Every action you take on the internet is susceptible to tracking. Each time you visit a website, click a link or complete a transaction, there is a record of it stored somewhere, enabling the ability to trace it back to your identity. However, before you succumb to paranoia and take extreme measures to restrict cookies, there is a positive aspect: you also have the capability to monitor the online activities of others.
And, as a marketer, you’d probably want to know what your competition is up to, right? That’s where Ad Spy tools come in handy. By using them, you get to see where your competitors are getting their traffic from, how much they charge for their paid ad campaigns, which content performs the best, what kind of collaborations they do, and plenty more. Yes, a complete game-changer.
In this article, we’ll be talking about the best Ad Spy tools, what are the benefits of using them, and how virtual espionage can be used to up your digital marketing strategy.
What are Ad Spy tools?
A spy tool is a service that facilitates the surveillance of competitors’ advertising campaigns. These tools function as databases containing information about all the advertisements that are currently active or were previously launched on specific traffic sources, such as Facebook, push notifications or pop-up ads.
How to choose the right Ad Spy tools for your needs?
First and foremost, a spy tool serves as a comprehensive collection of various types of ads. These tools are categorized based on the type of traffic they focus on. For instance, there are specific spy tools dedicated to Facebook ads, while others specialize in monitoring push notifications.
There are also more versatile spy tools available that encompass multiple ad formats within a single platform. Take Agenic Control, for example, which allows users to analyze ads both from Meta and Google, together with content from Instagram and Tiktok, without having to switch around multiple tools.
Free spy tools typically offer access to the advertisement itself and its corresponding landing page. The range of available filters in free tools are usually limited to country, ad network, and occasionally keywords. Nonetheless, this option can be advantageous for beginners.
Paid tools offer an expanded toolkit, providing users with more comprehensive information and opportunities. Consequently, it is not surprising that the most effective ad spy tools for internet marketers are typically paid services.
P.S.: WE HAVE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
What functions do Ad Spy tools have?
Ad Spy tools usually have a ton of filters, so you’d easily reach the desired data. The most common ones are:
- Country
- Affiliate Program
- Advertising network
- Duration of the advertising campaign
- Vertical
- Amount of traffic received
- Language of a creative/landing page
- URL
- Keywords
- Device
- Active and inactive ads
- Operating system
- Tracker
How can the data gleaned from these filters help you?
As a matter of fact, it can help you in a variety of ways:
- Identify where your competitors are running their ads – chances are, that’s where theirs, and possibly yours, audience is;
- Identify which ads are performing the best – take a good look at them and make them your own;
- Identify which keywords they’re using – it might be a good idea to adopt them, too, to be a bit more visible on socials;
- Use a content library for inspiration – but don’t copy blindly! Always make sure you’re adding your own touch to it;
Affiliate marketers, unsurprisingly, prioritize spy tools that offer pre-designed creatives and high-converting landing pages, as these are crucial for their success.
The typical approach involves the following steps:
- Identify the top-performing creatives and landing pages through sorting and analysis.
- Download the selected creatives and landing pages.
- Make necessary modifications or adjustments.
- Launch a profitable advertising campaign.
What are the benefits of using Spy Tools in digital marketing?
Spy tools offer the convenience of downloading pre-designed creatives and landing pages for an immediate campaign launch. However, the profitability of this practice may not be guaranteed upon closer examination.
Initially, you can assess the campaign’s profitability by checking its duration and ensuring it hasn’t been disabled. Some spy tools even provide information about the traffic generated from the campaign. However, this data comes only from publicly available sources. Thus, it isn’t always very accurate.
Nevertheless, let’s consider the issue of identical creatives or banners from the perspective of the target audience. When individuals repeatedly encounter the same advertisement, they tend to develop “banner blindness,” where they ignore the ad altogether.
Relying solely on ready-made creatives and landing pages from spy tools may not yield desirable results. It is highly likely that many users have already seen and dismissed them. Instead, it is recommended to find innovative options and use the ideas in your own unique way.
How can affiliate marketers address this problem? They can draw inspiration from spy services but make slight modifications. This applies to both the creatives and landing pages. Utilize similar images but alter the text slightly. The key is to avoid using identical content.
Takeaway Note
A spy tool is an essential tool for any affiliate marketer. Utilizing top-notch spy tools enables marketers to stay at the forefront of the industry and launch lucrative campaigns. The decision of whether to use these tools or not ultimately rests with you. By employing spy tools, such as Agenic Control, you can always discover impressive creatives, get new ideas, and upturn your marketing strategy for success.
Having good creatives simplifies the testing process and increases the likelihood of success. It opens up a wide range of possibilities for achieving favorable outcomes in your campaigns.
AD SPYING ISN’T ROCKET SCIENCE
