Social listening is defined as “the process of monitoring digital media channels to devise a strategy that will better influence consumers.” Companies deploy specific platforms with software that systematically searches keywords it finds in spaces such as blogs, social networks, and forums.
With the growth of technology, social listening is easier for companies to implement, as there are various tools available for monitoring what customers are saying about a company. These social listening tools can pull information on anything from conversations on social networks, to forums and comments (which is great for getting customer feedback on things that a company can improve upon). According to The Content Factory, “With the feedback you get in the process of social media marketing, you’ll be the first to know when there are issues—and you can take steps to resolve them right away.” Social listening is great for upholding a company’s reputation while enhancing the customer experience.
Knowing what customers are saying about a company is beneficial on many other accounts as well. For instance, businesses can use customer comments as testimonials on their website. They could use them in their promotions as positive endorsements for the company – just remember to attain approval from the individual who’s comments are being utilized. Social listening also allows organizations to see what people are saying about their competitors. Information gathered from those comments can be used to a business’s advantage, as they analyze ways to make their products or services better. Not only can companies be made aware of potential problems, but they can pose questions to their audience in order to figure out exactly what their customers are looking for.
Social media sites like Twitter, Tweetdeck, and Hootsuite have analytics built into their platform that allow users to search what is being said about a company within the tool. Other free social media listening tools include sites such as, Topsy, Talkwalker and Social Mention.
A company’s existing customers are just as important, if not more, than the customer they have yet to sell. Therefore, these social listening tools should be utilized for insight into what people are think about a company or its industry. As John Russell once said, “The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.”
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