How to analyze a community and its competitors?

When we talk about community management, saying that communities have "competitors" might not seem quite right at first. This is because communities aren't businesses trying to make a profit; they are groups of people sharing interests and experiences. However, thinking of communities as projects or brands can sometimes be helpful. For example, if we see a community as a brand, we can better understand how to attract more members or keep current ones engaged by comparing what other communities are doing. This approach is especially useful in planning how to grow and improve a community.

What is a competitive community?

A competitive community doesn't mean a community that fights against others for money or customers. Instead,

Competitive community refers to any group where people spend their time and energy, which could overlap with the time they spend in your community.

For instance, someone might be part of a gardening club that meets every weekend and also a book club that gathers on the same days. Each club offers different activities and benefits, but they compete for the individual's time.

Analyzing competitive communities helps community managers understand where else their members might be spending their time. This is important because it can show what other communities are doing that might be more appealing or effective in keeping their members active and engaged. For example, if a community manager notices that a cooking group is losing members to a food blogging group, they might realize that the members are looking for ways to share their cooking experiences online, something the cooking group does not currently offer.

By looking at what other communities do well, community managers can find new ideas for activities, events, or discussions that could make their own community more attractive. They can also see what isn't working well in other communities and avoid making the same mistakes. For example, if a community manager learns that members do not like the rigid schedule of another group, they might decide to make their community's events more flexible.

How to identify competitive communities

So, identifying competitive communities involves focusing on where your typical or majority of members also invest their time and attention. Here’s how you can narrow down your search for these communities:

1. Similar target audience: Communities that target similar demographics or have a membership base with overlapping characteristics can be considered competitors. For example, a community for young professionals in New York City might compete for attention with other young professional groups focused on networking and career development within the same city.

2. Similar themes or interests: Look for communities that share the same core interests or topics as yours. For instance, if you manage a community for amateur astronomers, other science-related communities, particularly those focused on space and physics, might overlap with your member base.

3. Common platforms: Communities that operate on the same social media or community platform or use similar communication tools can attract the same members. For example, if your community primarily interacts on Discord, other active Discord communities about gaming or tech might share some of your members.

4. Same type: When identifying potential competitors, considering the structural type of the community—whether it is public, private, paid, free—is essential. This type of classification affects both the accessibility for potential members and the exclusivity of the membership experience. For example, a paid fitness community with premium personalized training plans might find its competitors in other exclusive fitness platforms that also charge for specialized content and services, as both vie for the same segment of health-conscious consumers willing to invest in enhanced personal health resources.

5. Similar industry or activity sphere: Communities organized around the same professional field or hobby can have overlapping memberships. For example, various photography groups might compete if they offer workshops, photo walks, and classes in similar locales.

6. Similar content and events: If two communities offer comparable types of content or similar events, they might compete for the same audience. For example, two tech communities hosting monthly webinars on advancements in artificial intelligence could attract the same participants interested in the topic.

7. Common language: Communities that communicate in the same language can attract a similar audience, especially in regions where multiple languages are spoken. For instance, French-speaking book discussion groups in a bilingual city might compete for the same Francophone members.

8. Same region: Geographic proximity can lead to competition between communities, particularly if they host in-person events. For example, fitness communities based in the same city might compete for members looking for convenient locations.

9. Similar size: Communities of approximately the same size might compete as they likely have similar resources and capabilities to engage their members. For example, two medium-sized online gaming communities might compete to host larger and more engaging online tournaments.

Try to find communities with many matching characteristics. If it's challenging to find competitors with identical features, start broadening your search to cover more themes and sectors. Understanding your members and their interests is crucial before exploring competitive communities, which is why analyzing your own community we discussed in the article "How to write a community strategy" is a necessary first step.

Possible challenges when analyzing competitors

Analyzing competitive communities has its challenges. Here are some of the main difficulties that can arise:

Challenge 1: Closed Communities

"Competing communities are private, and I can't gain access."

Many communities are closed to non-members to protect privacy and create a safe space for discussions. This exclusivity can make it difficult for outside observers to understand what happens within these groups, such as their engagement strategies or member dynamics.

What can you do?

