Why is social listening important to succeed in the digital era?

Social listening is about listening to what everyone is saying in social media. Here, we become something like a fly on the wall. Why is this necessary ?

Image source : oberlo.com

Most of us are in some form of social media, and most are airing their grievances and praises and other random musings to the world. 

Social media marketing is always changing, but one thing remains constant: it’s an important platform for every brand to pay attention to. For this is how we understand our customers, both potential and curreny. This is where we can hear from your target market, uncensored, and get inside their heads to learn what really they are interested in and what makes them succeed.

Knowing what makes them succeed is the secret to winning them over. 

What really is social listening?

This  is when we track social mentions of your brand and conversation about relevant keywords and topics. When doing this, it’s helpful to track not only social mentions of your brand and products, but also industry keywords, influencers, competitors, and topics. 

Social listening provides brands tons of opportunities to jump into conversations and develop authentic relationships with potential customers and brand loyalists. 

Difference Between Social Listening and Social Monitoring?

Social monitoring is about data collection, while social listening is about analysis and action. Essentially, social monitoring is just seeing what the conversation is about while social listening is about looking at the sentiment of that conversation, themes, and how to engage. 

In other words, social media monitoring can be summed up as checking the activity and conversation surrounding an individual, business, product, or even service while social media listening is more about the actual activity. This is deeper and makes us understand our customers more.

Benefits of Social Listening

Consumers write about brands for a few reasons. It could be to offer praise or share excitement, or it could fall on the other end of the spectrum and be something negative about the brand or product. It could even be something else, like seeking support for a technical issue or asking a question about a product they’re interested in purchasing. 

Regardless of the reason, a response shall make our customers pleased and this is for everyone to see.  Listening is after all, usually what everyone looks for to even think of a relationship.

So, when someone complains about your brand, social listening can help you mitigate any negative PR as well as proactively address their concerns. Others will also see this and appreciate a responsive brand and be more willing to do business with you. Global alcohol brand Diageo, for example, even went as far as to making a commitment to ban plastic straws in all products by 2020.

When users praise our brand, responsiveness and appreciation go a long way — again, not only for the person you’re directly engaging with, but also the wider audience on social media who sees the exchange. 

·         When people ask questions of or about your brand, your willingness to help goes a long way here. In fact, Sprout even found that the majority of social media users have a positive sentiment for brands that respond to questions. It’s also an opportunity to get ahead of any objections potential buyers might have.

·         When individuals seek support for our products or in purchasing our products, we need to be super helpful. Remember, it’s not just about closing the sale. It’s also about turning a one-time customer into a lifelong advocate and returning buyer. 

Our views

The best source of feedback is your customers. You want them to know you’re listening on social media so they continue to provide insights into their experiences and how you can improve. 

Ref : oberlo.com