Marketing your own small business online can take up a lot of your time.
So why do some small business owners waste theirs by focusing too much on their rivals?
I hear comments like this from people every month “XYZ company have now got more Twitter followers than me – what should I do?”
Find out the answer by reading below.
Every small business is different
- Does it matter if your biggest local rival has more social media fans/followers than you?
- Does it matter if they’ve had their website redesigned?
- Does it matter if they’ve just started writing a blog?
The answer to all of these questions is NO.
There’s nothing wrong with an occasional glance over the other side of the fence as it were but don’t let it become an obsession.
Have you listened to any politicians recently? A lot of them will tell you what the other side is doing wrong without ever telling you how they’d do something positive to address the issue.
The same principle applies to your small business; losing your focus and not listening to what people really want can damage your company.
Be decisive, be proactive and let your competitors worry about you.
Image credit: Clownhouse III
If you’re curious in a professional manner, subscribe to their blog and list, follow them in the social scene and mirror what you can…ethically.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing recently posted..You Really Need to Read the Post- THEN Comment
Hi Dennis, I suppose it’s easier than ever to become obsessed with competitors as everything is so accessible. I could spend a whole day reading other people’s Twitter streams and Facebook pages to try and find something to imitate, but I’d rather tread my own path.
Jamie Fairbairn recently posted..Are Exact Match Domain Names Losing Their Power
Quite true, and not at all what I’m suggesting, just to be clear.
Point is, your going to subscribe and follow anyway, why not kill two birds, as it were.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing recently posted..Google 1- The Plugin is Out
Yes, I see your point Dennis. Google Alerts is an effortless way to ‘spy’ on your competition too.
Jamie Fairbairn recently posted..How to Kick Your Customers in the Teeth
True, but how did you get Google alerts from, what I said?
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing recently posted..Google 1- The Plugin is Out
Hi Dennis, it’s just another way to follow what your competitors are doing online. Rather than search every day to see if they’ve brought out a press release for example, you can get an email every time some new online content mentions their name.
Jamie Fairbairn recently posted..Haphazard Marketing – Are You Preparing to Fail Online