Free Social Media Competitor Analysis Tool

Perform social media competitor analysis using our free tool, get social media insights on the best posts of your competitors on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube and LinkedIn.

Social Media Competitor Analysis Tool

Table of Contents

Navigating social media can be overwhelming, with numerous brands competing for attention. Understanding your competitors is essential, and social media competitor analysis tools are crucial for this purpose. They allow you to examine the strategies of your competitors effectively. This guide will cover what social media competitor analysis entails, its advantages, and introduce how to use our social media competitor analysis tool to gather insights. Whether you’re reached picks on the social media game or you’re just starting your Youtube Channel, this guide will provide the insights you need to maintain a competitive edge.

What is a Social Media Competitor Analysis?

Social media competitor analysis is a thorough and strategic examination of your competitors’ presence and performance on various social media platforms. This process involves a detailed market analysis and comparison of your competitors’ social media activities against your own. The focus extends beyond basic metrics like post frequency and follower count. It includes a deeper analysis of engagement rates, content quality, audience growth, and the overall effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. By engaging in this type of analysis, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your own position in the digital landscape. It allows you to identify both the successful elements of your competitors’ strategies and areas where they may be lacking. This knowledge is crucial for developing a well-informed and competitive social media strategy that can adapt to trends and capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace, helping you maintain your competitive edge.

The Benefits of a Social Media Competitive Analysis

According to Hubspot the best social media channels for brand have been Facebook and Instagram, followed by TikTok. This shows a big trend in B2C marketing being directed on social media. But what are the actual benefits for brands?

Social media competitive analysis shows the following benefits:

  • Informed Social Media Strategy Development: Gain valuable insights into competitors’ successful tactics and shortcomings, enabling you to refine your own social media strategy and maintain a competitive edge in the social media landscape.

  • Early Social Media Trend Identification: Stay ahead by quickly adapting to emerging social media trends spotted through competitor monitoring, ensuring your strategy remains relevant and effective.

  • Market Gap and Opportunity Identification: Discover unaddressed audience segments or content types that competitors may have missed, offering new opportunities for your brand to stand out in the competitive landscape.

  • Realistic Benchmark Setting Using Industry Benchmarks: Use industry benchmarks observed in competitors’ social media performance to set achievable, data-driven goals for your own social media campaigns.

  • Enhanced Audience Understanding and Engagement: Learn how different audience groups interact with competitors’ social media content, which can inform your own audience engagement strategies and improve your social media presence.

  • Risk Management Through Competitor Analysis: Avoid repeating competitors’ mistakes, thereby minimizing risks in your social media initiatives and ensuring a more robust social media strategy.

In essence, a comprehensive social media competitive analysis is not just about keeping tabs on your competitors; it’s a strategic approach to elevate your brand’s social media presence, adaptability, and overall success.

Social Media Competitive Analysis: How to perform one using our free social media analysis tool

Social Media Competitor Analysis Tool

Conducting a social media competitive analysis can be streamlined and efficient with the use of Competitors App that helps you track social media pages easily. . Here’s how to do it:

competitors app identify competitors

Step 1: Identify Your Competitors

The first step is to identify who your direct and indirect competitors are. These are the businesses that are vying for the same audience as you.

competitors app add competitor

Step 2: Add Your Competitors

Once you have a list of your competitors, add them to Competitors App. This is a straightforward process that allows you to begin tracking their activities.

competitors app activity dashboard

Step 3: Visit the Social Activity Timeline

In the app, navigate to the activity timeline. This feature provides a chronological view of your competitors’ social media posts along with their engagement, follower growth for each post.

analyze competitors posts

Step 4: Analyze Competitors’ Posts

Examine the content of these posts. Competitors App provides detailed metrics like engagement, likes, shares, and comments, which are crucial for understanding what types of posts are successful or not.

competitors target audience analysis

Step 5: Use the Dashboard for Advanced Social Insights

The dashboard in Competitors App offers a comprehensive view of when your competitors are receiving high levels of engagement. You can see which weeks or months they are most active and successful, giving you insights into their posting strategy.

competitors app dashboard most popular posts

Step 6: Identify their best social media posts per channel

Through this analysis, you'll gain an understanding of which posts resonate with the audience and which don’t. This helps in shaping your content strategy.

competitors app optimal time for engagement

Step 7: Identify the best time and dates for posting

By observing the times when your competitors receive the most engagement, you can better plan when to release your own posts for maximum impact.

By following these steps with Competitors App, you will conduct a thorough analysis of your competitors’ social media strategies. This process not only provides insights into what works for them but also helps you refine your own approach to achieve better engagement and results.

What to Look for When Conducting Competitor Analysis per Channel?

Facebook Competitor Analysis

For effective Facebook competitor analysis, focus on:

  1. Engagement: Assess likes, comments, and shares to gauge content resonance with the target audience.

  2. Content Strategy: Identify top-performing content types, whether videos, images, or text.

  3. Posting Schedule: Note posting frequency and timing for optimal engagement.

  4. Audience Growth: Monitor follower growth to evaluate strategy effectiveness.

  5. Promotions: Analyze the success of campaigns and promotions.

These insights can refine your Facebook strategy to boost social media performance and maintain a competitive edge.

