A social media competitor evaluation gives higher visibility into how different companies in your trade leverage social media. Right here’s the way to do it proper.
10 steps to conduct a social media competitor evaluation:
- Identify competitors
- Analyze social media platforms
- Assess follower base
- Dig into content strategy
- Evaluate engagement metrics
- Monitor influencer collaborations
- Assess advertising strategy
- Review customer feedback
- Check benchmark performance
- Plan for recurring monitoring
Sprout Social stories that just about 70% of consumers observe manufacturers on social to remain within the learn about new services or products.
So, it’s no shock that social media is among the hottest methods to have interaction with clients and successfully attain your audience.
However identical to in search engine outcomes, there’s competitors for eyeballs and a spotlight on social media platforms.
That’s why understanding how your model stacks up towards the competitors is necessary for creating your social technique and making it be just right for you.
Conducting a aggressive evaluation for social media can improve your social media efficiency.
Moreover higher understanding your competitors, a competitor evaluation places useful data in your palms on the way to enhance your model’s social media administration technique.
Let’s discover the very best strategies and instruments for conducting a aggressive evaluation for social media, with assist from HawkSEM lead strategist and social media professional Nicole Goodnough.
Earlier than you get too far in your social media evaluation, establish the aim of operating one within the first place. (Picture: Unsplash)
10 steps to conduct a social media competitor evaluation
No must maintain all of it in your mind — jot down our guidelines to maintain readily available for the following time you propose to dig into your opponents’ social media methods:
1. Establish opponents
Make an inventory of your predominant opponents within the trade or area of interest you’re focusing on. This can show you how to focus your evaluation on the proper opponents.
2. Analyze social media platforms
Decide which social media platforms your opponents are energetic on. Search for their presence on platforms corresponding to Fb, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and so on.
3. Assess follower base
Consider the scale and demographics of your opponents’ follower base. Search for patterns when it comes to age, gender, location, and pursuits. This can show you how to perceive their audience.
4. Dig into content material technique
Look at the kind of content material your opponents are posting on social media. Search for the posting frequency, the content material’s format (photos, movies, textual content), and the tone of voice. Establish what resonates with their viewers.
5. Consider engagement metrics
Assessment the engagement metrics of your opponents’ social media posts. Have a look at the variety of likes, feedback, shares, and views to grasp how effectively their content material is performing and resonating with their viewers.
6. Monitor influencer collaborations
Control the influencers your opponents are collaborating with. Search for partnerships and sponsored content material to grasp their influencer advertising and marketing technique.
7. Assess promoting technique
Analyze the social media advertisements your opponents are operating. Search for the kind of advertisements, focusing on choices, and messaging used. This can establish their promoting technique and establish potential gaps or alternatives.
8. Assessment buyer suggestions
Monitor buyer opinions, feedback, and mentions about your opponents on social media. Take note of each constructive and damaging suggestions to grasp their strengths and weaknesses.
9. Test benchmark efficiency
Evaluate your individual social media efficiency towards your opponents. Search for areas the place you’ll be able to enhance and establish alternatives to distinguish your self.
10. Plan for recurring monitoring
Constantly monitor your opponents’ social media actions and adapt your technique accordingly. Control new traits, campaigns, and initiatives they undertake.
Advantages of monitoring my opponents on social media
There are various benefits to conducting a competitor evaluation for social media. Based on Goodnough, analyzing your opponents can assist you do three predominant issues:
- See gaps available in the market and the way your enterprise can do higher
- Place your enterprise above the competitors
- Uncover trade traits
“Typically it may be tough to step again and try your individual social media,” says Goodnough. “So reviewing your opponents’ efforts can assist you establish enhancements in your personal social, and even decide what you’re doing effectively already.”
A radical competitor evaluation also can unearth buyer insights and suggestions so that you may be positive your enterprise does issues higher and meets the wants of your buyer base.
Professional tip: Researching your competitors isn’t about stealing concepts or mimicking them. Fairly, it’s to see what they’re doing effectively, what they may do higher, and the way to place your enterprise forward of them. The insights you uncover will inform and strengthen your social media technique and drive progress for your enterprise.
Now that you just perceive the benefits, right here’s the way to conduct a competitor evaluation for social media like a professional.
1. Decide your prime opponents
You in all probability have already got a good suggestion about who your prime opponents are. If not, it’s value taking the time to establish your prime 5 competing corporations.
To establish your competitors, utilizing Google to seek for key phrases your goal clients use to seek out your enterprise is an effective place to start out.
When you’ve made an inventory, you’ll be able to put in your detective hat and dive slightly deeper to find out how energetic every of them is on social media. After all, you wish to focus your efforts on manufacturers which have a social technique, so you’ll be able to successfully examine.
Professional tip: Visiting your opponents’ web sites is normally a fast and straightforward solution to discover their social media profiles, as they typically hyperlink to them of their web site’s header or footer.
2. Set your targets
Earlier than you get too far in your social media evaluation, establish the aim of operating one within the first place. Will probably be tough to measure and consider your outcomes with out understanding why you’re conducting an evaluation.
You’ll discover numerous knowledge when digging into your competitor’s social methods, so it’s necessary to know what you’re on the lookout for to make sure you’re not losing time gathering irrelevant knowledge.
Some frequent targets of conducting a competitor evaluation for social media are:
- Bettering natural attain
- Figuring out the very best social platform in your model
- Growing engagement or followers
- Optimizing social advertisements
3. Choose the social networks to observe
Most corporations persist with the primary social media platforms: Fb, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. In addition they could also be extra energetic on some than others. Look to see which social media channels your competitors leverages probably the most and why that is likely to be.
Do they see probably the most engagement on Instagram or LinkedIn? The reply may point out the place your audience is spending most of their social media scrolling time, which can assist inform your individual social technique.
Professional tip: Assessment your goal buyer demographic data to see in case you ought to increase past the “conventional” social media networks. TikTok and Pinterest, for instance, have huge consumer bases and could possibly be a platform the place your enterprise would have probably the most market share.
4. Observe key social media metrics
After figuring out the social media platforms your opponents are most energetic on, you’ll be able to work to realize a greater understanding of how they have interaction with and develop their community.
The next key metrics can assist you look at and observe their efficiency.
- Profile metrics: Notice issues just like the variety of followers, common weekly posts, and engagement
- Content material metrics: Notice the varieties of social media content material shared, variety of advertisements or boosted posts, and image-to-video put up ratio
- Model metrics: Notice the tone of voice, key points most frequently addressed, and interplay from followers
- Engagement metrics: Notice the likes, feedback, and shares of their content material and the variety of clients utilizing their branded hashtags
Professional tip: It’s a good suggestion to take a look at the typical engagement by put up kind (video, picture, textual content, hyperlink) to check to your posts as effectively.

Automating the monitoring of opponents is the best solution to get probably the most up-to-date monitoring and knowledge. (Picture: Unsplash)
5. Decide the prime time in your social media viewers
Making certain your content material is seen by followers at the very best occasions of day and days of the week will show you how to work smarter vs. more durable in relation to social attain.
Whereas constant posting is vital to an efficient social media technique, it’s not sufficient to only put up as you please. Fairly, it’s useful to know when the most important variety of focused customers are on-line.
every of your social platform’s analytics is an effective place to begin. From there, noting your competitor’s posting occasions and their engagement score can assist decide if adjusting your posting occasions will enhance the possibilities of reaching extra focused customers.
6. Don’t overlook about paid media
Whereas it’s virtually unimaginable to find out the precise quantity your competitors spends on paid media advertising and marketing campaigns, you can attempt to decide in the event that they’re paying for elevated followers or put up engagement.
Plus, conducting a social media evaluation with out contemplating in the event that they’re boosting or operating advertisements may skew your outcomes and have you ever setting unachievable natural targets.
The instruments within the subsequent part can assist you run an evaluation or browse every social platform individually to search for any sponsored advertisements. Then conducting a whole PPC competitor analysis may also provide you with extra data on enhancing your paid attain.
Professional tip: The Fb Advert Library is a useful useful resource to test in case your competitors is actively operating advertisements on Fb or Instagram.
7. Discover the correct instruments
Automating the monitoring of opponents is the best solution to get up-to-date knowledge.
When you can conduct a competitor evaluation for social media by yourself, utilizing the correct instruments makes the method extra environment friendly and permits for simple monitoring of each your and your opponents’ outcomes.
You should use a mixture of the instruments we listed earlier. Or you’ll be able to accomplice with HawkSEM’s social media experts to run the competitor evaluation and suggest strategies to enhance your social media advertising and marketing technique.
High social media analytics instruments
Leveraging social media competitor evaluation instruments could make the duty extra environment friendly, well timed, and exact. These are a number of of our favorites for the job.
1. SparkToro:
This software gives in-depth insights into oblique and direct opponents. For example, you’ll be able to analyze opponents’ viewers demographics, content material efficiency, and engagement metrics.
Manufacturers can use Sparktoro to establish traits, uncover new alternatives, and refine their social media methods based mostly on competitor evaluation.
2. Sprout Social
Sprout Social permits manufacturers to observe their opponents’ social media actions, observe their content material efficiency, and examine engagement metrics.
Manufacturers can use Sprout Social to realize insights into their opponents’ methods and establish areas for enchancment, such because the type of content material they create and the codecs they use.
3. Semrush
As a software, Semrush supplies knowledge on opponents’ social media profiles, top-performing content material, and viewers engagement.
Manufacturers can use Semrush to benchmark their efficiency towards opponents and establish viewers progress alternatives.
4. Emplifi
Emplifi gives insights into opponents’ content material methods, viewers demographics, and engagement metrics.
Manufacturers can use Emplifi to grasp what works effectively for his or her opponents and adapt their methods accordingly.
5. BuzzSumo
This software permits manufacturers to establish probably the most shared content material from their opponents, analyze their content material efficiency, and observe their social media engagement.
Manufacturers can use BuzzSumo to realize inspiration for his or her content material technique and establish gaps to fill.
6. Brandwatch
Brandwatch supplies insights into opponents’ social media conversations and sentiment evaluation. It permits manufacturers to trace mentions of their opponents, monitor trade traits, and perceive the sentiment round their model and opponents.
Manufacturers can use Brandwatch to remain up to date on competitor actions and establish alternatives for engagement.
7. Hootsuite
It is a software that helps manufacturers monitor their opponents’ social media accounts, observe their content material efficiency, and examine engagement metrics.
Manufacturers can use Hootsuite to realize insights into their opponents’ methods and establish areas for enchancment.
8. Rival IQ
Rival IQ gives options corresponding to benchmarking, content material evaluation, and viewers insights.
Manufacturers can use Rival IQ to trace their opponents’ social media actions, establish trade traits, and make data-driven selections for his or her social media technique.
9. Point out
As a software, Point out permits manufacturers to observe conversations round their opponents, observe their social media efficiency, and analyze sentiment evaluation.
Manufacturers can use Point out to remain up to date on competitor actions and establish alternatives for engagement.
10. Fb Analytics
Fb’s Analytics platform lets manufacturers observe and analyze their opponents’ efficiency on the platform. It supplies insights into viewers demographics, engagement metrics, and content material efficiency.
Manufacturers can use Fb Analytics to grasp their opponents’ methods, establish fashionable content material, and achieve insights for their very own Fb advertising and marketing efforts.
11. Fb Advert Library
In the identical vein as above, FB’s advert library lets manufacturers discover and analyze the advertisements run by their opponents on the platform. It supplies details about the advert inventive, focusing on, and efficiency metrics.
Manufacturers can use Fb Advert Library to realize insights into their opponents’ promoting methods, establish traits, and refine their very own Fb advert campaigns.
12. Sociality.io
This software makes it straightforward for manufacturers to observe their opponents’ social media actions, observe their content material efficiency, and examine engagement metrics.
Manufacturers can use Sociality.io to realize insights into their opponents’ methods, establish trade traits, and optimize their very own social media presence.
Easy methods to establish your clients on social media
Understanding who you’re promoting to makes it simpler to design merchandise that meet their wants, and social media marketing methods to drive them to purchase your items.
You will have an concept of who’d need your product, but it surely’s superb to get knowledge to again it up. Listed below are the steps to do exactly that.
1. Begin along with your present buyer base
Have a look at your present clients and establish those who’re probably the most engaged, loyal, and completely satisfied along with your services or products.
These clients are prone to be your area of interest clients, so pay shut consideration to their demographics, preferences, and behaviors.
2. Conduct market analysis
Dig deeper into your goal market by conducting market analysis. This may contain surveys, interviews, or analyzing present knowledge to realize insights into your viewers’s wants, ache factors, and needs.
Understanding their motivations and challenges will show you how to refine your advertising and marketing method and tailor your choices to higher serve them.
3. Analyze your opponents’ buyer base
Examine your opponents and observe who their most loyal clients are. Establish the gaps and alternatives available in the market that they may have missed.
In different phrases, carry out a SWOT evaluation (strengths, weaknesses, alternatives, and threats).
By analyzing your opponents’ clients, you’ll be able to decide if there’s a subset of consumers who align higher along with your distinctive worth proposition.
4. Establish distinctive traits and behaviors
Take a more in-depth take a look at your area of interest clients and establish any distinctive traits or behaviors that set them aside from the broader market.
This might embody their particular pursuits, preferences, buying habits, and even their most well-liked social media platforms.
Understanding these distinctive traits will assist you to tailor your advertising and marketing messages and approaches to higher resonate with them.
5. Use social listening instruments
Leverage social media listening instruments to observe conversations and engagement charges associated to your trade or product.
This can present beneficial insights into the discussions and sentiments of potential area of interest clients.
Take note of the ache factors they specific, the influencers they observe, and the hashtags they use. These insights can assist you establish and join along with your area of interest viewers on a deeper degree.
Professional tip: After figuring out your area of interest clients, repeatedly have interaction with them, collect suggestions, and refine your choices. Your area of interest clients are your largest advocates and may present beneficial insights into the way to enhance and develop your enterprise. Foster robust relationships with them to maintain long-term success.
Social media competitor evaluation guidelines
The takeaway
Evaluating your social media presence and outcomes to your opponents provides you perception into their social methods and exhibits you the very best methods to outrank them.
With a lot of the knowledge being public information, conducting a competitor evaluation for social media is simpler than you would possibly suppose. Nevertheless, compiling the information is barely step one.
Successfully analyzing the data and outcomes requires utilizing the highest aggressive evaluation instruments and understanding what all of it means.
From there, you’ll be able to put up extra like-worthy posts, tweets, and Tales — and really feel assured that you just’re heading in the right direction.
This text has been up to date and was initially printed in April 2021.