Guide 2 of 5 in Level 2: Make your first post

How to do competitor analysis

To do competitor analysis in Blackbox (blackbox.plus), open Studio, click your brand and choose the Competitors tab. It shows the ads your competitors are running on Meta and Google and their recent Instagram and TikTok posts, on the channels your brand has connected. The first time, tick the accounts that really belong to each competitor and click Start watching. Their ads and posts arrive in about a minute, and the tab checks again every week. To watch anyone else, click Add an account and type a name, a website or an @handle. Each ad says how long it has been running, and an ad that runs for a month or more is usually one that works. Each post shows its engagement against that account's usual. Tick up to 10 ads or posts and click Make ideas: Blackbox writes post ideas that answer them in your brand's voice, never copying their words, prices or claims.

You'll need
Time
About 5 minutes 6 steps Updated
You'll end with
Your competitors’ ads and posts in one place, and a post idea that answers the best of them
Do it in Blackbox Open Studio, after you sign in
Example
Competitors’ ads, ticked and turned into an idea in the brand’s own voice

How to do competitor analysis in Blackbox

  1. Step 1:Open the Competitors tab

    In Studio, open Brands, click your brand, then click Competitors.

    You'll see: What your competitors advertise and post, with a chip for each competitor and Add an account.

    Open this in Blackbox

  2. Step 2:Confirm their accounts, the first time

    Tick the accounts that really belong to each competitor, then click Start watching.

    You'll see: Watching. Their first ads and posts arrive in about a minute.

  3. Step 3:Add anyone else

    Click Add an account, type a name, a website or an @handle, and click Look up. Tick the right one and click Watch.

    You'll see: Their name joins the chips, and their ads and posts arrive in about a minute.

  4. Step 4:See what they run

    Switch between Ads and Posts. Leave Running now ticked to see only ads that are live today.

    You'll see: Each ad says how long it has run, such as Running 64 days; each post, its engagement against their usual.

  5. Step 5:Tick the ones worth answering

    Tick up to 10 ads or posts, then click Make ideas from 2 ticked (the number is how many you ticked).

    You'll see: Working… while the ideas are written — about a minute.

  6. Step 6:Pick an idea

    In Ideas, find the ones marked From competitors and click Make this on the one you want.

    You'll see: The brief for that post, written in your brand’s voice.

Good to know

  • Ads come from Meta’s public Ad Library and Google’s Ads Transparency Center, and posts from public Instagram and TikTok profiles. Blackbox never reads a competitor through your own accounts.
  • Meta ads are the ones running in your brand’s country. The libraries don’t show spend, targeting or results, so Blackbox shows how long an ad has run: advertisers keep paying for ads that work.
  • TikTok ads aren’t public outside Europe, so for TikTok you see their posts.
  • The tab checks for new ads and posts every week. Refresh checks again now, once a day per brand. Each workspace has a monthly allowance of checks, which resets on the 1st; what you already have stays on the tab.
  • When you set up your brand, Blackbox suggests competitors from who shows up when your customers search, and you confirm them. Those are the ones the tab looks for first.
  • Ideas are written from your brand’s facts and never name the competitor. They join your other ideas; see Get Instagram post ideas from your own website.
  • The same ads show up when you plan a campaign, under Competitors running now and From a competitor ad; see How to create a Facebook ad campaign.

If something doesn't work

It says it didn’t find them on your connected channels

Blackbox only searches the channels your brand has connected. Try their website or their exact @handle, or connect the channel on the Data page first.

It says No ads running right now

They have no ads running in your brand’s country today. Untick Running now to see ads that have ended, or switch to Posts.

A banner says a competitor’s account isn’t available right now

The handle may be wrong, or the account is private or age-restricted. Click Report on the banner and we’ll look; the rest of the tab is up to date.

It still says it’s fetching their ads and posts for the first time

Reload the page after a minute. If a banner above says an account isn’t available, that account couldn’t be read; add them again by website or exact handle.

I’m watching the wrong account

Click Manage next to Add an account, then Stop watching on the wrong one. Its ads and posts leave the tab; ideas you already made stay.

Add an account and Refresh don’t work for me

Those need an admin. Ask an admin of your workspace to add the accounts or make you one.

Stuck at any step? Send us a message and we'll do it with you on a call. All of Level 2: Make your first post