| name | competitive-ads-extractor |
| description | Extracts and analyzes competitors' ads from ad libraries (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to understand what messaging, problems, and creative approaches are working. Helps inspire and improve your own ad campaigns. |
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.
Prerequisites
- Web scraping tools: For accessing ad libraries (Selenium, Playwright, or direct APIs)
- Optional: Facebook Business API or LinkedIn Ads API for programmatic access
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
1. **Scattered Information** (8 ads)
Copy: "Stop switching between 10 different tools"
Why it works: Direct pain point many teams face
2. **Meeting Overload** (5 ads)
Copy: "Replace unnecessary meetings with async updates"
Why it works: Post-COVID remote work pain point
3. **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:
1. "Your team's knowledge, finally in one place"
→ Benefit-focused, addresses pain directly
2. "The all-in-one workspace"
→ Clear positioning, broad appeal
3. "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
1. **Test the "tool sprawl" pain point**
→ Strong resonance based on their ad frequency
2. **Use product screenshots over abstract visuals**
→ All their top ads show actual UI
3. **Lead with the problem, not the solution**
→ "Tired of X?" performs better than "Introducing Y"
4. **Keep copy under 100 characters**
→ Their shortest ads seem most frequent
5. **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
- Understanding market positioning
- Finding content gaps in your messaging
- Discovering new use cases for your product
- Planning product marketing strategy
- Inspiring social media content
