Analyzing your competitors’ Facebook ads is a game-changer when it comes to refining your mobile gaming advertising strategies. By taking a closer look at the ads your competitors are running, you can uncover valuable insights into market trends, identify areas where your campaigns might be lacking, and fine-tune your messaging to better connect with your target audience of mobile gamers.
Understanding what types of ads your competitors are using, the audiences they are targeting, and how they design their creatives can help you optimize your ads. The competitor ad analysis can give you a competitive edge by revealing what’s resonating with gamers and what’s falling flat.
The best part? Facebook provides a free and easy way to view your competitors’ ads. So, if you're ready to level up your mobile gaming ad strategy, let’s explore how you can start analyzing competitor ads like a pro and gain an advantage.
What is the Facebook Ad Library?
The Facebook Ad Library is a public tool that you can use to view all active ads running across Meta’s platform. For mobile gaming, this resource is invaluable for analyzing competitors' advertising strategies, understanding market trends, and gaining insights into effective ad creatives.
Key Features:
Comprehensive Ad Access: Explore all active ads across Meta's platforms.
Search Functionality: Filter ads by country and ad category to find specific campaigns relevant to the mobile gaming industry.
Transparency: Access detailed information about each ad, including the ad spend and the dates the ad has been running.
To take your analysis a step further, it’s important to understand why monitoring competitors’ Facebook ads is crucial.
Why monitor competitor’s Facebook ads?
Monitoring your competitor ad analysis on Facebook is essential for refining your mobile gaming marketing strategy. Here's why:
1. Understand Market Trends
By analyzing your competitors' ads, you can identify current trends in the mobile gaming industry, such as popular game genres, themes, and promotional tactics. Keeping track of new ads and experimental ad concepts within your game genre or among competitors helps you stay ahead of emerging strategies and refine your user acquisition approach accordingly.
2. Identify Effective Strategies
Observing which ads gain high engagement can reveal successful strategies. You can adapt these tactics to enhance your mobile game campaigns by understanding what resonates with the audience.
3. Optimize Ad Performance
By analyzing competitors' ad creatives, targeting, and performance, you can refine your game ads for better results. This continuous improvement process is vital for staying ahead in the mobile gaming market.
Now that you understand the importance of monitoring your competitors' Facebook ads, let's explore how to use the Facebook Ad Library to analyze the campaigns.
How To Use The Facebook Ad Library
The Facebook Ad Library is a powerful tool to gain valuable insights into competitor ad analysis. Here’s how you can make the most of it:
Step 1: Visit Facebook’s Ad Library
Navigate to the Ad Library: Start by visiting the Facebook Ad Library via your Facebook profile. If you're having trouble finding it, simply type "Ad Library" into the Facebook search bar, and the first result should take you there.
Step 2: Select Your Country and Ad Category
Search for Competitor Game Ads: me.
Filter by Country: If you’re interested in location-specific ads (for example, targeting players in Singapore), you can filter the results by country.
Choose Ad Category: In the “Ad Category” dropdown, you can filter by categories. For Last War Survival, the ad category would be mobile gaming, or choose all ads.
Step 3: Access Detailed Ad Information
Click on the Game Name: Once you search for “Last War Survival,” click on it. This will take you to a detailed page with specific information about their ad campaigns.
Keep in mind that the Ad Library does not show all ads; it may show only a subset of their active campaigns.
Under the "About" tab, you’ll see additional details about the game, including:
Associated Facebook pages and Instagram accounts
Page history (e.g., creation date, name changes, page merges)
Information about organizations managing the page
Locations of the people managing the page
Active Ads List: Scroll down to view a list of all active ads currently being run, including their start dates, platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger), ad spend, and impressions.
Step 4: Click on Each Ad Unit for More Information
Click on See Ad details to view more in-depth information. This will open a new window with detailed insights, including:
Ad Status: Whether the ad is active or inactive.
Ad Start Date: Knowing when an ad started can help you assess its duration and effectiveness.
Platforms: Learn where the ad is being run—Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, etc.
Ad Category: This helps you understand which categories your competitor’s mobile game is targeting (e.g., mobile gaming or in-app purchases).
Ad Creative: See the creative assets, heading, CTA button, and landing page URL.
