Today, digital platforms have evolved, and it's no longer enough to only create and upload high-quality content. In order to remain competitive, you need to know what your competition is doing and what strategies they are employing to get engagement — similar to how Glory Casino gets the pull 🎯.
Analyzing competitors on visual-first platforms and community networks is not about spying. Rather, it is about gathering insights, establishing benchmarks, and developing your own strategy which is distinct for growth 🚀. It enables you to discover what types of posts capture the most interest, how brands interact with their followers, and which advertising strategies yield the most success in your industry.
This guide explains why competitor analysis is necessary, how it can be achieved methodically, which gaps to watch for, and which tools are most effective in streamlining the work.
💡 Gather content for new ideas — Understand what topics and formats work best.
🕳 Recognizing gaps and opportunities — Assess how you can excel.
👥 Analyzing the audience — Understand the loyalty and engagement level of their followers.
📈 Improving strategy — Spend time on pointers that are more productive.
💰 Cost-effective — Learn and avoid competitors' blunders to conserve money.
Direct competitors – selling the same product or service.
Indirect competitors – solving the same problem differently.
Use search functions, community pages, hashtags, or industry directories to isolate the key players within your niche.
Select 5–7 competitors for balanced insights. Build a tracker spreadsheet with:
Number of followers
Average post reach
Average engagement (likes, comments, and shares)
Posting frequency
Formats used (photos, Reels, Stories, Lives)
Examine:
Are the posts educational, entertaining, inspirational or promotion-focused?
Are there short-form videos, carousels, or long-form posts?
Colors, fonts, and brand consistency?
Tone: Friendly, expert, or humorous?
This helps you uncover the creative DNA of your competitors 🎨.
Follower counts alone are misleading. Focus on:
Engagement rate (ER)
Comment quality and frequency
Shares and saves
Activity in Stories
📊 Formula:
(Likes + Comments + Saves)÷Followers×100%\text{(Likes + Comments + Saves)} \div \text{Followers} \times 100\%
Use community ad libraries to find your competitors’ active advertising campaigns:
Ad types (video, carousel, Story)
Messages & slogans used
Promotional campaign adaptability and frequency
This reveals advertising spend and market positioning 🧠.
Think about:
👤 Who are their followers (age, location, interests)?
📢 What content gets the most engagement?
🧭 Is there a gap in the audience you can address?
Demographic trends can be uncovered using tools like HypeAuditor and Brandwatch.
Arrange your data from different perspectives:
✅ Strengths (e.g., creative Reels, viral giveaways)
❌ Weaknesses (e.g., high follower counts but low engagement)
🌱 Opportunities (e.g., lack of community management)
🚫 Trends to ignore (e.g., Stories with polls that don’t convert)
Community Ad Library — competitor advertising
Social Blade — follower and engagement growth tracking
HypeAuditor — influencer and audience relationships
Brandwatch, Sprout Social, Popsters — content insights
Canva and Notion — visual organization
Google Trends — topic and keyword popularity
Assess the most effective hashtags for reach and engagement.
Collaborations that increase attention are often the most valuable.
Use sentiment analysis and audience monitoring tools to assess the tone (positive, negative, neutral).
Check if competitors use the same content on visual-first platforms and community networks, or if they tailor their approach for each platform.
🚫 Blind copying — Be inspired, not a clone.
👍 Focusing only on likes — Comments and shares are stronger metrics.
👀 Ignoring smaller players — Startups often innovate faster.
📝 One-time research — Repeat every 2–3 months.
🧩 No structure — Disorganized data = subjective opinions.
📅 Track earned media over time to observe long-term engagement behavior.
📂 Create a “swipe file” of content you find inspiring (screenshots, URLs).
🌍 Benchmark both local and international competitors.
📊 Measure target actions on your site (sign-ups, purchases).
🧠 Use competitor analysis to build hypotheses, then test rapidly before scaling.
A: 5–7 companies is usually enough for useful benchmarking.
A: Every 2–3 months or before launching a major campaign.
A: Yes, but combine them with your own for originality.
A: Look for high follower counts with little or no engagement — often a sign of bots.
A: Analyze both — usually, one will prove more beneficial.
Competitor analysis on visual-first platforms and community networks is a strategic, research-backed method to shape your brand’s direction. Avoiding costly mistakes, adopting proven strategies, and gaining fresh insights is achievable through consistent monitoring of engagement, content, and advertising approaches.
But remember: 🧠 It’s not about copying. It’s about taking the insights and building something unique to your brand. In a crowded social media landscape, a well-defined strategy with the right metrics will drive meaningful growth. 🌱✨