Audience research
Part of Seven steps to stronger professional services marketing audience research
Why professional services marketing competitor research beats guesswork
A practical checklist for professional services marketing competitor research: data sources, buyer evidence, compliant list building and the gaps rivals leave.
What to take away
- The Data Protection Act 2018 remains the compliance frame for competitor and prospect data; the ICO's guidance on organisations using marketing services of data brokers sets the test for research touching bought lists.
- Research the buyer, not just the rival. Competitor output shows what rivals say; buyer evidence shows what lands.
- Treat rival websites, advertising and directory rankings as public signals, not proof of revenue.
- Keep findings in one shared file so partners and fee earners can challenge them before launch.
- Re-run the checklist quarterly, because positioning drifts faster than most firms assume.
Start with the buyer, not the rival
Most competitor research starts with a folder of rival brochures. That is the weakest starting point. A competitor's website shows what they want buyers to believe, not what buyers act on.
Begin with the questions your own clients ask before they instruct you. The professional services marketing audience research guide sets out how to structure that evidence base. Read it before you open a rival page.
Once you know the buying questions, rival material becomes a comparison tool. You can see which questions rivals answer well and which they avoid.
A checklist for competitor research
Work through these in order. Each step should produce a written output, not a vague impression.
Competitor Research Checklist
- Define comparison setthree to six firms
- Audit service pages for naming differences
- Check evidencecase studies, credentials, pricing
- Review advertising on LinkedIn Ads platform
- Map directory presence in relevant directories
- Trace content history for resourcing signals
- Check data provenance and ICO compliance
- Define the comparison set. List three to six firms a buyer would genuinely shortlist alongside you. Include one firm outside your usual tier if buyers mention it.
- Audit service pages. Note the words each rival uses for the same service. Different naming usually reveals different buyer segments.
- Check the evidence they offer. Look for case studies, sector credentials, named specialists and published pricing signals. Absence is a finding.
- Review their advertising. On the self-serve LinkedIn Ads platform you can see which firms sponsor content and to whom, which signals where they think budget works hardest.
- Map directory presence. Record where rivals appear in the legal, accountancy or consultancy directories relevant to your specialism.
- Trace their content history. A blog that stopped in 2023 says something about resourcing and commitment.
- Check data provenance. If your research uses purchased contact lists, read what the ICO says about organisations using marketing services of data brokers before you process anything.
- Note the compliance frame. The Data Protection Act 2018 governs how you store and use competitor and prospect data in the UK.
- Interview your own fee earners. They hear lost-pitch feedback that never reaches the marketing file. The professional services marketing customer interviews method shows how to run those conversations properly.
- Write one page of conclusions. State where rivals cluster, where they are silent and what you will do differently.
Reading the gaps correctly
A gap in rival output is not automatically an opportunity. They may have tested a message and dropped it because it did not convert.
Neglect vs Evidence
Neglect
- Pages
- stale
- Descriptions
- thin
- Messaging
- inconsistent
- Focus
- absent
Evidence
- Pages
- consistent
- Descriptions
- focused
- Messaging
- consistent
- Focus
- deliberate elsewhere
Distinguish neglect from evidence. Neglect looks like stale pages and thin service descriptions. Evidence looks like deliberate focus elsewhere, with consistent messaging across channels.
If you cannot tell which you are looking at, ask buyers directly.
Turning findings into positioning
Competitor research earns its keep when it changes what you publish. Give each finding an owner and a deadline.
If three rivals lead with speed, lead with sector depth or a named partner's record instead. If every rival avoids pricing, test a clear fee structure and measure enquiries.
Keep the research file live. Positioning shifts when partners move firms, when regulators change rules and when a rival merges.
What should you record for each competitor?
Record the service names they use, the buyer they appear to target, the evidence they publish and their visible advertising. Add one line on what they do not say. That final column is usually the most useful.
How often should the research be repeated?
Quarterly suits most firms. Repeat immediately after a rival merger, a regulatory change in your sector or a pitch loss you expected to win.
Common questions
Can I use purchased contact lists for competitor research?
Only with a lawful basis and proper checks. The ICO expects firms using broker services to verify how consent was obtained and to keep records of that verification.
Is competitor research worth it for a small firm?
Yes, in a reduced form. Three rivals, one hour each quarter and a single page of conclusions will sharpen your messaging more than publishing without a reference point.
What is the biggest mistake firms make?
Copying rival language. If your service page reads like theirs, buyers have no reason to choose you, and you inherit claims you cannot support.