Filters for a Precise Analysis: You can use filters to narrow down your search. For example, you can filter by platform (Facebook, Instagram), impressions, or date range. Focus on active ads to get the most up-to-date insights.
Pro Tip: To gain the most impactful insights, use filters like:
Advertiser: Focus on analyzing ads from specific competitors that are most relevant to your game.
Impressions by Date: Track how your competitor’s ad strategy evolves. This can help you understand shifts in their approach and adapt your strategy.
Active Status: Filter for active ads to understand current trends in mobile gaming.
Step 5: Analyze Your Findings and Use Them to Improve Your Ads
Once you’ve gathered a list of game ads, it's time to analyze them and apply your findings to your mobile gaming campaigns:
Check the Ad’s Running Date: Long-running ads often indicate that the ad is performing well. If an ad has been running for several months or even years, it’s likely achieving higher conversion rates.
Evaluate Ad Creatives and Copy:
Visual Elements: Examine whether the ads use images, videos, or animations. Are the visuals engaging and relevant to your target audience? How do they reflect the game’s features or storytelling elements?
Ad Copy: Look at the tone and style of the ad copy. Does it speak to the emotions of the players (e.g., excitement, competition, or social connectivity)? Is the call-to-action (CTA) clear and compelling?
Pro Tip: Focus on active ads that were launched within this year. Older ads might not align with current trends or player expectations, so make sure to focus on the latest successful mobile game ads.
Step 6: Implement Insights into Your Strategy
Now that you've gathered key insights, here’s how to apply them to your mobile gaming campaigns:
Refine Your Ad Creatives: Use the creative elements that resonate most with the players. Whether it's a specific video format, vibrant visuals, or gameplay-focused ads, adapt these strategies to your own mobile game.
Craft Compelling Copy: Emulate the tone, CTA style, and emotional appeal used in successful competitor ads. Make sure your copy speaks to the player’s desire for fun, competition, or achievement.
Track Ad Performance: Continuously monitor your ads to see what’s working. Test different creatives, platforms, and CTAs to optimize your results.
By systematically analyzing your competitor’s mobile game ads, you can improve your ad strategies, stay ahead of market trends, and ultimately drive more player acquisition.
Now that you know how to access your competitors' ads, Here are some tips for effective competitor ad monitoring that will help you refine your strategy.
Also Read: Predictive Analytics: Uses in Mobile Games and App Marketing
Tips for Effective Competitor Ad Monitoring
Here are five tips for making the most of Facebook's Ad Library to analyze competitor ads in the mobile gaming industry:
Identify Trends: Look for patterns in the types of game features your competitors are highlighting, like graphics, in-game rewards, or gameplay mechanics. Recognizing these trends helps you stay aligned with what’s currently popular in mobile gaming ads.
Analyze Ad Engagement: Check how much interaction your competitor’s ads are getting. High engagement can indicate which aspects of their mobile game, such as gameplay or unique characters, are attracting players’ attention, giving you clues on what to emphasize in your ads.
Focus on Ad Duration: Long-running ads for a mobile game often point to successful campaigns. If a particular ad is getting consistent traction, you can study its messaging and creative elements to understand what resonates with the gaming audience.
Evaluate Targeting Strategies: Examine the ad visuals and copy to infer which types of gamers your competitors are targeting. Are they focusing on casual gamers, strategy lovers, or hardcore players? This can guide you in refining your targeting efforts.
Track Creative Variations: Look at different versions of the same ad, especially if they highlight various game features or updates. Small tweaks in visuals or messaging can give you insight into how to refresh your mobile game ads for better results.
Also Read: Mastering ROAS for Mobile Games and Apps: The Ultimate Guide
Conclusion
Analyzing your competitors' Facebook ads is an invaluable strategy for refining your mobile gaming campaigns. By utilizing the Facebook Ad Library, you can easily access insights into what your competitors are doing right, from the creative elements they use to the audience they target.
Adding AI-powered tools further elevates your analysis. Segwise offers deep insights into ad performance and creative optimization. Together, these tools enable you to identify trends, monitor ad engagement, and optimize your campaigns for higher conversion rates and better ROI.
So, are you ready to level up your ad strategy?
Start your 14-day free trial today and unlock advanced insights to improve your mobile gaming campaigns!
