped Opportunities: Competitor ads can reveal gaps in the market that you can swoop in and dominate. (Think of it as finding buried treasure 🏴☠️, minus battling the pirates.)
Stay Ahead: If your competitors are advertising and you’re not, they’re building awareness while you’re losing visibility. Flip the script 📖 and lead the pack on this one 🐾.
Here’s something to keep in mind: If your biggest competitors aren’t running ads—especially in your market or targeting your audience—that’s your chance to step up and dominate the space. Either way, you win🏆.
Now that we’ve made a rock-solid case for why spying—uh, I mean, analyzing—your competitors’ ads is a must, let’s talk about your secret weapon. These tools make it easy to see what your rivals are up to (no binoculars required):
Facebook’s Ad Library is a free public resource where you can see any active ads a competitor is running.
Pro Tip: Pay attention to ad formats, messaging, and how often they post. Are they using carousel ads? Video ads? Seasonal promotions?
Type in your competitor’s name, and voilà! You can see their active Google ads. You can even filter by date and region.
Pro Tip: Look for the keywords in their ad copy. Are they going for high-volume keywords 🌟 or niche phrases? 🕵️♂️ Are they running Shopping campaigns? Search campaigns? What do their images look like? Can you do better?
For the data nerds 🤓 out there like us, paid tools like SEMrush provide insights into your competitors’ ad spend, keyword strategies, and campaign performance. This tool shows you the keywords they're bidding on, the estimated monthly cost to rank for those keywords, paid search positions, and more.
Use these tools (or hire a digital marketing team 😉 that uses them every day and can actively help you monitor) to track changes in their strategy over time.
Okay, so you’ve gathered all this intel. Now what? The key is to turn these insights into actionable strategies 🧩:
Identify patterns in your competitors’ ads. Are they running back-to-school promos 📚 or flash sales ⚡? These trends can inspire your campaigns while keeping your approach unique.
Notice a channel your competitors are ignoring? If they’re not advertising on Instagram, but your audience loves visual content, that’s your opportunity to shine ✨.
Use your competitor analysis to inform your messaging, visuals, and offers. If their ads lean heavily on discounts 🏷️, consider highlighting quality, service, or exclusivity to stand out 🌟.
Competitor ads aren’t static, and neither should yours be. By keeping an eye 👁️ on changes, you can stay ahead of the game. Did they switch up their messaging in the last year? Increase their frequency? Adjust accordingly to outpace them 🏎️.
Let’s be real—spying takes time ⏳, and decoding all that data? Even more. That’s where we come in.
When you advertise with us, competitor analysis is built in. We’ll:
✅ Expose their strengths (and weaknesses 👀).
✅ Find gaps they’re missing.
✅ Create campaigns that don’t just compete—they dominate 🥊.
💡 Outsmarting the competition is easier when you’ve got the right team in your corner. Let’s make it happen.
👉 Don’t be shy–book your complimentary consultation, and let’s make some magic happen.