# Guides

> Short how-to guides for competitor research, creative testing, ad libraries and running Meta and Google ads.

- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/guides

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- [How to benchmark your ad performance](/guides/how-to-benchmark-your-ad-performance): Benchmark ad performance against your own last 12 weeks, not a made-up industry average. Set green, amber and red bands for cost per result, with an example.
- [How to build a weekly ad report](/guides/how-to-build-a-weekly-ad-report): Build a one-page weekly ad report: six numbers, three ads, one headline and next week's decisions. Steps, a worked example and mistakes that make reports useless.
- [How to read hook rate and hold rate](/guides/how-to-read-hook-rate-and-hold-rate): Read hook rate and hold rate together to see where a video ad loses people. Formulas from Meta's own metrics, a worked example and what to fix first.
- [How to write ad hooks that stop the scroll](/guides/how-to-write-ad-hooks): A five-step method to write ad hooks for video and static ads, with examples, a testing plan and the mistakes that kill hooks.
- [How to see a competitor's Instagram ads](/guides/how-to-see-competitor-ads-on-instagram): See any brand's live Instagram ads for free in the Meta Ad Library, filtered to Instagram only. The steps, what you can learn and what stays hidden.
- [How to see a competitor's LinkedIn ads](/guides/how-to-see-competitor-ads-on-linkedin): LinkedIn's free Ad Library shows ads any company has run. How to search it, what you can see and how B2B teams use it for research.
- [How to tell if a competitor's ad is working](/guides/how-to-tell-if-a-competitor-ad-is-working): You cannot see their dashboard, but public clues show which competitor ads are working. A checklist of six signs, and the traps to avoid.
- [How to use the Google Ads Transparency Center](/guides/how-to-use-google-ads-transparency-center): Google's free Ads Transparency Center shows search, YouTube and image ads from any verified advertiser. How to search it, filter it and read each ad.
- [How to use TikTok Creative Center](/guides/how-to-use-tiktok-creative-center): TikTok Creative Center is a free tool for top ads, trending sounds, hashtags and creators. How to use each part, and what it means for brands in India.
- [How to brief UGC creators](/guides/how-to-brief-ugc-creators): A good UGC brief gets you usable ads on the first try. What to include, a copyable brief template and the mistakes that waste creator time.
- [How to fix ad fatigue](/guides/how-to-fix-ad-fatigue): A five-step plan to fix ad fatigue on Meta: confirm it is fatigue, refresh with real variety, rotate, widen audiences and set a warning system.
- [How to know when to turn off an ad](/guides/how-to-know-when-to-kill-an-ad): Clear rules for when to turn off a Meta ad: how much to spend before judging, which numbers to read and when a losing ad deserves more time.
- [How to build a swipe file your team will actually use](/guides/how-to-build-a-swipe-file): A step-by-step way to build a swipe file of ads: where to find them, what to save, how to tag them and how to turn them into briefs.
- [How to find out how long an ad has been running](/guides/how-to-find-out-how-long-an-ad-has-been-running): Find out how long a Facebook, Instagram, Google or LinkedIn ad has been running, using each free ad library. Which one shows a start date, and how to read it.
- [The Meta Andromeda update: what it changed and what to do now](/guides/meta-andromeda-update): Meta's Andromeda system changed how ads get picked for each person. What changed for advertisers, and a five-step checklist for your account.