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

1. Extracts Ads: Scrapes ads from Facebook Ad Library, LinkedIn, etc.
2. Captures Screenshots: Saves visual copies of all ads
3. Analyzes Messaging: Identifies problems, use cases, and value props
4. Categorizes Ads: Groups by theme, audience, or format
5. Identifies Patterns: Finds common successful approaches
6. 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