Your competitors are running a free experiment on social media every day. Their best posts show you what your shared customers like, and their mistakes show you what to avoid.
This guide shows you how to find your competitors, what to look for and how to use it to stand out, without copying anyone.
Learn, don't copy
The goal isn't to post what your competitors post. It's to spot what your shared customers respond to, then find the gaps they're leaving for you to fill.
A simple competitor check
Set aside an hour and work through these steps.
Three local rivals and two businesses doing it really well elsewhere.
Which platforms they use, how often they post and how many people engage.
Look for the posts with the most comments and shares, not just likes.
Customers tell you what they love and what annoys them.
Search for them in the Meta Ad Library to see what they're paying to promote.
What are they not doing that your customers would value?
Eight things worth noting
These tell you far more than follower numbers.
Content types
Do videos, photos or carousels get the most engagement?
Topics that work
Which subjects get people commenting and sharing?
Tone of voice
Formal or friendly? Funny or serious?
Offers
What deals and prices are they promoting?
Response times
How quickly do they reply to comments and messages?
Complaints
What do customers grumble about? That's your opportunity.
Reviews
What do people praise or criticise in their reviews?
What's missing
Platforms, topics or services they ignore.
How to turn what you find into results
Five ways to use competitor research well.
Make it your own
Take a format that works and fill it with your own photos, stories and voice.
Fill the gaps
If nobody local posts helpful advice, be the business that does.
Beat them on service
If they're slow to reply, be the business that answers in minutes.
Show what makes you different
Use your posts to show what you do that they don't.
Stay motivated
Seeing a rival grow is a good push to keep posting consistently.
Competitor research dos and don'ts
Do
- Check a mix of local rivals and businesses doing it brilliantly elsewhere
- Focus on engagement rather than follower counts
- Use the Meta Ad Library to see their ads
- Look for gaps you can fill
- Review it once a month
- Keep notes so you can spot changes over time
Don't
- Copy posts, captions or images
- Comment negatively on competitors' posts
- Buy followers to keep up
- Obsess over their numbers instead of your customers
- Change your whole approach because of one viral post
- Use their photos or branding
We do the research for you
When you join us, we look at your competitors to find what works in your industry and where the gaps are, then build that into your content.
See the platforms we manage and our 40 social media tips.
Competitor research FAQs
How do I find my competitors on social media?
Search for your service and town on Google, Facebook and Instagram, and note the businesses that come up. Check who your customers mention, and who appears in local groups and hashtags.
Can I see my competitors' ads?
Yes. The Meta Ad Library shows every active ad running on Facebook and Instagram, and LinkedIn pages show the ads a company is running.
Is it OK to copy what competitors post?
Use them for inspiration, never copy. Take an idea that works and make it your own, with your own photos, voice and offers.
How often should I check my competitors?
A quick look once a month is plenty. A more detailed check every six months helps you spot bigger changes.
Can an agency do competitor research for me?
Yes. Before we start working with a new client, we look at competitors to find gaps and opportunities. See the platforms we manage.
