Week 12A: Sizing up the Competition

I know, it can be unpleasant, but peeking at your competition can really help you do better in your business. The businesses listed below are already living the life I want to lead - helping people start their own business. None of them are doing exactly what I want to do, but they are close enough. Let's look at the top competition for my business, diy4biz.

COMPETITION

Greg Clowminzer 

Greg does advertise himself as a business coach, however his posts are more about handling life. People may perceive him as concerned about their lives rather than just their businesses.

He doesn't handle himself well on social media. His website URL is not obvious on Facebook. I can only find his phone number unless I dig really deep. Many of his posts are philosophical/wishful thinking. Doesn't appear to be a practical person.

Asha Mankowska

This is more like it. Asha connects more with her audience. She writes more on her posts. Seems like a woman with a brain. However, her website is tacky.

Rae Majors-Wildman

This lady puts up a video on Facebook that is, well, not very well thought out. Her facebook page is spotty, not kept up. Her twitter page is much better.

Roberto Blake

Roberto is really amazing. When I friended him, he messaged me and we had a little conversation. His pages are a combination of fun stuff and business stuff. Well kept up. I might handle things the way he does.

Kimanzi Constable

This guy has a nice website, and that's about half of what I want to do. He also seems to write well on his blog.

FACEBOOK ADS

Looking at the four Facebook ads above, I am most attracted to #1 and #4. Why? Because of the imagery. The pie gets my attention and the hobbit with the sword also draws my eyes. The call to action for the first one is simply to "Like" the page. This could be a useful strategy. People are asked to "Get Offer" or "Buy" all the time. For example, in the next two ads those calls to action are used. However, simply asking for a "Like" seems easy enough. Whoever "Likes" the page may buy later from news-feed posts. The last call to action is the strongest of all. Not sure if I like it but it is offered as a free trial, so no risk there.

TWITTER ADS

The four Twitter ads above are all apps so the call to action is to "Install".  I like the imagery on #1. Ad #3 is interesting, too. It appeals to people who want to earn a little money on everyday purchases. The obvious message is that when you buy anything, like french fries, you earn money.

TRADITIONAL vs SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

Traditional media would include TV advertising, newspaper advertising, radio, billboards, etc. I do not have cable TV nor do I read newspapers. I do listen to the radio sometimes but have little exposure to billboards because I do not commute on a freeway.

Everything I do is on the computer and the Internet. Truthfully though, advertising doesn't work on me. I earn barely enough income to cover rent, food & basic bills. I ignore all advertising by habit. The only advertising that has worked on me this semester is the samples offered at Trader Joe's. Sometimes I find great food products because I can taste it ahead of time. That's it. Food is the only thing I buy.

Having said all that, I read this article by Tracy Petrucci and found it to be very interesting. In it, she explains why some companies have no luck with Facebook ads. She points out that the companies they hired to place the ads are in a foreign country so their default is that country. In addition, she explains why it is a bad idea to buy "Likes", why Facebook is the cheapest way to advertise, and the basics of lead capture.