Webinar:

10 tips I wish I knew while spying on my competitors

Here are the 10 key rules we're reviewing in this webinar when it comes to competitor tracking:

Don't copy blindly

This is the most important rule: never just copy and paste a competitor's ad. There are two major risks involved. First, the ad you're copying might have been a failure for them. Second, even if it was a success, you won't understand why it worked, leaving you unable to iterate or adapt the strategy for your own brand. Instead, use their ads as a source of inspiration. Your goal is to understand their underlying strategy, their testing process, and the core message that resonates with their audience.

Start with free tools

You don't need a huge budget to start gathering competitive intelligence. There are powerful, free resources at your disposal:

• Official Ad Libraries: Platforms like Facebook, Google, Pinterest, and TikTok all have official ad libraries where you can search for and view active ads from any brand.
• Third-Party Platforms: Tools like panoramata.co offer free versions that allow you to track recent competitor ads across multiple networks in one convenient place.

Check several channels to get a complete picture

Don't limit your analysis to a single platform. Competitors often use different channels to target customers at various stages of the marketing funnel.

• Bottom-of-Funnel: They might use Google Search ads to capture high-intent users actively looking for a solution.
• Top-of-Funnel: They might use Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads for broader, educational content to build awareness.By looking at their strategy across multiple channels, you get a more complete understanding of their entire funnel.

Understand who they're speaking to

Analyze the messaging and creative of an ad to determine which part of the sales funnel it's targeting. Is the ad designed to educate a cold audience (top-of-funnel) or to convert a warm audience that is ready to buy (bottom-of-funnel)? Understanding their targeting helps you identify gaps and opportunities to outperform them.

Analyze the entire funnel

The ad is only the first touchpoint. A truly effective campaign has a seamless connection between the ad and the landing page.

• Always click through a competitor's ad to see where it leads.
• A dedicated landing page that directly reflects the ad's messaging and offer is a strong indicator of a well-thought-out, successful campaign. For example, AG1 uses specific landing pages tailored to the unique propositions made in their different ads.

Be consistent

Competitor analysis is not a one-time task. Make it a regular habit (at least once a month) to stay on top of their strategy. Consistent tracking allows you to:

• Understand their testing rhythm.
• Identify which ad formats and messages they are doubling down on.
• Recognize recurring patterns that reveal their overarching marketing strategy.

Look at previous years

For seasonal events like Mother's Day or Black Friday, look back at what your competitors did in previous years. Marketing strategies are often iterative, and past campaigns can provide valuable clues about what they are likely to do this year.

Build and organize swipe files (and share them)

Don't let good inspiration go to waste. Create an organized system for saving ads, landing pages, and creatives that you find compelling. A well-maintained swipe file is an invaluable resource that saves time and helps you craft winning campaigns when you're feeling uninspired.

Compare yourself

Go beyond simple observation and actively benchmark your own efforts against your competitors. Compare metrics like:

• The number of active ads you're running versus them.
• The ratio of video ads to image ads.
• The number of networks they are active on.This direct comparison will quickly highlight areas where you can improve and innovate.

Automate the process

To get the best insights and save valuable time, automate your competitive tracking. A platform like Panoramata can do the heavy lifting for you by:

• Automatically tracking competitor ads and organizing them into swipe files.
• Providing consistent updates on their activities.
• Offering a calendar view to visualize their content and campaign patterns.
• Delivering personalized insights and recommendations based on market events and competitor actions.

By automating the data collection, you can focus on what really matters: analyzing the insights and building a better, more effective ad strategy.