6 Effective Methods on Competitor Analysis in Marketing Planning

In the quest to outmaneuver the competition, we’ve gathered insights from six seasoned professionals including CEOs and Heads of Marketing. They share one effective method or strategy for competitor analysis, ranging from conducting comprehensive SWOT analyses to monitoring online presence and customer reviews, all aimed at enhancing marketing campaign strategies.

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Conduct Comprehensive SWOT Analysis

It’s not a new strategy, but one effective method I employ for competitor analysis in marketing planning is conducting a comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of key competitors in the industry. By thoroughly examining the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, we gain insights into their unique selling propositions, market positioning, and areas where they excel or fall short. This allows us to identify gaps in the market that our business can capitalize on and areas where we need to improve to remain competitive.

Additionally, analyzing the opportunities and threats presented by competitors helps us anticipate market trends, emerging technologies, and potential challenges. This proactive approach enables us to adapt our marketing strategies and stay ahead of the competition. By integrating the findings from the SWOT analysis into our marketing planning process, we can craft more strategic and competitive marketing campaigns. For example, we can leverage our strengths to differentiate ourselves from competitors and highlight our unique value proposition to target audiences. Similarly, we can address our weaknesses by refining our messaging, improving product offerings, or enhancing customer service to meet the needs of our customers better.

This approach also allows us to capitalize on opportunities identified through competitor analysis, such as new market segments or emerging trends. We can develop innovative marketing initiatives to capture market share and drive growth.

Overall, conducting a SWOT analysis of competitors contributes significantly to crafting more strategic and competitive marketing campaigns by providing actionable insights that inform decision-making and drive business success.

Adam Barraud, Account Manager, Growthlabs

Combine Qualitative and Quantitative Data

As a marketing manager, competitor analysis helps you understand the position of your brand in the market compared to your competition. Implementing strategies like SEO optimization and social media marketing are the basics toward building an all-rounder marketing campaign. 

To make sure you are ahead of the curve in the marketing game, you can take an approach that values both qualitative and quantitative market data. The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis can be an effective competitor analysis strategy when implemented correctly.

Anticipating Threats: Market trends due to disruptive technology can be elusive. Taking a proactive approach to threat anticipation allows you the necessary time to identify the problems faced by your competition and effectively strategize to solve those issues. Having contingency plans is the safest way to deal with changing market patterns.

Informed Decision-Making: A bonus of using the SWOT analysis is the sheer volume of data you have at your disposal. You can paint a coherent mental picture containing all the factors like consumer behavior, new technology, new marketing opportunities, and potential threats to your existing strategy. This volume of data gives you a vantage point over the entire business to make informed decisions at every step.

Tanya Agrawal, Account Executive, eResource Scheduler

Analyze Public Sentiment for Opportunities

When crafting strategies based on competitor analysis, one method we often use is looking into public sentiment. Every successful business has room to improve, and it often reflects on customer feedback, public interest, and client loyalty. 

These comments provide excellent groundwork for formulating what ‘hasn’t been done’ or ‘what isn’t working’ for the competitor that we can address—or better yet, innovate—using our already existing resources.

Jamie Frew, CEO, Carepatron

Create Detailed Competitor Matrix

One effective method we’ve used for competitor analysis in our marketing planning is creating a detailed competitor matrix. This involves mapping out key competitors and comparing various factors such as their product offerings, pricing strategies, market positioning, promotional tactics, and online presence (including social media engagement and SEO effectiveness).

By laying out this information side by side, we gain an in-depth view of where our competition stands and where there are gaps in the market. This approach helps us identify trends in the industry, understand what strategies are working (or not working) for others, and pinpoint areas where we can differentiate ourselves.

The impact on our marketing campaigns is significant. With the insights from the competitor matrix, we’re able to craft campaigns that are strategically positioned to fill unmet needs in the market but also finely tuned to share our USP, or unique value propositions, in contrast to our competitors. 

It ensures that our messaging is relevant, targeted, and competitive, making our marketing efforts more effective in attracting and retaining customers. This method turns competitor analysis from a passive exercise into an active strategy tool, directly informing our marketing decisions and tactics.

Andrew Jenkins, Owner, Catalyst RVA Marketing Agency

Evaluate Competitors for Strategic Insights

For competitive analysis, I like to evaluate competitors on a scale that helps me identify weaknesses and strengths. I can then leverage this information to find opportunities I can take advantage of, as well as identify what to prioritize. 

I look at product differentiation, SEO elements, content production and quality, and overall visibility in the space. For example, I recently conducted an analysis across multiple e-commerce competitors and found on-site technical factors to be the biggest weakness, while all other factors were rated as strengths. 

This lets me know that things like content production and quality are delivering value and should continue to be an investment, but technology needs to be improved for user experience and SEO visibility. By improving the technology, it will not only help SEO but also aid in areas like increased conversions from the traffic already generated.

Rebekah May, SEO and Content Marketing Expert, MarketingAid.io

Monitor Online Presence and Customer Reviews

A valuable way to analyze your competitors is to monitor their online presence and customer reviews. Analyze social media engagement, website content, and customer feedback to understand your message, audience, and potential pain points. 

This knowledge can inform your marketing strategy by identifying unique selling points, avoiding repeating failed tactics, and adapting your approach to better resonate with your target audience, ultimately making you more competitive. It leads to powerful and effective campaigns.

Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India

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