• Apply for Membership: Consider applying for entry using your account or an alternative account, if feasible. For paid communities, you might consider paying for a membership temporarily to gain insight.
• Continue searching open communities: While this seems obvious, expanding your search to include more open communities can yield useful benchmarks and insights.
• Leverage member insights: If your own community members are also part of these closed communities, conduct informal discussions or surveys to gather their perspectives and experiences.
• Contact community managers: Reach out to the administrators or managers of these communities. Introduce yourself as a potential member and inquire about the community. They may share useful information voluntarily.

Challenge 2: Lack of Public Data

"I can't find any other communities that fit the definition of competitive"

Some communities do not share their data publicly, such as membership numbers, engagement rates, or event success. This makes it challenging to analyze them effectively and compare their metrics with your own.

What can you do?

• Utilize Search Engines: Start with search engines like Google to find communities that fit your competitive definition. Use keywords relevant to your community in both English and other pertinent languages.
• Explore Social Media: Search on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn using specific keywords to discover relevant groups or pages.
• Ask your members: Directly inquire within your community about other groups they are part of. This could be done through polls or private conversations.
• Network with peers: Engage with colleagues or join broader community management networks like professional community manager communities where you can exchange information and strategies. Fortunately, there are many such communities.

Challenge 3: Resource Intensive

"Analyzing other communities demands a lot of time and resources."

Thoroughly it requires significant effort and resources that could otherwise be dedicated to enhancing your own community. Balancing these tasks can be a significant challenge for community managers.

What can you do?

• Allocate Specific Times: Dedicate specific times for competitive analysis to ensure it does not overwhelm your primary responsibilities.

Challenge 4: Dynamic Nature of Communities

"Communities constantly evolve, making data quickly outdated."

The interests and behaviors of community members can change rapidly, which means that the findings from one analysis might not be applicable after a short period, requiring continuous research and adaptation.

What can you do?

• Continuous monitoring: Set up alerts or regular reviews for the communities you are analyzing to keep up with changes and new trends.
• Regular updates: Regularly update your findings and adjust your strategies based on the latest data to keep your analysis relevant.

Challenge 5: Interpretation Bias

"There's a risk of bias in how I interpret the data."

Personal or organizational biases can influence how data is interpreted. It's challenging to maintain objectivity, especially when the findings might contradict existing beliefs or desired outcomes.

Almost all of the conclusions we draw are subjective. There's nothing wrong with mistakes. Building a community is a journey of trial and error. Keep an open mind and learn from those mistakes as you gain experience.

Challenge 6: Inaccessible Statistics of Competitive Communities

“All competitor statistics are closed, I can't analyze them.”

When the statistical data of competitive communities is not openly available, it limits the depth of analysis you can conduct. Here are some approaches to navigate this challenge:

• Extract basic information from available descriptions: Often, the descriptions and member lists of communities can provide basic insights. For instance, the goals, size, and demographic information often listed in community descriptions can give you an initial understanding of the community's focus and audience.
• Conduct a visual analysis: Utilize visual data analysis of available content such as posts, comments, and reactions. Counting the frequency of posts and the types of reactions can help gauge engagement levels. Observing the types of discussions and the tone can also provide insights into the community's culture and member interests.
• Direct Inquiry: If the community seems approachable, don't hesitate to contact the administrators or community managers directly. A friendly inquiry about their community might lead to useful exchanges of information, especially if you position it as a chance for mutual learning or potential collaboration.
• Ethical Considerations: Ensure that all data collection and analysis are conducted ethically. Do not attempt to access private data without consent, and always respect privacy norms.

Algorithm for Analyzing Competitive Communities

To effectively analyze competitive communities and refine your community management strategies, it's essential to follow a structured approach. Here is a step-by-step algorithm that can help guide this process:

1. Analyze Your Own Community:

• Community Information: Start by thoroughly understanding your own community. Assess the theme, purpose, needs, values, and what makes your community unique.
• Target Audience: Analyze the demographics of your community members including the number of participants, gender, age, geographic distribution, income levels, interests, and shared experiences. Identify the core group within your community that drives most of the engagement.
• Community Content: Evaluate the content within your community. Look at the topics covered by your posts, the frequency of publications, engagement rates per post (ERpost), and the types of events you organize. Also, consider who is creating and publishing this content.

