6 Methods to Spy on Your Competitors Best Ads on META (legally) | [UPDATED 2025] +ChatGPT

Key Concepts

Competitive analysis, Facebook Ads Library, TikTok Ads Library, SimilarWeb, Foreplay.co, Ad Serving Algorithms, Instagram Ad Targeting, Custom GPTs, Industry Benchmarks, Ad Creative Inspiration.

Competitive Analysis Methods

1. Leveraging ChatGPT Deep Research

• Main Point: Using ChatGPT with the "deep research" function to identify competitors in a specific niche.
• Process:
  1. Provide ChatGPT with a detailed prompt specifying the niche, target audience, and a link to your landing page.
  2. Request a CSV output containing competitor information like brand name, website, organic social media pages, estimated audience size, and Facebook Ads Library link.
• Example: The video uses the prompt to find competitors in the "Facebook advertising course" niche, specifying "Mr. Paid Social" as the brand.
• Benefits: Identifies competitors you may not be aware of.

2. Facebook Ads Library

• Main Point: Using the Facebook Ads Library to view ads currently running by competitors.
• Process:
  1. Navigate to facebook.com/ads/library.
  2. Select the target country and ad category ("All Ads" for a broad view).
  3. Enter the Facebook pages of competitors.
• Example: Searching for "Building Ads with Barry" to see Barry Hot's current ad campaigns.
• Insights:
  • See recent ads, ad copy, and creative.
  • Access competitor landing pages to understand their funnel strategy.
• Limitation: Doesn't show ad performance metrics.

3. TikTok Ads Library (TikTok Creative Center)

• Main Point: Using the TikTok Creative Center to analyze competitor ads and industry trends on TikTok.
• Process:
  1. Navigate to the TikTok Creative Center.
  2. Use the "Search by brand or product keywords" feature to find ads related to your niche.
• Example: Searching for "Facebook ads" to find ads from competitors like John Loomer and Charlie T.
• Insights:
  • View ad metrics like likes, comments, shares, and click-through rate.
  • Access AI-powered analysis of why a video is performing well.
  • Use AI prompts to generate catchy hooks or similar scripts.
  • Explore "Top Products" for industry-level benchmarks (e.g., average CPA for perfume ads).

4. SimilarWeb

• Main Point: Using SimilarWeb to gain a high-level view of the industry and track competitor website performance.
• Process:
  1. Create a project in SimilarWeb and add up to 25 competitor websites.
• Insights:
  • Track your share of the overall internet traffic pie compared to competitors.
  • Set up competitor alerts to be notified of website updates.
  • Access benchmark reports to compare your performance against the industry.

5. Foreplay.co

• Main Point: Using Foreplay.co to discover and analyze competitor ads, including historical data and performance insights.
• Features:
  • Discovery Tab: Search for ads by keywords, brands, or categories.
  • Community Feeds: Explore expert boards with curated ad collections.
  • Brand View: See all ads run by a specific brand that have been saved to the platform.
  • Spider Feature: Track all ads created by a specific brand, including hooks, landing pages, and creative tests.
• Benefits:
  • See ads that have been running for extended periods, indicating strong performance.
  • Access historical ad data not available in Facebook Ads Library.
• Example: Using the Spider feature to track Creatify AI's ad campaigns.

6. "Tricking" the Ad Serving Algorithms (Instagram Method)

• Main Point: Using Instagram to passively receive competitor ads in your feed by signaling interest to the ad serving algorithms.
• Process:
  1. Follow all relevant competitor Instagram accounts.
  2. Click on the links in their bios and visit their landing pages.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the landing pages and click on call-to-action buttons (e.g., "Join Waitlist," "Start Free Trial").
  4. Scroll through your Instagram feed and engage with ads related to your niche.
  5. Use the "Interested" option in the ad menu to signal further interest.
• Benefits:
  • See ads with real-time engagement metrics (likes, comments).
  • Receive ads passively while using Instagram normally.
• Note: For unrelated niches, create a new Instagram profile to avoid skewing your existing algorithm.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The video provides a comprehensive guide to competitive analysis in the advertising space, covering both free and paid tools. It emphasizes the importance of not just copying competitors, but using their strategies as inspiration for your own creative ideas. The combination of tools like ChatGPT, ad libraries, SimilarWeb, Foreplay.co, and the Instagram ad targeting method provides a multi-faceted approach to understanding the competitive landscape and identifying successful advertising strategies. The ultimate goal is to leverage these insights to improve your own ad campaigns and achieve better results.