This document discusses how to gather competitive intelligence through various methods like ad spying, keyword spying, traffic spying, SEC filings, and job site monitoring. It provides examples of tools that can be used for each method and recommends developing an action plan based on insights gained. The document also quotes Seth Godin that competition validates categories and allows sales to be defined. It warns of ethics around competitive intelligence gathering based on a past example.

2. @timmatthewssv
“Competition validates you.
It creates a category. It
permits the sale to be this
or that, not yes or no.”
- Seth Godin
@timmatthewssv

3. ABOUT TIM
•Started in Sales as an SE, moved
to Marketing
•Five startups, three acquisitions
•Also worked for large, public
companies like SYMC and RSAS
•Over $200M in SaaS revenue
generated
@timmatthewssv
And I wrote this
book
http://www.slideshare.net/timmatthews2011/how-to-spy-on-your-competition

4. 5 COMPETITIVE QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS
@timmatthewssv
Question How to Find Answers
How are they creating awareness? Ad Spying
What customer problems are they focusing on? Keyword Spying
Where is their traffic coming from? Traffic Spying
How much money are they making? SEC Sleuthing
What projects are they planning, and what will
they focus on?
Job Site Monitoring

5. THE ETHICS OF COMPETITIVE INTEL
@timmatthewssv
In 1997, designer
Steven Louis Davis
faxes Gilette razor
designs to Warner
Lambert and Bic. Gets
caught. Spends 27
months in prison.

6. AD SPYING
@timmatthewssv
Adbeat.com Boxofads.com

7. @timmatthewssv
@timmatthewssv

8. SEO KEYWORD SPYING
@timmatthewssv
Ispionage.com

9. @timmatthewssv
@timmatthewssv

10. TRAFFIC SPYING
@timmatthewssv

11. @timmatthewssv
What can this woman teach you?
@timmatthewssv

12. SEC FILINGS
•10K – Cost of acquisitions
•S1 – Cost and revenues of your competitors (and how much they make ;)
•10Q – Quarterly revenues
•* Read the footnotes
@timmatthewssv

13. • {Plankton}
@timmatthewssv
@timmatthewssv

14. JOB SITES
• Find out who they are hiring
• More Java developers?
• Find out where they are hiring
• Salespeople in the UK?
• Find out what employees and jobseekers think (Glassdoor)
• Do you have a talent hiring advantage?
@timmatthewssv

15. ACTION PLAN – PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
@timmatthewssv
Question How to Find Answers What to Do
How are they creating awareness? Ad Spying Compare messaging. Buy
ads.
What customer problems are they
focusing on?
Keyword Spying Evaluate you SEO
strategy
Where is their traffic coming from? Traffic Spying Build links. Guest blog.
How much money are they making? SEC Sleuthing Know where you really
are
What projects are they planning, and
what will they focus on?
Job Site Monitoring Prepare for a new
launch. Positioning.

16. TWEETABLE TAKEAWAYS
• How to Spy on Your Competition http://bit.ly/1HPWYSE
via @timmatthewssv #presentation
• HT @timmatthewssv Competition validates you. It creates
a category. via @ThisIsSethsBlog
• @timmatthewssv Know how competitors are acquiring
customers w keyword, traffic and ad spying @adbeat_com
@spyfu @iSpionage @SimilarWeb
• Don’t overlook SEC filings for competitive info via
@timmatthewssv
@timmatthewssv
For more on competitive
positioning, Chapter 2
http://amzn.com/0692232850
http://www.slideshare.net/timmatthews2011/how-to-spy-on-your-competition