We talk a lot about the importance of Social media these days. Even universities need to be focused on the social media that their prospective students are using. That’s in part because all businesses need to be consistent with their online reputation management. But how are organizations supposed to keep track of all of this social media activity? The answer is social listening. There are a lot of different tools that can help business with social listening, but in this article we’re just going to cover the basics of what social listening is, why it’s important, and who it can most benefit.
What is Social Listening?
Social listening is the method of tracking social conversations, then utilizing those conversations to better understand what a brand’s target audiences desire. Basically, it means using social media as a way to better understand the wants and needs of your customers. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are important platforms to keep your eye on for this purpose. These types of social media platforms give consumers a place to be as candid as they want to be about your brand.
To effectively listen to the social hubbub, you’ll want to keep track of any hashtags that would be relevant to your organization and its brand. Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the “#” sign and are used on social media to identify posts with specific topics. You can track hashtags through tools like Tagboard or Hootsuite. Here are some topics to keep your eyes on:
- Your brand name – include typos, too
- Your competitors’ names – typos, too!
- Any of your brand slogans
- Names of well-known employees
- Any current industry trends.
- So, if you’re in technology, you might want to keep tabs on any “artificial intelligence” hashtags, for example;
But just like your teachers always told you, listening is not just hearing. Attentive listening means taking the information you are given and analyzing it in order to fully comprehend it. Effective social listening means taking action to resolve any problems you might find. It also means using customer commentary to improve your social strategy and services.
Why is Social Listening Important?
Customer Satisfaction
Of course, social listening is especially important for improving customer satisfaction. In a lot of cases, consumers won’t directly mention or tag a brand in their posts, even if the post includes a question only the brand can answer. This doesn’t mean that the company is off the hook, though. You should still aim to answer any question about you that is floating in the internet stratosphere. That’s where social listening comes in. If you are appropriately linked into the social media world, you will be able to find those indirect questions or concerns and respond to them. This offers you more opportunities to please your customers. And it puts some of the reputation control back into your hands.
Brand Improvement
Social feedback is not just important for improving customer satisfaction. It’s also critical for brand improvement. Listening to the candid thoughts of your consumers will help you to improve your products, brand, etc. For example, in 2004 when customers were made aware of McDonald’s avid use of caged eggs on their menu, there was outcry all over social media. Angry customers bombarded the company’s sites and social media pages with demands for change. In 2015, McDonald’s published their ten-year plan to evolve to completely free range eggs. Not only did this type of change appease customers, but it also improved the quality, ethics, and reputation of the fast food chain. These are all perks that McDonald’s stands to gain as a result of their attentiveness to social media.
Competition
Another advantage available to you as a result social media is aggressive competition. Basically, if you’re listening to what your competitors are saying and what people are saying about them, you automatically have an advantage. Social media provides a platform for open conversation between competitors that wasn’t really present before. Here is another fast food example, this time featuring a Wendy’s versus Burger King twitter feud:
The 4 for $4 Meal: a trayful of mouth-filling glory. pic.twitter.com/JjDOFZVXuP
— Wendy's (@Wendys) January 20, 2016
5 for $4, because 5 is better than 4. pic.twitter.com/BZe8JFbKjm
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) January 21, 2016
Of course, this is a bit of an extreme example. But the lesson still stands: Having an open conversation with your competitors and your competitors’ customers creates new opportunities for consumers and brands alike.
Where to Begin?
Social listening is important. That we know. But how are you supposed to get started and benefit?
If you don’t want to use one of the many social listening tools available, you don’t have to. Here are some tips on how to socially listen on your own:
- Take some time every day to scroll through the hashtags you’ve decided you need to track on each social platform
- Set aside at least an hour of each work day to respond to social media mentions or questions (Direct or indirect)
- Stay in tune with popular influencers in your industry. You also need to be aware of consumer’s reactions to these influencers and the products they endorse
Above all, you need to be willing to dedicate time and resources to the social listening process. It’s going to seem like a lot of work at first because adapting to new norms always is initially, but if you are determined, you will see a return.
Good luck, and get listening!
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