Should You Follow Your Competitors on Social Media?

Should you attempt to follow your competitors on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?

In some cases, you may not have a choice. Many competitors may block or refuse your request. If they don’t, however, you should absolutely consider following your competitors online. Here are a few reasons why:

Get Ideas from Competitors

Once in a while, you might see your competitors post a piece of content on social media that inspires a great idea of your own. You never want to directly steal your competitors work, but you can certainly use their content as a launching pad for your own great ideas.

Protect Your Reputation

Although it’s unusual, it’s not unheard of for competitors to badmouth one another through social media. By following your rivals, you can easily find out if they are spreading lies about your business.

If you do see inaccurate information being posted about your business online, you don’t necessarily want to get in a social media brawl with them. Instead, accurately convey the truth on your own web properties to make people aware of your business’s perspective.

Know What You’re Up Against

As a rule of thumb, it’s never a bad idea to know what the people who would like to put you out of business are up to. Monitoring what competitors are posting can help inform your own marketing strategies and ensure you are truly differentiating yourself from the competition.

You don’t have to stalk the competition on social media — but it’s not a bad idea to follow them and see what they’re up to, either. What do you have to lose?

Want more social media tips? Check out this blog on how to respond to negative online reviews.