In business, no one’s starting from zero. We’ve got a whole industry of competitors who’ve already done the legwork. Lucky for us, they’ve made all the mistakes so we don’t have to. The trick? Watch them, take notes, and then tweak what they’ve done. Not a straight copy, but close enough to save ourselves some headaches.
Competitors: Our Free Research Department
Why spend time guessing when we can see what’s already working? Our competitors are basically offering us free insights, so we might as well take advantage. We can start by scrolling through their social media feeds, websites, or anything else they put out there for public consumption. Whether we like it or not, they’ve done the hard work of trial and error, and the results are right in front of us.
Pay attention to what they’re posting, but also to how people respond. Do they get more likes when they post a sleek product photo or when they share a behind-the-scenes video? Do their customers engage more with stories about their brand or with discounts and deals? These are questions they’ve already answered for us, so we’re not starting from scratch. It’s like having a cheat sheet, except we’re allowed to use it.
We’re not trying to copy and paste their whole business model though. That’s a one-way ticket to irrelevance. Instead, we’re picking out what resonates and finding ways to do it better. It’s not about who did it first—it’s about who did it better.
Tweaking Their Ideas: Not Just Copying
Let’s be clear: we don’t want to be just another version of them. That’s not why we’re in business. What we’re doing is inspired by them, but it’s got our own twist. Think of it as cooking—everyone might be using the same ingredients, but it’s how we prepare them that makes the difference.
If they’re posting professional, polished content, maybe we should try something a bit more raw, more authentic. Or if their tone is formal, we could go the opposite direction and add a bit of humour or personality. We’re not stealing their style—we’re remixing it. It’s about adding a little flavour that makes us stand out from the crowd.
We should also keep in mind what doesn’t work for them. Notice what falls flat, what doesn’t get any engagement, and learn from that as well. Just because a competitor has been around longer doesn’t mean they’ve nailed it. Sometimes, it’s just as important to note their mistakes so we don’t repeat them.
Find What Works for Us (Through Them)
Once we’ve got a handle on what’s working for them, it’s time to make it work for us. No need to reinvent the wheel—just give it a new coat of paint. We should start by replicating their best content and then pay attention to how our own audience responds. Are we getting more engagement? More clicks? Great, now we know which direction to go.
From here, it’s all about fine-tuning. If their approach to Instagram stories works, we can adapt that. If their blog posts get shared a lot, we might want to start writing more ourselves. Each bit of feedback we get—whether it’s good or bad—helps us refine our strategy. We don’t need to create a brand new formula; we just need to adjust the existing one until it fits our own audience.
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