You Need a Swipe File

Honestly, I thought everyone in business knew they should create a swipe file. But in a recent coaching session, I asked my Mirelli member how her competitors handled the same type of situation she was facing. She looked at me blankly and said “I have no idea.”

Wrong answer.

To succeed in business, especially if you are in a competitive industry, you need to become a student of your competition. One of the best ways to do that is to create and maintain a Swipe File. These collections of inspirations have been used for decades by the best marketers in the world as a ready source of triggers to get the creative juices flowing and to keep abreast of what the competition is doing.

So what should be in your Swipe File? First, you should collect any marketing material you can find that your competitors are using. Collect their brochures, take screenshots of their websites, cut out their ads in Coffee News. Make sure you “like” their Facebook pages and subscribe to their newsletters. If you are curious about how their order process works, order their product (and as a sidenote, that purchase would be considered a tax deduction as a marketing expense). Look at their language. What are their offers? Who are they targeting? What catches your attention? Make notes and explore ways you can modify their messages (aka “swipe”) to speak to your audience.

But don’t just focus on one industry. It should also include any marketing or social media that catches your attention. When you see a headline that makes you stop in your tracks, put it in your Swipe File. If you see a sponsored post in your Facebook newsfeed that catches your attention, take a screenshot and save it. As you go through a magazine, rip out the ads that speak to you. If you see an interesting fact or read a touching poem, capture it.

Your Swipe File can be physical, like in a notebook or large envelope or box or sleeves in a 3-ring binder. You can also create an electronic file on your computer or as a Pinterest page or even a blog. Whatever works for you.

Now, collecting the ideas and images is only half the process. You need to review your swiped material regularly. Before you set out to create any new marketing, review your file and see what your competitors are doing. Then put your own twist on it. But you do not have to re-create the wheel every time. A good Swipe File is inspiring. Your marketing will improve just be dialing in on what others are doing and how they are doing it. Now, caution: do NOT copy word-for-word or steal your competitor’s images. That’s a big no-no. But using them as inspiration, perfectly acceptable.

Now get out there and start building that Swipe File. Happy swiping!

P.S. Are you searching for a supportive tribe of women to help you  learn, connect, grow, and prosper? If so, check out the benefits of a membership in Mirelli Entrepreneur Training for Women. We would love to connect with you.