Are you thinking about running ads on Instagram or Facebook but have no idea where to begin? The Facebook Ad Library is a great starting point! Here’s everything you need to know about the Facebook Ad Library and 5 ways to use it to your advantage as a digital content creator.
Even if your main marketing strategy is on Instagram, the Facebook Ad Library is still a useful tool for you. The ads library now includes all running ads on Facebook and Instagram (since both are owned by Meta). This Meta Ad Library is going to be an amazing resource as you research and create your ads and/or marketing strategy.
Facebook Ad Library
The Facebook Ad Library was first created in 2018. It was designed to help increase transparency in online advertising and specifically to help alleviate concerns about political ads on Facebook. Initially, the ads library was solely for ads addressing political and social issues, but now it includes all running ads on Meta’s platforms.
Meta felt having this tool to look up the information on the ad such as the creator of it, the funder of it, etc. would make it more difficult for people to run misleading or harmful ads. Now, the Facebook Ads Libary serves as a free tool to any user who wants specific ad details no matter if you are the user or the advertiser.
Main Takeaways
- The Facebook Ad Library (AKA Meta Ad Library) is a free tool you can use to search for running ads on Facebook and Instagram.
- Even businesses who primarily use Instagram for marketing can access and use the Facebook Ad Library
- There are 5 ways you can use the Meta Ad Library to your advantage as a content creator: analyze competitors’ content, find inspiration, identify trends, find out what types of ads do not work, and research ways to make your ads stand out.
- Using the Facebook Ad Library will better help you create effective running ads that get tons of traffic way sooner than if you were to just throw something out there and see if it sticks.
What is the Facebook Ad Library?
Facebook Ad Library, also known as the Meta Ad Library, is a free tool you can use to search for and view advertisements from any specific advertiser on Facebook and Instagram. Meta created this ad library in an effort to make ads more transparent across all advertising channels.
Users can use the Facebook Ad Library to get more information on the ads they are seeing. The ad information includes things like who funded the ad, a range of how much they spent for the ad campaign, the reach the ads get, and more. Ads remain in the Facebook ad library for seven years. You can read more about the Facebook Ad Library HERE.
How to Access the Facebook Ad Library
Begin by logging into the Facebook Ad Library HERE. The first thing you’ll need to do before searching for ads is enter the country in which you want to see ads running and the ad category. These two things will help Meta know what type of ad you are looking for and therefore give you better results.
You can even search for ads by using an exact phrase from the ad. If you type in an exact phrase, be sure to put quotation marks on either end of it. If you’re not sure of the exact phrase but know some of the words in the ad, you can type those words in any order in the search bar and it’ll pull up the ads that have those words in it.
How to Use the Facebook Ad Library
As a content creator, the Meta Ad Library can be a major tool in boosting your content and switching up your strategy to reach more of your target audience. While creating content is always fun, it’s also important to know the strategy behind which content will perform best.
The Facebook Ad Library could be the missing piece to gaining more awareness and even revenue for your brand. It’s time to put the strategic part of your brain to work and figure out how to connect this resource to your marketing game!
1. Analyze Competitors’ Content
Looking up competitor ads gives you a HUGE step forward in knowing what type of content would be best to create. Once you look up the ads you should see the ad details for each one that will give you a good idea of how well it’s performing.
For each ad that piques your interest, ask yourself which one of the ads is performing the best. Why? What specific things are the competitor ads doing well? What ad details do you like that you’d want to add to your advertising strategies?
Gathering data and brainstorming for your ads here will perhaps give you new ideas you’ve never had before. It’s always a good idea to check out the competition and see what people are loving so you can stay on–and even ahead–of the trend. Most importantly, remember we are not copying information but using it to inspire our own ad content creation!
2. Find Inspiration
Speaking of inspiration, you can look up keywords related to your business or topics that you’d want your running ads to fall under to get ideas for your own strategy. Think of this as a brainstorming session before you produce the final product. For example, if I wanted to run ads on my Insta Social Society, I’d look up the keyphrase “Instagram coaching group” or something similar.
Think about what you’d want your running ads to focus on. Maybe it’s a new product, a coaching group, a service you offer, etc. Search for that niche in the Facebook ads library to see what’s already out there and how you can join in on the competition.
3. Identify Trends
Just like we jump on trending audio on Instagram at just the right moment, you can also figure out the trends that are popular on the Facebook Ad Library and add your content to the traffic. With trends, it’s always the most effective when you react quickly.
The best way to handle this is to create something simple but still have a hook and some value. So, don’t overthink the actual creation of the ad as long as you hop on the trend and are still being true to what you offer.
4. Find Out What Types of Ads Do Not Work
In addition to active ads currently on Facebook, you even have access to the inactive ads in the Facebook Ad Library. You can see why these ads are inactive and make sure you do not create any content that would cause your running ads to go inactive as well.
To access the inactive ads:
- Log in to Facebook
- Go to the Ad Library
- Select a country
- Select all ads from the ad category dropdown
- Enter a search term in the search bar
- Filter your search results by active status and select active and inactive
5. Research Ways to Make Your Ads Stand Out
By having access to the Facebook Ad Library, you can find gaps in the advertisements in your niche and identify ways to make your ads stand out. As you scroll through the ads, what seems to be missing? Is there a topic that isn’t being covered that you could capitalize on? Is there a perspective your competitors aren’t nailing that you could come in and take over?
I said we’d be putting our strategic brains to work! Have some fun here and get creative. What can you bring to the table that is unique to your business? What perspective can you offer that is super specific to your Facebook and/or Instagram audience? Niche down as much as possible and fill those ad gaps with the best thing anyone has connected with.
Facebook Ads Library Tips
I hope these tips help you feel ready to dive into researching the Meta Ad Library! This research step is super important because it will help you create effective running ads that get tons of traffic way sooner than if you were to just throw something out there and see if it sticks.
Once you’ve done the research, it’s time to put your advertising strategies into action! Add your content to the ads library and see how it does. Check in on your metrics every few weeks to see how they are performing and brainstorm how you can tweak them if necessary. Good luck!! I can’t wait to see your beautiful ads out there!
Are you looking for more information on running ads and marketing on social media? Check out these other great blog posts!
- How Ads, Branding, and Marketing Play a Role in Your Biz
- How to Get Ahead of the Marketing Game with a Long-Term Strategy
- The 90-Day Strategy to Hit Your Instagram Goals
- The Secret Strategy to Explode Your Instagram Following
If you’re ready to go all in with your content strategy and business but you’re not sure where to even begin, you should join my Insta Social Society. It’s the perfect place to start. Learn more about it HERE. Plus, make sure you’re following me on Instagram @iammichellegifford so you can get the best tips and strategies for growing your business online!
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