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      How to audit competitor social media channels

      How to audit competitor social media channels.

      Why do competitor research? 

      Before jumping into social media marketing, it’s important to understand what’s already working in your industry. Competitor research helps you:

      • Learn from the best – See what successful brands are doing and why it works.
      • Spot opportunities – Find gaps in content or engagement that you can take advantage of.
      • Save time & avoid mistakes – Skip the trial and error by learning from others’ successes (and failures).
      • Improve your strategy – Get ideas for content, platform choices, and ways to connect with your audience.
      • Stand out – See what makes your brand unique and how to highlight that online.

      How to find competitors:

      Do your own research:

      Simply Search It – Use google or the platform searches to search relevant keywords related to your product or service (e.g., “best running shoes for beginners” if you’re selling athletic shoes) and see what comes up. 

      • What comes up when you google o use search their business name or similar terms?

      Ask Client

      • Review New Client Questionnaire/ Core Messaging doc for your client. (There is a specific question that asks about competitors). 

      Consider Direct vs. Indirect competitors:

      • Direct competitors: Companies offering nearly identical products or services to the same target market. 
      • Indirect competitors: Businesses offering different products but competing for the same customer needs. (Example: McDonald's vs. Domino's Pizza - Both compete for mealtime dining but offer different food types (burgers vs. pizza). 

      Overview:

      Important aspects to consider when analyzing competitors:
      • Product/Service offerings: Analyze their features, pricing, and unique selling points.  
      • Marketing strategies: Examine their advertising channels, content marketing, and social media presence. 
      • Customer reviews and feedback: Understand how customers perceive their brand and product quality. 
      • Website analysis: Evaluate the design, functionality, and user experience of their website.  
      • SEO strategy: Identify the keywords they target and their ranking on search engines. 

      Profile Information

      Action Items: Fill out the following information for each competitor

      • Client Name
        • Replace "Competitor #X" with the competitor name. 
      • Logo Picture
        • Copy or download the company logo image and insert it into the cell (Insert → Image→  Insert image in cell)
      • Website URL
        • Paste in the competitor website link to easily refer back to it. 

      Account Statistics Overview       

      Purpose: A well-optimized profile enhances brand visibility and engagement! 

      Action Items: Fill out the following information for each competitor. No need to get super specific, just notate benchmark data for each competitor to compare to the client's info. If the competitor doesn't have that social media profile, just put N/A in the cell.

      • URL
        • Locate the social media profile for each of the competitor's corresponding profiles and paste the link into the URL cell.
      • Followers
        • Notate how many followers/subscribers each competitor has on each corresponding social media profile. 
      • Frequency of Posting (Per Week)
        • Just average this out based on looking at their posting frequency.
      • Engagement Rate
      • Notes
        • Feel free to add an observations here. It's not needed, but you can make note of the types of content that seems to be performing well, low or high engagement rates, how often competitors are posting, etc. 

      Best Performing Posts 

      Choose the competitors most active platform. This will typically be Instagram or Facebook, but could vary based on the company. 
      Purpose: To see what the competition is doing well and how we can learn from their top performing content. 
      • Photo
        • Screenshot, Copy or download the post image and insert it into the cell (Insert → Image→  Insert image in cell)
      • URL Link
        • Copy and paste the link to the post
      • Post Caption
        • Copy and paste the post caption to analyze for performance
      • CTA
        • There may not be one, but if so, list it. If not, just put “N/A”
      • Content Type
        • Reel, carousel, single image, video, etc. 
      • Statistics (some info might not be available for all platforms so just fill in what you can and list N/A for what you can't find.)
        • 👤   Followers
        • ❤️   Likes
        • 💬   Comments
        • 📤   Shares
        • 📁   Views/Saves

       

      Insights and Positioning Opportunities        

      • Insight Examples (choose 1-4)
        • Ideally you will analyze the competitor as whole and identify what insights you gained from their social media platforms. No need to use these exact examples, but here are a few examples to get you started:  
          • Content Types: The competitor predominantly utilizes various content formats, including... (videos, infographics, and user-generated content, which consistently drive engagement among their audience).
          • Engagement Levels: Our competitor exhibits strong levels of engagement, with an average of [insert specific metrics like likes, comments, shares] per post, indicating a high level of audience interaction and interest.
          • Posting Frequency: The competitor maintains a consistent posting frequency, ensuring a regular presence on social media platforms without overwhelming their audience with excessive content.
          • Audience Demographics: Analysis reveals that the competitor's audience primarily consists of [insert demographics such as age group, gender, location], presenting an opportunity to refine our targeting strategies to resonate with similar demographics.
          • Tone and Voice: The competitor projects a distinct brand personality through their communication style, emphasizing [insert key characteristics], suggesting a need for differentiation in our brand persona to stand out in the market.
          • Hashtag Strategy: The competitor effectively leverages hashtags to increase content visibility and engagement, with particular emphasis on trending and niche hashtags relevant to our industry.
          • Platform Preferences: Our competitor demonstrates a strong presence on platforms such as [insert platforms], indicating their effectiveness in reaching our target audience in these spaces.
          • Campaign Performance: The competitor has successfully executed social media campaigns, including [insert examples of successful campaigns], highlighting opportunities to innovate and refine our own campaign strategies.
          • Influencer Partnerships: The competitor engages in collaborations with influencers and brand ambassadors, leveraging their reach and credibility to enhance brand visibility and connect with new audiences.
      • Positioning Opportunities (choose 1-4) 
        • How can our client improve and even do better than their competitors based on the insights from above. No need to use these exact examples, but here are a few examples to get you started:  
          • Content Innovation: Implement unique and engaging content formats to differentiate our brand and capture the attention of our target audience.
          • Engagement Enhancement: Develop strategies to increase audience engagement through interactive content and user-generated campaigns, fostering deeper connections with our audience.
          • Posting Optimization: Establish an optimal posting schedule tailored to our audience's preferences, ensuring consistent visibility without overwhelming them with excessive content.
          • Audience Segmentation: Tailor content and messaging to resonate with specific audience segments identified through competitor analysis, maximizing relevance and impact.
          • Brand Persona Refinement: Refine our brand voice and personality to set ourselves apart from competitors, ensuring authenticity and resonance with our target audience.
          • Hashtag Utilization: Implement a strategic hashtag strategy to improve content discoverability and expand our reach on social media platforms.
          • Platform Diversification: Explore opportunities to expand our presence on additional social media platforms favored by our target audience, diversifying our reach and engagement.
          • Campaign Innovation: Innovate and refine our social media campaigns, capitalizing on emerging trends and addressing gaps identified in competitor campaigns.
          • Responsiveness Improvement: Enhance our customer service and responsiveness on social media platforms, fostering stronger connections and loyalty among our audience. Respond to comments on social media. 
          • Influencer Collaboration: Forge partnerships with influencers aligned with our brand values and objectives, leveraging their reach and credibility to amplify our brand messaging and reach new audiences.