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. (more…)