Instagram Competitor Analysis

When analyzing competitors on Instagram, focus on:

  • Visual Aesthetics: Study their feed’s curation, color schemes, and themes.
  • Hashtag Usage: Note frequently used hashtags and their impact on visibility and engagement.
  • Stories & Reels: Evaluate their use of Stories and Reels for promotions, behind-the-scenes content, or engagement.
  • Influencer Collaborations: Assess partnerships and their effect on engagement and follower growth.
  • User-Generated Content: Observe how they engage with or share followers’ content to build community.

Twitter Competitor Analysis

When analyzing competitors on Twitter, focus on:

  • Tweet Types: Examine their mix of original tweets, retweets, and conversations, balancing promotional, informative, and engaging content.
  • Hashtag Strategy: Note frequent hashtags, including trending and brand-specific ones, and their impact on reach.
  • Engagement Patterns: Analyze likes, retweets, and replies, focusing on tweets with above-average engagement.
  • Follower Growth: Track changes in follower count to identify successful strategies.
  • Twitter Threads: Evaluate their use of threads for storytelling, detailed content, or related posts.

Free social media competitive analysis template by Competitors.app

social media competitive analysis template

Get ahead in your social media game with Competitors.app’s free analysis template. This streamlined tool equips you with essential elements for a thorough competitor analysis, including profile information, audience demographics, content strategy, engagement metrics, and more. Efficiently assess your rivals’ social media tactics, identify key opportunities, and craft a winning strategy. Download now and transform your social media approach!

The Best Social Media Competitor Analysis Tools in 2024

As we head into 2024, the selection of social media competitor analysis tools is more diverse and powerful than ever. Here’s a look at some of the top tools in the market, each offering unique features to help businesses stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape.

competitors app social media competitive analysis

Competitors App

Competitors App is a tool that allows Marketers to track all their competitors’ marketing activities. It allows you to track social media and blog posts, emails, ads, website updates and new pages, social mentions, keywords and backlinks, competitor reviews.

  • Key Features: Real-time competitor monitoring, alerts on competitors’ activities, detailed analytics.
  • When to Use: Ideal for businesses that want a dedicated tool for tracking competitors‘ social media moves.
  • Pricing: Offers a range of subscription plans starting from $19.99/month.
sprout social dashboard

Sprout Social

A favorite for its deep analytics, Sprout Social provides valuable insights into competitor performance across multiple platforms, offering detailed reports on various metrics.

  • Key Features: Cross-platform analytics, user engagement tracking, customizable reports.
  • When to Use: Great for businesses seeking comprehensive, all-in-one analytics and reporting.
  • Pricing: Various plans are available starting from $32.99
buzzsumo dashboard

BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is a leader in content analysis, helping you understand the most effective content in your industry, including that of your competitors.

  • Key Features: Content performance analysis, influencer identification, content curation tools.
  • When to Use: Best for businesses with a strong focus on content marketing and influencer outreach.
  • Pricing: Offers a range of plans that start from $199/month.
brandwatch dashboard

Brandwatch

This tool excels in sentiment analysis and trend discovery, using advanced AI to analyze social conversations and offer insights into public perception and emerging trends.

  • Key Features: AI-powered sentiment analysis, trend detection, comprehensive social listening.
  • When to Use: Ideal for brands aiming to understand public sentiment and keep up with market trends.
  • Pricing: Custom pricing based on business requirements.
semrush social analytics dashboard

SEMrush

Known for its SEO capabilities, SEMrush also offers robust social media analysis tools, integrating social media insights with overall digital marketing data.

  • Key Features: SEO and PPC integration, social media tracking, competitor benchmarking.
  • When to Use: Great for businesses wanting to align their social media strategy with broader digital marketing goals.
  • Pricing: Multiple tiers are available with the cheapest being $129.90.
hootsuite dashboard

Hootsuite

A well-known tool for content scheduling, Hootsuite also provides competitive analysis features, making it a versatile choice for social media management and monitoring.

Each tool brings something different to the table. Your choice should depend on the specific needs of your business, such as the platforms you use, the depth of analysis required, and your budget.

How to Evaluate Social Media Competitive Analysis Tools

Choosing the right social media competitive analysis tool is crucial for gaining accurate and actionable insights. To ensure you select the best tool for your business needs, consider the following criteria:

  1. Features and Functionality: Determine what features are most important for your strategy. Do you need in-depth analytics, real-time monitoring, sentiment analysis, or a combination of these? Make sure the tool you choose excels in these areas.

  2. Data Accuracy: Learn how frequently the tools track your competitors social media and how frequently they add insights like follower growth or post engagement.

  3. Integration Capabilities: Consider how well the tool integrates with other platforms and tools you use. Seamless integration can significantly enhance efficiency and data accuracy.

