Have you heard the old saying:  “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?”  This was said by Sun-tzu , Chinese general and military strategist.  This proverb has been applied in business as well, but it seems that many people using social media for business are not following this motto.

Here are three undeniable ways to turn competitors into enemies on social media sites:

Imitating

Being a copy-cat is the worst thing you can do for your business.  Instead of boosting business, you end up making enemies.  As I mentioned in my “3 Major Reasons You Shouldn’t Ignore Competitors on Social Networking Sites,” you should definitely observe what your competition does online so you leverage some opportunities, not stalk them and imitate their every social media tactic and idea.  Social media copy-cats do not succeed because they lack authenticity, uniqueness, and creativity.

Defaming

Defaming your competitors on social networking sites is not only the fastest way to create foes and lose credibility, but it is also unethical.  I have actually witnessed this many times on Twitter and even on several YouTube videos and blog posts.  There is no need to falsely slander products or services of competitors. You will only succeed if you are respectful, considerate and friendly with your competition.

Filching

Filching or stealing competitors’ content and other copyrighted materials is also dishonorable and you won’t go long without getting caught online, especially on social networking sites.  I witnessed this last week.  Someone snatched another person’s logo and branding on Facebook and Twitter, but it wasn’t long before she got caught and had to take everything down.  Unfortunate for her, many eyeballs saw her name through the comments and tweets.  I know I did!

As I mentioned earlier, it is a great idea to keep an eye on your competitors, but don’t shadow them and follow their every move unless you want to create some enemies online.  You must be very careful what you say and do because you don’t want to create bad karma and ruin your online reputation.  After all, you want to use social media to build your reputation, not damage it.

Bonus Tip: Rather than wasting time and energy watching every move your competition makes, focus on the strengths, value, and uniqueness in your business to create desired success.

Have you experienced any of the above on social media sites and how have you handled it?