I’ve been asked this question a couple of times recently and my answer is a resounding YES!
Sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? Why on earth would I be recommending that you promote people you’re supposed to be in competition with?
Well, to my mind, retweeting (or promoting on Facebook, your blog, etc) something that your competitors have written that may be good for your potential clients makes good business sense.
I often forward on articles from competitors, tweet them out to my ‘followers’, post them on my Facebook page, etc, because I feel it shows that:
- I care about my potential clients – this info is good for them even if I didn’t write it myself
- I’m not afraid of a bit of healthy competition – I’m a great believer that there’s enough business out there for everyone
- I’m keeping up to date in my industry – by reading what others are putting out
In addition it fosters a certain sense of loyalty from those that I help to promote – if they get too much work, or have clients they can’t deal with, they’re more likely to think of me, as I’ve been a supporter of theirs, than someone who they’ve never interacted with.
I learn from my peers and competitors every day, and I hope that they learn from me. I repay that by retweeting and helping to promote them. Are you brave enough to do the same thing?
