Forum Research Methodology

This skill teaches how to discover REAL competitors and market positioning through forum research, rather than relying on category assumptions.

Why Forum Research Matters

• Category competitors ≠ actual competitors
• Users compare within tiers, not across tiers
• Forums reveal authentic competitive landscape
• Premium brands often have unexpected peer groups
• Budget comparisons can damage premium positioning

The Forum Research Process

Step 1: Reddit Search Queries

site:reddit.com "[Brand]" vs
site:reddit.com "[Brand]" comparison
site:reddit.com "[Brand]" or "[Competitor]"
site:reddit.com "best [category]" recommendations
site:reddit.com "[Brand]" review
site:reddit.com "[Brand]" worth it

Step 2: Industry Forum Search

Find industry-specific forums:

"[category] forum" site:*.com
"[category] community" discussions

Then search within:

site:[industry-forum].com "[Brand]"
site:[industry-forum].com "best [category]"
site:[industry-forum].com "[Brand]" vs

Step 3: Comparison Mining

Look for natural language patterns:

• "X and Y are the best"
• "X is comparable to Y"
• "If you can't get X, try Y"
• "X is the [category] equivalent of Y"
• "X vs Y - which is better?"

Step 4: Tier Mapping

Categorize competitors by tier based on forum discussions:

Critical Rules

DO:

• ✅ Compare within the same tier
• ✅ Use exact quotes from forums as evidence
• ✅ Note the date of forum discussions
• ✅ Cross-reference multiple forums
• ✅ Identify tier-appropriate competitors only

DON'T:

• ❌ Assume category = competition (Elithair ≠ competitor to FueGenix)
• ❌ Compare premium to budget (damages positioning)
• ❌ Trust single sources (triangulate)
• ❌ Ignore price as a tier indicator
• ❌ Use competitor data from different tiers in content

Evidence Template

When reporting findings, use this format:

### Competitor: [Name]
**Source**: [Forum Name] - [Date]
**Quote**: "[Exact quote from forum]"
**Tier**: [Ultra-Premium/Premium/Mid/Budget]
**Why Competitor**: [Explanation]
**Price Comparison**: [If available]

Example: FueGenix Case Study

Wrong Approach (Category-Based)

"FueGenix competes with Elithair because both do hair transplants" → WRONG: Elithair is budget Turkish clinic (€3k), FueGenix is ultra-premium (€50k+)

Right Approach (Forum-Based)

Search: site:reddit.com "FueGenix" vs
Found: "Imo current best in the world are Dr. Munib from FUEGENIX and Dr. Zarev"
Tier: Ultra-Premium (both have long waitlists, €50k+ pricing)

Real competitors discovered:

• Dr. Zarev (Bulgaria) - €50k-100k+, 3-5 year waitlist
• Dr. Konior (USA) - ~$35k, similar quality tier
• Hasson & Wong (Canada) - Premium tier

NOT competitors:

• Elithair - Budget tier, €3k
• Turkish mill clinics - Volume-based

Output Format

After research, produce:

1. Tier Map - Visual of where brand sits
2. Real Competitors - Forum-verified peer group
3. Key Quotes - Evidence from forums
4. NOT Competitors - Who to avoid comparing against
5. Content Implications - What comparison pages to create

Reference

See fuegenix-aeo-audit.md Section "Real Competitive Landscape" for full example.