National Web Resources
For this post we want to tell you how our search at an individual level went. While we were searching for topics in a sea of information we used different search engines such as:
Then we divided the work and we searched for different variations of the keywords:
- Competitive intelligence tools
- Competitive intelligence
- CI tools
- Competitive intelligence trends
- Competitive intelligence training
- Competitive intelligence examples
- Competitive intelligence e-business
- etc.
We also discovered that it might be interesting filtering the results by a creative rule. So besides the generic factors we decided to do a targeted search on our countries: Romania, Russia and India.
Competitive intelligence tools in Romania
For Romania we chose to present you a blog in the same style as ours, made by students as well. The content is simple and explicit and it makes a perfect introduction to CI Tools. Click on the title of the paragraph to check it out.
Competitive intelligence tools in Russia
We found a very interesting website for the Russian market. To quote them: “A thorough knowledge of the vast, lucrative, yet complex Russian Marketplace is vital to your business growth. PlanetInform’s Competitive Intelligence Collection is a powerful blend of rich business information, business statistics and expert consulting services. Our business research of the Russian Marketplace is tailored to the exact needs of our clients. Our business advice will steer you around business hurdles and bad risks. Use the full capabilities of CIC to make the incisive decisions that will further your success.”
Even if the complete access to the database is not free, you can still find more than enough free resources on the website, and they paint a pretty good picture on the insights of the Russian market.
Click on the title of the paragraph to check it out.
Competitive Intelligence Tools India
For India we chose a blog that started in 2005 and that has a lot of content about competitive intelligence tools inside and outside India. It is in English and we highly recommend it for research purposes in India.
Click on the title of the paragraph to check it out.
Joe Whyte of HybridSEM.com talks about competitive intelligence analysis tools and reviews a few of the ones HybridSEM uses on a daily basis in the 4th installment of internet marketing 101. Orange County SEO firm, HybridSEM.com has a list of competitive intelligence tools on their blog at http://www.hybridsem.com/blog. Once there click on the catagory “Internet Marketing Tools”.
These 22 competitive intelligence tools will help you understand the online marketing strategy of your competition.
Stuff Alert
The Stuff Alert eBay search tool continuously searches eBay 24/7 365 days a year.
The simple to use eBay buying tool that makes it easier to locate those hard to find items on eBay. Stuff Alert is really easy to use. Once you have registered for this free service you simply create keyword searches just once for as many items as you want
It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for on eBay - rare collectibles, a first edition or antiquarian book, clothing, jewellery, watches, rare records or perhaps even some concert tickets you can use Stuff Alert to set up automatic searches on eBay, then just leave the rest to us! It’s that simple. We will keep searching eBay for you 24/7 and our eBay search software will immediately send you an email with a link when it discovers that hard to find item you are looking for on eBay.
As soon as you’re hard to find item is newly listed on eBay you will be sent an email alert containing an image of the item found together with key information - exactly as it would appear on eBay in search listings. You then decide whether to click on the link that takes you directly to the eBay listing. If that out of print book, classic car, laptop battery, rare postcard, motor cycle part, postage stamp, vintage toy or rare record is exactly what you want just delete the search if not leave it active for as long as you like
So now there’s no reason to spend lots of time manually trawling through eBay trying to find that rare item you have been looking for. It might be those concert tickets that are hard to find but always seem to find their way on eBay. Stuff Alert will keep searching eBay and you’ll have the piece of mind that when it finds the concert ticket you have been searching for, you will get an email immediately with a link so you can decide what you want to do. So if you want to find that concert ticket first and get the best seat in the house!
AMBER Alert
Child abduction alert bulletin in the United States and Canada, as well as other countries, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child. AMBER is officially a acronym for “America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response” but was originally named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old child who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996. Exceptions are in Georgia, where it is called “Levi’s Call”, Hawaii, where it is called a “Maile Amber Alert”, and Arkansas, where it is called a “Morgan Nick Amber Alert”.
