If you know your competitors well enough, half of the digital marketing battle is won.
Knowing where your competitors are advertising (even better: if they are doing it well) is one of the first steps you’d take on your journey to comprehensive competitor analysis and competitive intelligence.
It’s where it all starts, and it gets deeper from there.
Where are my competitors advertising? How can I examine their campaigns and creatives? These answers will come to you after a thorough, efficient, and organized approach to competitor research.
How exactly? Here are three ways for you to consider:
Use Competitive Analytics Tools
By far, using competitive analytics tools is the fastest and the most efficient way to know what your competitors are doing -- especially the campaigns they are running, digital marketing efforts (Including advertisements, website profiles, SEO rankings, and email marketing campaigns), and their overall social media presence.
Using competitive analytics tools provides you with several features on top of competitive analytics itself which allows you to continuously track your main competitors (along with other brands across industries).
A few of our favorite features include the constantly updated data sets, the ability to create lists, curate swipe files, and tap into a single dashboard for massive and filtered data.
Here are a few competitor analytics tools you should consider using to save hundreds of combined hours you’d otherwise waste just looking for information you need.
Panoramata
Panoramata gives you single window access to hundreds of brands across industries to help you look up and delve deep into creative campaigns including (but not limited to): email campaigns, email subject lines used, email subject line spam scores, and email marketing frequency.
You’d also be able to see landing pages, ads, website SEO profiles, any changes made to web properties, and the marketing stack (or technology) your competitors use.
Semrush
Semrush is an industry-leading Swiss army knife when it comes to digital marketing data for both your brand and that of each of your competitors.
Hitting the sweet spot across each brand’s web presence, Semrush allows you to track and keep up with search engine performance, social media presence, advertising metrics (+ creatives), identifying keyword opportunities, and more.
Using competitive analytics tools provides you with several features on top of competitive analytics itself which allows you to continuously track your main competitors (along with other brands across industries).
Similarweb
Similarweb offers a series of products such as social intelligence, shopper intelligence, ad intelligence, SEO tools, audience analysis, company research, and sales intelligence tools.
Similarweb not only helps with intelligence for your own business but digs deep into every competitor with a half-decent web presence.
The Traditional Hustle: Knocking on Competitors’ Doors
If using competitive tools is not an option for you, you’d have to resort to the traditional hustle. Make a list of each competitor and track their marketing efforts. At least as much as is available for you to see.
It’ll be hard to actually see their email marketing campaigns (unless you sign up for their marketing newsletters or purchase products to see their post-purchase email campaign automations).
Unless they advertise regularly (or have active campaigns at the time of your search), a few ad libraries (more below) won’t show their ads.
You might certainly stumble across their front-facing web properties such as websites. Landing pages (if any) can be accessed by doing a direct brand search on Google and then looking for their landing pages by clicking on any relevant ads.
Social Network Ad Libraries
Large social networks regularly publish or maintain dedicated open libraries. For instance, Google has Google Ad Transparency Center, Facebook (Meta) has Meta Ads Library, and so on.
Each of these libraries (each pertinent to that respective network) provides you with thousands of ads showcased daily (depending on your search criteria).
Dig into any of the libraries -- Pinterest, Meta, Google, LinkedIn -- and see brands publish ads on social media.
In the Wild & Case Studies
Often, you’ll spot campaigns in the wild (since all of us are serenaded by thousands of ads and marketing messages every day anyway).
Additionally, several published articles, listicles, and blog posts brands publish have plenty of case studies or examples of landing pages, email marketing campaigns, and advertising done by other brands.
One search and you’ll be able to find several examples of landing pages that convert, winning ads, and profitable email marketing campaigns. You’ll also be able to find email marketing automation sequences, examples, and more.
To get a kickstart with your competitor research, sign up with Panoramata-- a comprehensive competitor intelligence tool to help you get under the hood and dig out creatives, angles, hooks, and ideas from various campaigns your competitors are already running.
Panoramata includes the marketing tools competitors use, landing pages, website profiles, SEO profiles, email marketing designs, and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I find out where my competitors are advertising?
You can use competitor tracking tools that provide data on ad placements across social media, search engines, and display networks. Additionally, researching their digital footprint on Google or visiting their social media profiles can reveal key advertising platforms.
2. What are some tools for tracking competitor advertising?
Tools like Panoramata, Semrush, and Similarweb offer insights into where competitors are placing ads and which audiences they’re targeting. These tools help you understand their ad spend, targeting tactics, and popular ad formats.
3. Can I discover competitors’ offline advertising strategies?
Yes, traditional methods like tracking billboards, print media, and local events can reveal offline advertising channels. Observing competitor promotions in physical locations or events can complement your digital research efforts for a complete view.
