It starts innocently enough – a casual scroll. Soon, you’re clicking through their archives like an obsessed private investigator as you tell yourself, “Remember, it's all part of the 'market research'.” As minutes spiral into hours, you realize you may have gone just a touch too far…but how can you REALLY know where the line between thorough and manic lays?
These are a few of the things you might experience that are sure signs you’ve dove too far into the deep end and it’s time to come up for air!
Decode Google Updates like the DaVinci Code Each Google update feels like a plot twist in a cryptic thriller. Spending hours decoding them becomes your new mission. Don't be surprised if you start seeing algorithms in your sleep.
Wading through Customer Reviews From five-star love letters to scathing rants, you read them all. Soon, you might find yourself narrating your life like a review. "As Sarah from Kansas said in 2018, 'Their lunch was satisfactory.'"
3. Chart Their Website Traffic Website analytics turn into a gripping drama. Their traffic becomes your obsession – their dips, your sorrow; their peaks, your betrayal.
4. Attend Webinars Incognito Undercover at their webinars, you're a secret agent taking notes. Cue the evil genius laughter when they spill their marketing secrets.
5. Create a Shrine of Marketing Materials You hoard every piece of their marketing content, forming a shrine. You stare at it for hours, hoping to uncover their hidden genius.
6. Host Weekly Spy Meetings about Them Gather your team for a dramatic ‘What’s Our
Competitor Doing’ meeting. Dim the lights, cue suspenseful music, and unleash your inner sleuth.
7. See Their Brand Colors Everywhere Their brand colors haunt you. You spot them in your dreams. Congratulations, you're deep in the competitive analysis game.
8. Write Fan Fiction Based on LinkedIn Profiles Craft elaborate tales based on their executives' LinkedIn profiles. "And then, Mary, the CFO, flew away on her magical unicorn to plot new financial strategies."
9. Second-Guess Every Move Because of Them like a Psychological Thriller You doubt your every decision – what if it’s playing right into their hands? Trust no one, not even yourself.
And last, but not least,
10. Dream of Competitors' Marketing Strategies When their taglines, marketing campaigns, or sales pitches start haunting your non-waking hours and leave you waking up feeling like you've accidentally been caught red-handed sneaking company secrets, it might be a sign to take a step back from competitor analysis- for your health and everyone else’s!
While watching competitors is smart, going down the rabbit hole isn't. Remember, you're the star of your story, not a cameo in theirs. Keep it sane, stay classy, and for marketing’s sake, keep it balanced.
Don’t think your bandwidth can support adding more to your plate? Want to get more strategic and stop winging it? That’s where XCS Pros comes in! Book a discovery call with us today and see how we can help your 2024 the best one yet!
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