In the fast-paced, ever changing world of social media, it's easy to get caught up in the competition! Do you often find yourself comparing likes, followers, and engagement metrics with your competitors? Or continuously checking out what they’re up to on social media? Firstly, you’re not alone, I used to find myself doing this often (and I’d be lying if I didn’t occasionally get caught up in that competitive bubble from time to time now). But I now know to have a word with myself when this happens as in all honesty, I know better, and know that the true magic happens when we prioritise community over competition and actually engage with those in the same industry.
You may have seen this week we have a new member of the Clewer Communications crew? The lovely Ollie Ashley of Ridgeway Media has joined us! Now, if you take a look at his website and socials, you’ll see that he too offers social media management to his clients alongside the other awesome services that he offers, so in theory we’re competitors. But we’ve been following each other for months now, engaging with each others content and discussing dull things like the ever changing algorithm. We met for a coffee and it came to light that he was mostly focusing his efforts on the videography element of his business, I needed social media support for my growing business, and the rest is history. Would this opportunity have come about if we chose to not engage with each other because we’re “competitors” absolutely not! We chose to share our expertise and skills and collaborate.
So, in this week’s blog we'll explore the power of collaboration in the world of social media and how it can truly take your brand to new heights of success.
1. Building bridges, not walls: Instead of viewing other businesses as rivals on social media, why not see them as potential collaborators? By fostering a spirit of cooperation and camaraderie, we can build bridges that connect us rather than walls that divide us. I truly believe in nurturing mutually beneficial relationships that uplift everyone involved.
2. Strength in numbers: There's strength in numbers, and nowhere is this more evident than in the social media sphere. By joining forces with like-minded individuals and brands, we can amplify our reach, leverage each other's strengths, and create a more significant impact together than we ever could alone. Whether it's co-hosting a webinar, cross-promoting each other's content, or collaborating on a joint campaign, the possibilities for collaboration are endless on social media.
3. Sharing knowledge and expertise: One of the greatest gifts we can give each other is the gift of knowledge. When it comes to social media, I encourage all of my clients to share their expertise and experiences with others in their community (have you seen our hacks on Insta for example?) as well as engage when their competitors do so. Whether it's through thought leadership articles, tips and tricks or workshops, get sharing and engaging and showing others that you know your s**t! Talking of workshops, were hosting our first ‘Get Clew’d up’ workshop this month, get your ticket here.
4. Lifting each other up: In a world where negativity and criticism often dominate the conversation, we believe in lifting each other up and celebrating each other's successes, especially on social media. Whether it's congratulating a fellow brand on a milestone achievement, sharing positive feedback on their content, or simply offering words of encouragement during challenging times, small acts of kindness can make a big difference in fostering a supportive and nurturing community.
5. Referrals: Yup! You can refer and should refer clients to your competitors if they’re not a fit for you at that time. For example, I was recently tagged in a recommendation post to do paid ads for a local business, my reply “Thank you so much for the tag, I really appreciate it but paid ads isn’t my expertise. I can however highly recommend X”. By doing this, you’re helping out numerous businesses and hopefully in the future they’ll do the same for you.
To summarise, community over competition isn’t pretending not to compete with others in your market. It’s choosing to share your knowledge, collaborate, and cheer for others when they win. But most importantly, it’s about recognising that your competitors apparent success doesn’t equate to your failure. Remember a network opens many more doors than an opponent.
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