If you're trying to get a real edge on LinkedIn—whether you're in marketing, sales, or just nosy about what the competition's up to—you're not alone. Most folks treat LinkedIn like a black box: they see their competitors posting and think, “Should I be doing that too?” But without some data and a plan, it's just guesswork.
This guide is for anyone who wants to go past hunches and actually see what’s working (and what’s just noise) by using Taplio to dig into LinkedIn competitor activity. We’ll keep it practical, honest, and straight to the point.
Step 1: Pick the Right Competitors (Don’t Overthink It)
Before you start clicking around, figure out who you actually want to track. The truth is, most companies obsess over the wrong competitors—usually the loudest or biggest ones. Instead, focus on:
- Direct business rivals targeting the same audience as you.
- Companies or individuals who consistently get good engagement (not just big follower counts).
- A mix of established players and up-and-comers.
Pro tip: Don’t add everyone. Three to five solid choices is plenty. Too many, and you’ll drown in data.
Step 2: Set Up Competitor Tracking in Taplio
Once you’ve got your shortlist, jump into Taplio. (If you’re new, Taplio is a LinkedIn tool that helps you analyze, schedule, and optimize content—it’s not magic, but it’s handy.)
Here’s what to do:
- Find your competitors' LinkedIn URLs. You’ll need these for Taplio to track them.
- In Taplio, go to the “Competitors” or “Accounts to Track” section.
- Add the LinkedIn pages or profiles. You can usually paste in the URLs directly.
- Wait for Taplio to pull in their data. This can take a few minutes to a few hours, depending on account size.
What works: Taplio covers both company pages and personal profiles—handy, since some competitors post from both.
What doesn’t: Don’t expect instant, historical insights. Taplio can only analyze what’s public and what it’s collected since you started tracking.
Step 3: What to Actually Look For (Not Just Vanity Metrics)
Now you’ve got competitor data. Time to dig in—but don’t get distracted by the wrong numbers.
Focus On:
- Engagement rates: Likes and comments as a percentage of followers. Big numbers mean nothing if nobody cares.
- Content types: Are they sharing articles, posting polls, or just resharing industry news?
- Frequency: How often do they post? Are they consistent, or do they disappear for weeks?
- Post timing: When do their best posts go live?
- Top-performing posts: What kind of post actually gets traction—personal stories, how-tos, memes?
Ignore (Mostly):
- Follower growth: Unless it’s exploding, it’s a slow-moving metric.
- View counts: LinkedIn impressions are notoriously vague (and often inflated).
- “Viral” one-offs: Focus on patterns, not outliers.
Pro tip: Use Taplio’s filters and sorting to isolate top posts over the last 30 days, not just all-time. Recency matters more than ancient hits.
Step 4: Spot Patterns—Not Just Posts
This is where most people mess up. They look at one viral post and try to copy it. That’s lazy and rarely works.
Instead, in Taplio:
- Group content by theme: Are your competitors always talking about industry trends, or do they focus on customer wins?
- Note post formats: Are they using document posts, carousels, text-only updates, or video? Which get the most engagement?
- Track engagement by day/time: Taplio often shows when posts perform best. This isn’t gospel, but it’s a clue.
What works: Patterns over time. If a competitor gets steady engagement on “how-to” posts every Thursday, that’s worth noticing.
What doesn’t: Chasing every trend. If they try something new once and it flops, ignore it.
Step 5: Compare Their Activity to Yours (Brutal Honesty Helps)
It’s tempting to just collect competitor data and move on, but the real value is in side-by-side comparison.
Ask:
- Are they posting more (or less) often than you? Does it matter?
- Do their posts spark more real discussion (comments, not just likes)?
- Are they getting engagement from people you care about (decision-makers, industry voices)?
How Taplio helps: You can often overlay your own content stats with competitors’. If you’re not seeing clear differences, look closer: Are you leaning too much on safe, boring updates? Are they telling stories or sharing useful insights you’re not?
Be honest: If they’re getting better engagement, don’t just blame the algorithm. See what you can actually borrow or improve.
Step 6: Decide What to Copy, What to Ignore
This is the “so what?” step. Don’t just mimic everything. Here’s how to filter:
- Copy: Consistent content themes that get repeated engagement, smart post formats, and timing that fits your audience.
- Ignore: Overly salesy posts (they rarely work), viral one-offs, or anything that feels off-brand for you.
- Experiment: If you see something working for multiple competitors—say, quick video tips or behind-the-scenes posts—try it, but don’t bet everything on it.
Pro tip: Keep a running list of “content experiments” based on what you see. Try one or two new things per month—no need to overhaul your whole strategy.
Step 7: Set Up Ongoing Monitoring (Don’t Just Do This Once)
The point of tools like Taplio isn’t to do a one-time competitor audit and forget it. LinkedIn changes fast, and so do people’s tastes.
- Schedule a monthly review: Block 30 minutes to skim competitor activity in Taplio.
- Watch for shifts: Did someone change their posting rhythm or suddenly start getting a lot more (or less) engagement?
- Tweak your own approach: Use what’s working now—not what worked six months ago.
Be skeptical: Sometimes, engagement spikes for reasons you’ll never know (they got featured somewhere, or their CEO just went viral for something unrelated). Don’t overreact.
What Taplio Can’t Do (Don’t Get Sucked In)
Let’s be real: Taplio is handy, but it’s not a crystal ball.
- It only shows public data: If competitors use private groups or DMs for outreach, you won’t see it.
- It can’t read intent: Just because a post gets a lot of likes doesn’t mean it drives business.
- It’s not a replacement for talking to customers: Competitor content is just one piece of the puzzle.
Use Taplio to spot patterns, but don’t let it replace actual conversations or your own common sense.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Stay Curious
Analyzing competitors on LinkedIn with Taplio isn’t rocket science, but it does require focus. Don’t get distracted by every shiny object or “viral hack.” Pick a few solid competitors, track them regularly, and look for real patterns. Copy what works, ignore what doesn’t, and be honest about what fits your style.
Most importantly, don’t treat this as a one-off project. The best insights come from small tweaks over time—so keep it simple, pay attention, and adjust as you go. That’s how you actually get ahead.