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10 Essential Tips for Spying on Competitor Ads

Let's talk about how you can seriously up your ad game by checking out what your competitors are doing.

The goal here isn't to just copy them, but to get smart insights so you can make better marketing decisions faster and create more effective ads.

You want to back your decisions with data, and competitor data is a huge part of that.

Here's the lowdown, broken into simple steps:

Don't copy blindly

‍This is the absolute first thing to remember. If you just copy what they're doing, you might fail for a couple of reasons. First, maybe it's not even working for them – they could just be testing it, and it's a flop. Second, even if it does work, you won't know why or what led them to that specific ad. That makes it super hard for you to improve on it later.

Instead of copying, use it as inspiration. Try to understand their overall message and why they're saying things a certain way.

‍Figure out their "why." Try to understand their strategy, where they've come from, and what they're actually trying to test. Knowing the previous versions of their ads or past tests can really help you get this.

Get the right tools

You don't need to spend big money right away. There are official ad libraries for platforms like Facebook, Google, Pinterest, and TikTok that can show you what's going on

Check out panoramata.co. W have a free version where you can quickly see your competitors' most recent ads across different networks. It keeps things up-to-date automatically.

Look at Several Channels.

This is a big one.

Marketers often look at just Facebook ads or just search ads and think they've got the full picture.

But usually, companies use different channels for different purposes. For example, they might run ads for people ready to buy on Google Search, and educational ads for people just learning about a problem on Meta.

To truly understand your competitor's ad strategy, you need to look across different platforms. Tools like panoramata.co can help you do this for all networks at once.

Identify which stage of the funnel they're advertising to

Every ad has an audience and a goal. Some ads are for people who don't even know they have a problem yet – those are at the "top of the funnel". Other ads are for people who know their problem and are ready to buy a solution right now – those are at the "bottom of the funnel".

When you look at an ad, try to figure out which stage of the funnel it's targeting. This helps you understand their marketing strategy and how you can do even better. Your purpose in spying is to grow your company and beat your competitors.

Check the whole funnel and purchase experience

The ad is just the beginning of their customer journey.The next crucial step is always the landing page. You need to see if the ad leads to a specific landing page that matches the ad's message. If they created a special landing page for an ad, and they've been running it for a while, it's a good sign it's working well for them.

Think about AG1, for example. They sell one green supplement, but they use many different ads and special landing pages to target different audiences or emphasize different benefits, like energy or taste.

Do it often, so it will make sense and you'll gather more insights

Checking your competitors once a month isn't enough.T

o really understand what they're testing, what's working, and what they're focusing on, you need to check them often and consistently. Look for patterns and what they keep repeating in their ads – this will give you key insights into their overall marketing strategy.

Look at previous years‍

Most companies don't start their marketing plans from scratch every year. They build on what worked before. So, if Mother's Day is coming up, look at what your competitors did for Mother's Day last year or the year before. What offers did they have? This can give you a big clue about what they're planning now.

Build Swipe Files and Save the Best Creatives

This is a simple but powerful tip. When you see an ad, landing page, or email you like from a competitor, save it in an organized way.

Having these "swipe files" saves you a ton of time when you're looking for inspiration to create your own winning campaigns.Panoramata.co even has a free feature to help you save competitor ads directly into swipe files.

Benchmark & Compare

Don't just watch what they're doing; compare your own efforts against theirs. Are they publishing more ads than you? More videos? What kinds of videos are they using? Which networks are they most active on that you might be missing?

This comparison helps you figure out where you need to improve your own marketing strategy and strengthens your position in the market.‍

Make it a process and automate it

To save time and get the best insights, automate this whole process.

• APanoramata.co can help you track all your competitors' ads automatically, organize them into swipe files, and give you insights into what they've been doing.
• You can easily see things like what ads they published for Black Friday last year using a specific keyword, or check recent ads across different networks.
• It also lets you see their landing pages and all the changes they've made over time.
• You can even see overall market activity, like which coffee brands are most active with ads or emails. The platform gives you a dashboard with recent marketing actions, a calendar of their activity, and even recommendations on what to watch out for in your market. These recommendations can even be tailored to your specific needs.

So, in a nutshell: don't copy, get inspired, understand their strategy and full funnel, be consistent, save what you like, compare yourself, and automate the tracking process. This will give you the data you need to make smart moves and truly beat your competitors.

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