How to use the Facebook ads library (with examples!)

April 28, 2022

Will Hanschell

The Facebook Ad Library is a precious pool of information for marketers. It gives valuable data, ideas, and free access to your competitors' ads to help you target the right audience most effectively. Since its launch, it has allowed journalists, governments, researchers, advertisers and business people an edge in knowing common information spread through social media platforms, the most effective way to decode the information and the recipients.

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Creating Facebook ads can be a daunting process, but advertisers have been finding inspiration from the past and most successful ads with the Facebook Ads Library. Marketers know pretty well how online competitions are. Even what seems to be the slightest edge can make an enormous difference to your Facebook ads.

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You might have the best strategies and experience to make the most compelling Facebook ads. But what if your ads begin to level up? What can you do to improve your return on your investment? Sounds hectic, right? Well, don't despair. This article will help you know how you can use Facebook Ads Library to make your ads better and significantly improve the conversion rates of your ads.

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What is the Facebook Ad Library?

Facebook Ad Library is a transparent, accessible, and public database of all currently active ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The library contains all ad details such as the creator, when it was created, copy, the image, versions being A/B tested, and the accompanying creative. The details for any published Facebook ad will last in the library for about seven years for anyone to access.

Facebook Ad Library was launched in 2019 in response to the Facebook political ad controversy experienced in 2016. It was created to improve advertising transparency on Instagram and Facebook to avoid election interference claims. But the benefits became much more than what it was meant to serve.

For marketers, the library serves as a gold mine of information. They use it to see what their competitors are doing and track their progress.

Some crucial features that make Facebook Ad Library a versatile tool include:

Free access to competitor ads to mine relevant marketing information
Ability to see all ad details on Facebook and Instagram
Creative inspiration for the advertisers
High transparency for lobbying and political ads

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How Can You Use the Facebook Ad Library to Make Your Facebook Ads Better?

The Facebook Ads Library is accessible to everyone and is designed to be user-friendly regardless of experience. A Facebook account is not a must-have to reap from the Ad library. But to advertise and enjoy the benefits of all library features, you should have one.

To access the library, visit facebook.com/ads/library/, select your category, location and keywords. You can use brand names in the keywords' section in the dashboard to find the ads of interest from your competitors. Now you can freely access various information and data, some from your most successful competitors. But how can you use the data to improve your ads and increase the conversion rate?

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1. Explore Ad information from a variety of industries

The best strategy to determine what you should do to enhance ROI is to look at what other industries in your field are doing, especially your strong competitors. This competitive analysis is a natural reaction that allows you to selectively borrow the best and most applicable tips to boost your competitive advantage.

Although it's crucial, don't get entirely hooked on your competitors' tactics only. Hundreds of related and unrelated industries can give the vital knowledge to match your top competitors or even outdo them. It is prudent to begin your search from the brands you love most, explore their brand's competitors, and see their commonalities and where their differences come in.

Next, narrow your search to the brand tangentially related to yours. For example, if your e-commerce store is related to split HVAC products, you can explore the duct-free stores to see the strategies that make them successful. Find at least one or two tactics and start using them to test their efficiency and effectiveness.

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2. Check out the Tone and Ad Copy

Are your ads compelling, like in other booming industries? What about the conversion rate? If not, what are they doing differently?

Read several ads to compare their word choice, tone and copy length. Pay attention to the duration the ads have been running. Have the ads been tried, tested and proven? If yes, when?

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3. Identify Other Promotion Opportunities

Facebook ads are versatile tools. They don't only advertise courses or sell products, as you may think. Maybe this is where you go wrong. Your competitors may be using the tool to promote other things like e-books, videos and other content. You may find several other branded ads in the Facebook Ad Library that don't advertise or promote anything in particular, but increase the brand's awareness significantly.

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4. Look for the Ad Formats with High Longevity

No single company loves creating similar ads over and over again after a short period, probably due to limited resources and time. Your message should resonate for a long through Facebook Ad Library. Search the database for top advertisers, click active ads only and check the ads with a long run time to learn how you can create long-lasting ads.

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5. Determine the Most Appropriate Time to Run Your Ads

While creativity is top-notch in ad creation, timing is equally important. You may set your Facebook ads to run during big sale days such as Black Friday or Valentine's Day to avoid being left behind by your competitors. You can also check out when your competitors run their ads to make big sales.

Which Brands Can Search as References in the Ads Library?

Although the Facebook Ad Library contains many brands, not all brands can give you an edge in the competitive market. Here are some great reference brands you can start with for inspiration:

You can also check out this fantastic list of DTC brands: