When you started your business you needed to know who your competitors were and what they were up to, and it’s the same story now. You must keep up with what your top competitors are doing, so you can stay one step (or more) ahead of them.
Competition is a good thing, it’s a healthy thing, and it can keep us all on our toes. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the businesses that you go head-to-head with can offer insights into growing your business in a way you could have never thought of on your own.
Luckily, in the era of technology that we’re living in now, the internet offers a vast array of tools that can help you keep tabs on your competition. This type of strategic thinking can pay off big, so take a look at the list of tools to help you build a competitive advantage in your market…
“1. Google Alerts
No list of online monitoring tools would be complete without Google Alerts.
This tool is about as easy to use as it gets. Simply sign into your Google account to get started. If you don’t have one, it will take only a couple of minutes to sign up.
Next, input the names of your competitors. Google takes care of the rest.
You’ll get an email report every time a competitor on your alert list gets mentioned online. You can set it up for links and keywords as well.
It all depends on what you want to track.
Google Alerts is great because it’s free to use. You’ll get notified when your competitors are mentioned so you can stay up to date on the latest information.
2. Social Mention
We know 71% of small businesses use social media to engage with their customers. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. That’s why Social Mention is one of my favorite monitoring tools.
It’s super easy to use. Simply search for terms, keywords, or the names of specific brands, and the platform will show you what people are talking about across social networks and blogs.
The tool will tell you how often the brand gets mentioned as well.
This is a great opportunity for you to see what actual people are saying about …“