  4. Scalability: As your business grows, your needs will change. Choose a tool that can scale with your business, offering more advanced features and capabilities as your requirements evolve.

  5. Customer Support: Good customer support is crucial. Ensure that the tool you select has a responsive support team to assist you with any issues or queries.

3 Tips for an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy

tips for social media competitive analysis

To effectively compete and excel in the social media landscape, it’s essential to have a deep understanding of your competitors’ strategies. Unveiling their approaches requires a combination of analytical techniques and strategic thinking. This section will guide you through evaluating their performance, conducting a SWOT analysis, and understanding these concepts through a practical example.

Tip 1: Monitor Your Competitors' Social Media Performance and Track their social media posts once a week

Evaluating your competitors’ social media performance involves looking at quantitative and qualitative metrics. Key aspects include their follower growth rate, engagement levels (likes, comments, shares), content quality and relevance, response time to audience interactions, and the effectiveness of their campaigns. Tools like Competitors App can automate much of this process, providing comprehensive insights into these metrics. Regularly tracking these parameters can reveal trends and strategies contributing to their social media success or shortcomings.

Tip 2: Perform a quarterly SWOT Analysis to identify best practices

Conducting a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of your competitors’ social media presence can provide strategic insights. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors, like content quality or customer engagement strategies, whereas opportunities and threats are external, such as emerging social media trends or changes in platform algorithms. This analysis helps in identifying areas where your competitors excel and where they may be vulnerable, offering opportunities for you to differentiate your brand.

Tip 3: Copy our Social Media Analysis example to track competition

competitors app dashboard most popular posts

Social Media example for Zendesk

Checking on the data provided by Competitors App, here is what we can find out about Zendesk and it’s competitors Drift and Intercom.

Social Media Competitor Analysis:

  • Zendesk is churning out a high volume of content with 40 posts, but the steep drop in engagement suggests the content may not be hitting the mark. Zendesk team should analyze the nature of these posts and audience responses to pinpoint what’s not working.
  • Intercom has fewer posts, yet they’ve seen an uptick in followers. This hints at a more effective engagement strategy or higher-quality content, which is drawing in and retaining their audience.
  • Drift shows a decrease in both posts and engagement. However, they’re still growing their follower base. This might imply that their posts, though fewer, are impactful or that other factors are at play in gaining new followers.


Social Media Strategy Insights:

  • Content Audit: Dive into the content specifics of Zendesk’s posts to understand the engagement drop.
  • Quality over Quantity: Look at Intercom’s content strategy for lessons on how to engage effectively with fewer posts.
  • Engagement Tactics: Assess Drift’s approach to see what’s working in terms of follower growth despite lower engagement and posting frequency.

 

1. What is the Best Social Media Competitive Analysis Tool for My Business?

The best tool depends on your specific needs, budget, and the scale of your operations. If you require comprehensive analytics and can invest in a premium solution, tools like Sprout Social or SEMrush are excellent choices. Competitors App is also a great option for its focused competitor tracking features.

2. What is the Best Free Social Media Competitor Analysis Tool?

For businesses looking for a free tool, both Hootsuite and Compettiors offer limited free trials that can be useful for basic analysis. Google Alerts, while not a dedicated social media tool, is also helpful for monitoring online mentions of your competitors.

3. What is the Best Competitor's Social Media Analytics App?

Competitors App stands out for its dedicated focus on monitoring competitors' social media activities. It provides detailed insights into competitors' strategies, making it an ideal choice for businesses prioritizing competitor analysis.

4. How Do You Benefit from Social Media Competitor Analysis Tools?

These tools help you understand your competitors' strategies, identify industry trends, uncover gaps in their approach, and set realistic benchmarks for your own social media performance. This can lead to more informed strategic decisions and improved social media engagement.

5. Are Social Media Competitor Analysis Tools Expensive?

The cost varies widely based on the tool's features and capabilities. Some offer free plans or trials, while premium solutions can be quite expensive. It's important to choose a tool that offers the best value for your specific needs and budget.

6. How Often Should I Conduct a Social Media Competitor Analysis?

Regular analysis is recommended. Monthly reviews can keep you updated on competitor strategies and market trends. However, the frequency can be adjusted based on the dynamics of your industry and the pace of changes in social media trends.

7. Can Competitor Social Media Analysis Benefit Small Businesses?

Absolutely. Even for small businesses, understanding what competitors are doing on social media can inform more effective strategies and help avoid common pitfalls.

8. How Can I Differentiate My Strategy Based on Social Media Competitor Analysis?

Use the insights gained to highlight your unique selling points (USPs) and fill gaps left by competitors. Tailor your content, engagement strategies, and campaigns to address areas where competitors are weak or absent.

9. Is Social Media Competitor Analysis a One-Time Task or an Ongoing Process?

It should be an ongoing process. The social media landscape and competitor tactics are constantly evolving, so regular analysis is necessary to stay competitive and relevant.