Digital Marketing 101: What is social listening?

Social media platforms are buzzing with voices. Are you listening to them?

Social media marketing is the trendiest way to spread the word about your business. However, you are missing a lot if you use it just to broadcast your business.

Intelligent marketers recognize an opportunity when they see it. The frequent interactions and active participation from customers online shows them they should revamp their marketing strategies.

So, they started focusing on social listening apart from initiating conversations about their brand.

What is social listening?

Social listening is a way to track discussions involving certain keywords, trends, phrases, and brands. You gain insight into a customer’s perspective by listening in on these conversations.

It also helps you to leverage your future marketing strategies towards the things important to your target audience.

Now, this technique does not only revolve around the @mentions notifications you receive. You need to proactively search for insightful and genuine discussions so your business can grow.

Why is social listening important?

Here are numerous reasons why you need to become an attentive listener:

1. It enhances your customer’s experience

In this digital age, customers are expressive and quite active online. They will be happy to share their feedback on your services. In fact, they might be sharing their experience right now. You need to monitor these conversations, acknowledge their praise and respond quickly to their complaints.

In this way, you are showing them that you really consider them as your top priority.

2. You are able to generate content that appeals to the target audience

Do you know what’s trending?

Marketers have seen how positively the consumers respond to social updates that are synchronized with trending keywords. For example, Netflix often changes its Twitter bio or cover photo according to the series or original films that are gaining eyeballs.

Currently, the conversations and tweets are all about the Peter Kravinsky from ‘All the Boys I Loved Before’. It is a nod to all the hysteria the lead has caused. It will also help boost interest in the next film the star features in.

3. You can monitor your brand image

Do you know what is wrong with one of your outlets?

Elon Musk recently found that one of his Tesla charging stations was being occupied by charged Tesla cars. This was a hindrance to car owners that needed to use the station.

This complaint soon became viral but the company instantly responded with a clever solution.

You can make resolve similar issues by fixing the problems before they decrease your sales.

Take away message

In a nutshell, social media networks are a rich resource for ideas that you never knew existed. They are also a great way to counter any issues that may have a major impact on your company’s revenue.

That is why it is necessary for you to prick your ears and attentively listen to what your customers have to say. It is the perfect way to hone your marketing strategies.