Any business that considers Facebook an integral platform within its marketing strategy, will be familiar with Facebook ads.
These paid blocks of content allows businesses and brands to target specific demographics and finetune the visibility of their ads, controlling the actions that users take when they see an ad, and tracking their progression from discovery through to engagement.
Of course, as a generic Facebook user, the ads that you see will be influenced by your activity on the platform and your interests. Everything you do on Facebook impacts the ads that you see, and the businesses that Facebook thinks you will be interested in engaging with.
What is less obvious to users is how – and whether – they can find an ad that they previously engaged with or saw on their feed.
Can You Find Ads You’ve Seen on Facebook?
The first question that users have is whether it’s possible to find ads that they have seen and engaged with in the past.
With Facebook changing and refreshing the feed for every user, each time they open the app, it can feel impossible to rediscover content you’ve already seen.
Luckily though, that’s what Facebook’s Activity Log is for.
The Activity Log enables you to go back to content that you’ve engaged with, by tracking everything you do on the platform.
Navigate to your settings via the menu button in the bottom right hand corner, then select ‘Settings and Privacy’, then ‘Activity Log’.
In the ‘Activity Log’ corner of your Facebook app, you can select ‘Ads and Businesses’ and then browse through a list of all the Facebook ads that you have previously interacted with.
So yes, it is possible to find ads that you’ve previously seen on Facebook.
Searching for Specific Ads
Another feature that many Facebook users are not aware of is the Ads Library.
This corner of the Facebook platform invites users to search through all of the ads that are currently running on Meta as a whole – finetuning their search using keywords, location, and specific markets or categories.
If you want to find new ads and businesses that operate in a sector or industry that you’re particularly interested in, then this is the best way to do so. You can save searches for future reference and discover new brands to follow using this feature.
The Power of Facebook Ads
Both of these user journeys enable you to see which brands and businesses are using Facebook’s paid content feature to develop ads, both engaging existing users and reaching new audiences.
We hope this advice helps you to make the most of the ads function as a user, discovering ads that appeal to you and that improve your Facebook experience!
