What you can learn from your competitors? (1 of 5)

I hate the word competitor. Although technically correct, I prefer using the term fellow industry worker or the like, much less abrasive and again endorses the overall philosophy of sharing and becoming better, together.

Take our peers for example, the business’s that are on the next level and above to you.  And the ones that aren’t as good as you, that are striving to be where you are.  This is where the business karma will have a resounding effect. What you can do for those underneath you, the ones above will hopefully do for you.

These people, businesses, clients, should be our allies not opponents. I’m sure they could learn something from me, just as I could them.

The ultimate goal being to form relationships with them and although I have big dreams, I am not stupid enough to think that this is completely and easily accomplished, if at all. But the learning is vital. Understanding how they work, what marketing they use and how they go about it. Huge companies spend millions on departments doing just that, day in day out.  So we simply have to adopt that frame of mind and put it into practice for our own and others benefit.

1. Who are your comrades following on Twitter and Facebook?

2. Who is in their google circles?

3. What kind of interaction do they have with these people?

4. In which way do they utilise these relationships online?

Keep a log of how many times they interact and what you believe the benefit is. Remember I introduced, Market Me Suite – a great tool for doing just that!. Make notes of their marketing efforts and track their progress. Have they ran any competitions? What was the prize? How many people entered? Did it win them business? etc.

Tomorrow we talk about groups and communities…

#onlinepr #OnlinePRandMarketing #SmallBiz #SocialMedia