In recent weeks both Facebook and Twitter unveiled new tools that will reveal ads running from any given advertising account on their respective platform.
For many years Twitter and Facebook have been running ad programs freely, and without oversight from consumers. But during the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath, it became clear that more was needed to hold both platforms and brands more accountable. So each platform has individually launched new ways to see what ads are currently being run from any specific account.
Twitter:
Twitter launched the Ads Transparency Center. The page starts by explaining its purpose:
From there you can search for any user account at which point Twitter showing you any ads delivered from the page in the past 7 days. Here is a sample from Redfin’s profile:
Facebook is taking a similar but slightly different approach. In late June they announced that they would be offering more transparency to their advertising experience. That means you can now view active ads being run on a page at any given time (sorry, past history will not be available). To view, you must go to the specific brand page and click on ‘info and ads’ either in the sidebar or near the cover photo. Here is the example of the page with active ads Redfin’s page:
(interesting to see the difference in their ad strategies between platforms)
Silver lining?
Most marketers and advertisers would probably prefer that their work not be available for just any inquisitive eye, but at the same time it can take competitive analysis to a new level. These new systems make it very easy to see what your competitors are doing and how they are messaging to their target audiences.
What’s your take on this update? Tweet at us at @VoxusPR and let us know your thoughts.