How to outperform your competitors by spotting new marketing trends

Detecting new trends is about consistency and understanding your market’s direction. With the right process—or the right tool like Panoramata—you can spot opportunities before everyone else, avoid costly mistakes, and grow your business faster.

Why Trends Matter

Staying on top of market trends keeps you informed, so you can:

1. Plan ahead and not get caught by surprise.
2. Seize opportunities early instead of reacting too late.
3. Make data-driven decisions without relying on luck.

No matter your industry or experience level, you can dedicate an hour a week to check what’s happening in your market. That’s enough to be more informed than most of your competitors.

Identifying Key Changes vs. Random Noise

Markets can move fast, and not everything “new” is a real trend. Some are simply passing fads or mistakes. Your mission is to spot genuine market shifts while skipping the clutter.

Here’s how:

1. Check Competitors Regularly
   • Don’t just glance at their websites, emails, or ads once.
   • Look weekly or monthly to see what changes stick.
   • Consistent tracking reveals if a competitor truly believes in a new approach or if it’s just a short-lived experiment.
2. Reverse Engineer Their Moves
   • If you like something a competitor does, don’t blindly copy it.
   • Instead, ask: “Why did they do this?” or “Who are they targeting?” or “Are they testing a new audience?”
   • Understanding their reasoning helps you adopt the strategy more effectively.
3. Focus on Patterns
   • Trends emerge when you see the same approaches repeated over time—like recurring hooks in ads or repeated changes to product pages.
   • If you see consistent repetition, it’s probably a real trend.

How to Spot New Trends and What To Do About It

1. Website Changes

Competitors often tweak their homepage, product pages, or checkout flow to boost conversions. If you only look once, you won’t know if it’s brand-new or if they tested several versions over months.

• Tip: Screenshot or note each big change. After a few months, you’ll see what they kept (likely working) and what they dropped (likely ineffective).

2. Advertising and Campaigns

Look at ad libraries on Facebook, TikTok, or other platforms:

• Repeat Hooks or Creatives: If a competitor uses the same style, video format, or headlines again and again, it signals a winning approach they trust.
• UGC & Person-to-Person Vibes: Many brands now use “real people” or user-generated content. They test multiple hooks on the same ad to see what resonates.
• Audience-Specific Pages: A brand with one core product might create different landing pages for each audience (e.g., “For Runners,” “For Busy Professionals”). This customization often hints at a successful trend.

3. Seasonal Campaigns

Around major shopping seasons (like Black Friday), check what your competitors promoted last year. Chances are they’ll reuse or refine those strategies. Knowing this in advance helps you plan your offers and messaging early.

4. Email Marketing & Gamification

Adding fun elements like crosswords or quizzes in emails is growing more popular. It boosts engagement and keeps subscribers interested.

5. Comparison Content

Comparisons are powerful. But how you compare depends on audience awareness:

• Unaware of the Problem: Use “myth vs. fact” to show them an issue they might not know exists.
• Aware of the Problem but Not Solutions: Compare yourself to a general, old-school solution (e.g., coffee vs. coffee alternatives).
• Aware of the Problem and Solutions: Now you can compare yourself directly to competitors.

Making Sense of It All

Tracking everything can be time-consuming. That’s where Panoramata saves the day:

• Automates competitor monitoring: websites, emails, ads, landing pages—so you see every update.
• Shows you trends and patterns: no guesswork or hours of manual checking.
• Offers benchmarks to see who’s doing what best.
• Suggests next steps so you can react faster and smarter.

In one place, you’ll know exactly what’s changing in your market, what’s working, and how to stay ahead. No more guesswork.‍

Wherever you are, have a wonderful day, and let’s keep raising the bar together.