AMBER Alerts are distributed via commercial radio stations, satellite radio, television stations, and cable TV by the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio (where they are termed “Child Abduction Emergency” or “Amber Alerts”), as well as via e-mail, electronic traffic-condition signs, the LED billboards which are located outside of newer Walgreens locations, along with the LED/LCD signs of billboard companies such as Clear Channel Outdoor, CBS Outdoor and Lamar, and wireless device SMS text messages.
The alerts are broadcast using the Emergency Alert System, which had previously been used primarily for weather bulletins.[9] Alerts usually contain a description of the child and of their abductor.
To avoid both false alarms and having alerts ignored as a “wolf cry”, the criteria for issuing an alert are rather strict. Each state’s or provinces AMBER alert plan sets its own criteria for activation, meaning that there are differences between alerting agencies as to which incidents are considered to justify the use of the system. However, the U.S. Department of Justice issues the following “guidance”, which most states are said to “adhere closely to”:
11 Competitive Intelligence Tools for SMBs
We found this article in our search for the newest trends. It seems that small businesses start using more and more simple tools, available to anyone that asks, that allow them to make forecasts and planning and a better risk avoidance/management system.
11 Competitive Intelligence Tools for SMBs By Lisa Barone is a small but very to point review of the available tools.
Here is the list presented by the author:
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Domaintools.com
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copernic.com
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Compete
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SocialMention
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Quarkbase
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SEO for Firefox
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Yahoo Site Explorer
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Bit.ly
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Twitter Search
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Twitter
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Google Alerts
We included links above so feel free to click on the name of the tool to get more information. They are easy to understand and manage, and vital for small companies to gain status in today’s economic environment.
Director of Search Engine Academy John Alexander, outlines the benefits of Advanced Competitive intelligence for SEO over traditional best practices. These classes are offered in local communities throughout North America and Asia through Search Engine Academy.
Technorati
This is the largest blog search engine in the world. They say that if you don’t claim your blog in Technorati, then you don’t own it! When you register with it, Technorati tracks “blog reactions,” or blogs that link to yours. Search for your brand on Technorati, and subscribe to RSS alerts so that when someone blogs about you, you find out.
Megaphone desktop tool
Megaphone desktop tool is a “action alert” tool developed by Give Israel Your United Support (GIYUS) and distributed by World Union of Jewish Students, World Jewish Congress, The Jewish Agency for Israel, World Zionist Organization, StandWithUs, Hasbara fellowships, Honest Reporting, and other pro-Israel public relations, media watchdog, or activism organizations. The tool delivers real-time alerts about key articles, videos, blogs, and surveys related to Israel an RSS newsfeed is available so that non-Windows users may also receive the Megaphone “action alerts.
The Megaphone Desktop Tool gives the user the option of going to a particular site with a poll, and if the user chooses to go to the site, the software then casts a vote automatically, when this is technically feasible. The vote is chosen by the distributors of Megaphone.
In the original version, the user was offered the option to vote or not to vote.The software license provides for remote updates: “You understand and agree that Giyus.Org may provide updates, patches and/or new versions of the Software from time to time, including automatic updates that will be installed on your computer, with notice to You, as needed to continue to use the Services, and You hereby authorize such installations.”
Workopolis
Workopolis is a Canadian website tool offering online career solutions and job alerts: allowing employers to post jobs and candidates to post resumes in order to connect online. Workopolis also offers career management tools and advice and draws an audience of roughly three million visitors a month. Headquartered in Toronto, Workopolis has offices in eight Canadian cities, including Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver and provides its services in both English and French.
The purpose of Workopolis tool is to provide online tools for candidates and employers to connect with each other. Most services are free to job seekers and paid for by employers and advertisers.
Candidates can:
- Create job RSS feeds
- Use tools such as Career Alerts, Resume Rescue and an online salary calculator
- Find and apply to job opportunities
- Create and edit online resumes
- Create job alerts so they are notified when new jobs are posted
- Review profiles of companies
- Subscribe to a weekly career issues newsletter
- Share job postings with a friend
Employers can:
- Post job opportunities on the website
- Access candidate screening tools
- Reach niche industries through trade and professional associations
- Find candidates in a database of two million resumes
- Subscribe to a weekly advice and opinion newsletter for recruiters and employers
- Build and promote their employer brand online