2. Identify Competing Communities:

• Begin with a narrow search of communities that closely resemble yours in terms of theme, audience, or location. Gradually broaden your search to include communities that might only share some aspects with yours but still compete for the same audience's attention.

3. Analyze Top Three Relevant Competitor Communities:

• Selection Criteria: Choose three communities that most closely align with or oppose the characteristics of your own community. These should be communities that either share similar goals and target audiences or are successful in areas where your community aims to improve (see “How to identify competitive communities” part).
• Depth Analysis: For each selected community, conduct a detailed analysis. Look at their community structure, engagement strategies, content quality, frequency of interaction, and member responses. Pay attention to any innovative practices or areas where they excel compared to your community.

4. Compare and Contrast with Your Community:

• Benchmarking: Use the insights gathered to benchmark these communities against your own. Evaluate what they are doing better and identify areas where your community is superior.
• Adoption of Successful Practices: Consider adopting successful strategies from these communities. This could be anything from content types, engagement techniques, event ideas, or community growth tactics.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement the chosen ideas in a controlled manner, monitor the results, and adjust as necessary. This iterative process helps in continuously evolving and improving your community.

5. Implementation and Monitoring:

• Once new strategies are implemented, closely monitor their impact on your community. Keep track of engagement metrics, member feedback, and overall growth. This ongoing monitoring will help you fine-tune strategies to better serve your community's needs.

By following this algorithm, you can systematically analyze competitive communities and implement effective strategies, ensuring your community remains dynamic and engaging. This structured approach not only helps in understanding what others are doing well but also in identifying opportunities for your own community's growth and enhancement.

To make the result of the analysis more visible, you can visualize it in the table below by filling in 4 columns (for your community and three competing communities). Keep in mind that this is a rough table, you can only use the comparison criteria that are relevant to your community.

Criteria	Your community	Competitor №1	Competitor №2	Competitor №3
Purpose
1. Name	...	...	...	...
2. Community themes	...	...	...	...
3. Community type and conditions for joining	...	...	...	...
4. What is the purpose of the community founders? Why do they need it?	...	...	...	...
5. Why are members join the community and participate?	...	...	...	...
6. What are the main values of the community?	...	...	...	...
7. Does the community have a brand?	...	...	...	...
8. How is the community different from its competitors (competitive advantage)?	...	...	...	...
Target audience
1. Gender	...	...	...	...
2. Age	...	...	...	...
3. Number of members	...	...	...	...
4. Avarage income	...	...	...	...
5. Geography	...	...	...	...
6. How many active members?	...	...	...	...
7. What are the members passionate about? If they have hobbies, interests, etc.?	...	...	...	...
8. Shared Experience	...	...	...	...
Content
1. What topics have the most posts on?	...	...	...	...
2. Avarage number of publications per week, month, 3 months	...	...	...	...
3. Avarage Engagement Rate (ER)*	...	...	...	...
4. What posts have the highest ER? (in the last 3-6 months)	...	...	...	...
5. What posts have the lowest ER? (in the last 3-6 months)	...	...	...	...
6. What are the formats of the posts?	...	...	...	...
7. Are events being organized?	...	...	...	...
8. Who mainly publishes content?	...	...	...	...
Summary: compare your community with your competitors' communities, what ideas could you learn from your “competitors”?

*The Average Engagement Rate is a metric used primarily in social media marketing to measure the level of interaction (engagement) content receives relative to the audience size. It is calculated by dividing the Total Engagement (likes, comments, shares, etc.) a post receives by the Total Number of Followers (or sometimes the number of impressions) and then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

Average Engagement Rate = ( Total Engagement per Post / Total Number of Followers ) x 100%

Conclusion

Analyzing a community and its competitors is essential for any community manager who wants to build a strong and active community. Understanding the unique features of your own community and those of competing ones can provide important insights. Identifying competitors involves looking for similarities in audience, themes, platforms, and community types. Facing challenges like limited data access and privacy concerns requires careful and ethical approaches. By using a structured method for analysis, you can systematically gather useful information and apply it effectively. Continually analyzing, making improvements, and checking the results will help community managers adapt to changes and keep their community engaging and relevant.