Dylan Harmon
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
The Good and Bad of Using Competitor Analysis to Come Up with Video Ideas
Making videos can pay off big time. Still, one of the hardest things to do is choose what to make next. That’s why it’s so enticing to look into your competitors. It seems faster than starting from scratch, and it often shows you what others in your field like. The fundamental question is whether looking at what your competitors are doing helps you make better content or makes you make material that looks and sounds like everyone else’s.
We think that competitor analysis works best when it gives you ideas instead than copying what others do. The idea is to figure out trends and then make something that fits your brand voice, your market position, and the people you want to reach.
When looking at your competitors benefits your video strategy
Researching your competitors might help you make better creative choices because it shows you what your audience is already used to. You may find out which formats are used over and over, which issues are brought up again, and how brands organize their messaging. You can also observe what kinds of films are being promoted with money, which usually means that the content has a stronger business aim.
When you’re establishing a new video program, looking at what your competitors are doing can also help lower your risk. If you see that a lot of businesses in your field use explainer films, customer tales, or product demos, that’s a hint that those formats work well for teaching customers. You shouldn’t copy the way they did it, though. It implies you need to think about how the buyer needs things to be clear and then make a version that fits your brand and what makes you different.
The worst thing about it is that it looks the same as everything else.
Copying is the most obvious risk. Your writing can start to sound, look, and flow like the writing of the competition you looked at, even if you didn’t mean for it to. When that happens, video ceases being a useful brand asset and becomes just another piece of marketing content.
The second problem is that competitor material is rarely the whole story. You can only see what they posted, not what they tested, what didn’t work, or what actually made money. It’s tempting to think that a video did well just because it’s there, but a lot of videos are online without getting any real results. You could spend money making content that seems new but doesn’t convert if you base your strategy on assumptions.
There is also the problem of context. Your competitor’s offer, price, audience, and market position may not be the same as yours. That means that even if the production quality is great, the same idea can work in very different ways.
A safer way to get video ideas from research on competitors
It’s best to look at patterns and draw conclusions from them. Don’t just replicate themes or scripts; find out what the audience likes and why. Then change the notion to fit your brand’s point of view.
First, see what questions your competitors are answering. Pay attention to how they deal with objections. Listen to what they promise you before and after. Look for story structures that come up again and again, such problem and solution, behind the scenes, how it works, comparison, or customer proof.
Once you have those patterns, think about how they fit into your personal plan. Find out what your buyer needs to believe before they buy. Find out what your team hears over and over again on sales calls. Ask what sets your method apart from others. That’s where new video ideas emerge from, and research on competitors becomes a tool instead of a trap.
What to look for when you watch videos of your competitors
First, look at the structure. Openings are important since they determine if someone continues to watch. Then see how quickly the video makes it clear what it is and who it’s for. Pay attention to whether the messages are meant to teach, make you feel something, or make you act quickly. Pay attention to where the call to action is and what it tells the audience to do.
Also think about how to get it out there. If your competitors are using vertical layouts a lot, that could mean that’s where your audience is spending their time. If they are posting longer videos on YouTube or putting videos on landing sites, that could mean that their buyers are more focused on what they want. When you look at your competitors’ material through the perspective of placement and not just creativity, your strategy becomes apparent.
How Two Stories Media helps you transform your ideas into a genuine campaign
We don’t copy what other brands do when they provide us samples of their competitors. We help you figure out what’s successful in the industry and then turn that into a video plan that fits your goals, your position, and the channels you’re putting money into.
We pay attention to clarity, timing, and messaging that feels like it belongs to your brand from the idea stage to the screenplay stage to the production stage. It’s easy to see what the goal is. Your film should be familiar enough that people can comprehend it right away, but different enough that they will remember you.
Two Stories Media can help you plan your next video.
Two Stories Media will help you plan subjects, formats, and campaigns that work for your brand and your buyers if you want to make a video strategy that learns from the industry without replicating it.