Social Media and The Art of War

If ancient military strategist Sun Tzu had worked in social media, he would’ve owned it.

The Chinese author of "The Art Of War" believed that espionage was the key to winning battles. In the world of digital marketing, this translates to what's known as competitive analysis.

▪️ KNOW THE ENEMY

'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every great victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.'

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

There is a lot you can learn from your competition – what they’re getting right, what they’re not getting right, and everything in-between. Competitor analysis means looking closely at your competitors’ social media accounts and other online activity, as well as getting a better idea of what the overall social media landscape looks like in your industry.

That way you’ll know exactly what you’re up against. Knowing the ‘enemy’ isn’t just the key to winning a military battle; it’s also the key to one-upping the competition when it comes to social media strategy. Luckily, very little on the web is private. It’s quite easy to spy on competitors, analyze the information you find, and…