competitive-ads-extractor

# Competitive Ads Extractor

This skill extracts your competitors' ads from ad libraries and analyzes what's working—the problems they're highlighting, use cases they're targeting, and copy/creative that's resonating.

When to Use This Skill

Researching competitor ad strategies

Finding inspiration for your own ads

Understanding market positioning

Identifying successful ad patterns

Analyzing messaging that works

Discovering new use cases or pain points

Planning ad campaigns with proven concepts

What This Skill Does

**Extracts Ads**: Scrapes ads from Facebook Ad Library, LinkedIn, etc.

**Captures Screenshots**: Saves visual copies of all ads

**Analyzes Messaging**: Identifies problems, use cases, and value props

**Categorizes Ads**: Groups by theme, audience, or format

**Identifies Patterns**: Finds common successful approaches

**Provides Insights**: Explains why certain ads likely perform well

How to Use

Basic Extraction

```

Extract all current ads from [Competitor Name] on Facebook Ad Library

```

Scrape ads from [Company] and analyze their messaging

```

Specific Analysis

```

Get all ads from [Competitor] focusing on their messaging

about [specific problem]. What pain points are they highlighting?

```

Competitive Set

```

Extract ads from these 5 competitors: [list].

Compare their approaches and tell me what's working.

```

Specific Platform

```

Get LinkedIn ads from [Competitor] and analyze their

B2B positioning strategy

```

Example

**User**: "Extract ads from Notion on Facebook Ad Library and tell me what messaging is working for them."

**Process**:

```

Accessing Facebook Ad Library...

Searching for: Notion

Found: 23 active ads

Extracting screenshots...

[████████████████████] 100%

Saved to: competitor-ads/notion/

ad-001-collaboration.png

ad-002-productivity.png

ad-003-templates.png

...

Analyzing messaging...

```

**Output**:

```

# Notion Ad Analysis

Overview

Total Ads: 23 active

Primary Themes: Productivity (35%), Collaboration (30%),

Templates (20%), AI Features (15%)

Ad Formats: Static images (60%), Video (40%)

CTA Patterns: "Try for free", "Get started"

Key Problems They're Highlighting

**Scattered Information** (8 ads)

Copy: "Stop switching between 10 different tools"

Why it works: Direct pain point many teams face

**Meeting Overload** (5 ads)

Copy: "Replace unnecessary meetings with async updates"

Why it works: Post-COVID remote work pain point

**Lost Documentation** (4 ads)

Copy: "Never ask 'where is that doc?' again"

Why it works: Universal workplace frustration

Successful Creative Patterns

Pattern 1: Before/After Split

Shows chaotic tool landscape → Clean Notion workspace

Used in 6 high-performing ads

Visual metaphor is immediately clear

Pattern 2: Feature Showcase

GIF of actual product usage

Shows specific feature in 5 seconds

Used for new features (AI, templates)

Pattern 3: Social Proof

"Join 20M users" messaging

Customer logos

Used in 4 ads targeting enterprise

Copy That's Working

Best Headlines:

"Your team's knowledge, finally in one place"

→ Benefit-focused, addresses pain directly

"The all-in-one workspace"

→ Clear positioning, broad appeal

"AI that actually helps you work"

→ Addresses AI skepticism, practical angle

Best Body Copy Patterns:

Short sentences (under 10 words)

Focus on outcomes not features

Include specific numbers ("Cut meetings by 50%")

Audience Targeting Insights

Based on ad variations:

Startup founders: Solo productivity angle

Team leads: Collaboration and alignment

Enterprise: Security and compliance mentions

Students: Free plan, templates, organization

Recommendations for Your Ads

**Test the "tool sprawl" pain point**

→ Strong resonance based on their ad frequency

**Use product screenshots over abstract visuals**

→ All their top ads show actual UI

**Lead with the problem, not the solution**

→ "Tired of X?" performs better than "Introducing Y"

**Keep copy under 100 characters**

→ Their shortest ads seem most frequent

**Test before/after visual formats**

→ Proven pattern in their creative

Files Saved

All ads: ~/competitor-ads/notion/

Analysis: ~/competitor-ads/notion/analysis.md

Best performers: ~/competitor-ads/notion/top-10/

```

**Inspired by:** Sumant Subrahmanya's use case from Lenny's Newsletter

What You Can Learn

Messaging Analysis

What problems they emphasize

How they position against competition

Value propositions that resonate

Target audience segments

Creative Patterns

Visual styles that work

Video vs. static image performance

Color schemes and branding

Layout patterns

Copy Formulas

Headline structures

Call-to-action patterns

Length and tone

Emotional triggers

Campaign Strategy

Seasonal campaigns

Product launch approaches

Feature announcement tactics

Retargeting patterns

Best Practices

Legal & Ethical

✓ Only use for research and inspiration

✓ Don't copy ads directly

✓ Respect intellectual property

✓ Use insights to inform original creative

✗ Don't plagiarize copy or steal designs

Analysis Tips

**Look for patterns**: What themes repeat?

**Track over time**: Save ads monthly to see evolution

**Test hypotheses**: Adapt successful patterns for your brand

**Segment by audience**: Different messages for different targets

**Compare platforms**: LinkedIn vs Facebook messaging differs

Advanced Features

Trend Tracking

```

Compare [Competitor]'s ads from Q1 vs Q2.

What messaging has changed?

```

Multi-Competitor Analysis

```

Extract ads from [Company A], [Company B], [Company C].

What are the common patterns? Where do they differ?

```

Industry Benchmarks

```

Show me ad patterns across the top 10 project management

tools. What problems do they all focus on?

```

Format Analysis

```

Analyze video ads vs static image ads from [Competitor].

Which gets more engagement? (if data available)

```

Common Workflows

Ad Campaign Planning

Extract competitor ads

Identify successful patterns

Note gaps in their messaging

Brainstorm unique angles

Draft test ad variations

Positioning Research

Get ads from 5 competitors

Map their positioning

Find underserved angles

Develop differentiated messaging

Test against their approaches

Creative Inspiration

Extract ads by theme

Analyze visual patterns

Note color and layout trends

Adapt successful patterns

Create original variations

Tips for Success

**Regular Monitoring**: Check monthly for changes

**Broad Research**: Look at adjacent competitors too

**Save Everything**: Build a reference library

**Test Insights**: Run your own experiments

**Track Performance**: A/B test inspired concepts

**Stay Original**: Use for inspiration, not copying

**Multiple Platforms**: Compare Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.

Output Formats

**Screenshots**: All ads saved as images

**Analysis Report**: Markdown summary of insights

**Spreadsheet**: CSV with ad copy, CTAs, themes

**Presentation**: Visual deck of top performers

**Pattern Library**: Categorized by approach

Related Use Cases

Writing better ad copy for your campaigns