A key part of any strategy is understanding your current landscape and your competitors activity. It's an ideal opportunity to look at what is working well and what you feel could be improved to consider when executing your own digital strategy.

When looking at an online social media strategy this exercise is incredibly helpful and insightful and can help you to make a great head start. It will also inspire your creativity and maximise your opportunities using the online space.

Have they been consistent with their brand personality on all channels?

Does their activity reflect well on their brand?

Where are they most active with the highest level of engagement?

Have they encouraged visitors to continue to connect with them by adding social buttons?

Do they have a blog to highlight internal talent and solidify credibility?

Have they included social sharing?

How could they improve the content?

Do they integrate online with offline?

Are they consistent?

Are they engaging in real time and responding to prospects in the right manner?

And the most important one of all - What could they do better and what other opportunities are there?

When sitting down to start your discovery remember you need to look at this excercise from a prospect, client, influencer, board member or fans prospective. You are trying to look from the outside in opposed to your already professional, knowledgeable and cynical eye. How would your target audience respond to what they are seeing and hearing? It's also advisable that you get more than one perspective. Try and ask a few people within and some outside your organisation to give you some feedback for a well rounded view.

Here are some helpful questions that you can ask when visiting their social channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube as well as their website and company blog.

From these insights you can start to map out your social strategy with awareness of your competitors and fresh ideas to give you the competitive edge.