What is social listening? The condensed guide to social listening for business

Learn how to monitor your brand and track consumer feedback with social listening. Understand what people say about you online, and use the data to improve your products and marketing strategies.

You may have heard the term ‘social listening’ and assumed it was yet more digital jargon, or maybe referred to something complex that can only be implemented or understood by someone with a great deal of technical experience.

But social listening is probably simpler and a more accessible and important business tool than you realise. let’s find out why.

Is social listening a business necessity? 

Here is a more complex answer to the question ‘what is social listening?’ In brief, social listening monitors online conversations to let project leaders understand how people talk about a brand project, products, or services.

It helps you gather feedback, identify potential customers, and create marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience. Furthermore, social listening makes it unchallenging for you to connect with your customers and grow your business.

Businesses should consider using social listening because it allows them to respond quickly to complaints or negative feedback, which can help protect their reputation. It also enables you to understand what people are saying and feeling about your brand, which can give you insights into what changes or improvements you may need to make.

How to set up social listening for your business

Setting up social listening for your business can be an optimal way to track what people say about your company online. There is a list of the most popular social listening platforms you can find to optimize and enhance that component.

You can gain insights into what people think and talk about your brand by monitoring social media channels and other online platforms. That can help you address any negative feedback early on and identify any areas of potential improvement.

Here are five tips for setting up social listening for your business.

1) Decide which channels you want to monitor

It’s essential to focus on the most relevant media to your business. For example, if you sell products online, you’ll want to track conversations about your brand on Twitter and Facebook, as well as websites where people are discussing your products.

2) Set up alerts for specific keywords

You’ll want to track keywords relevant to your brand and your industry. For example, if you’re a retailer, you might track words like “sale,” “discount,” and “promo code.”

3) Use a social media monitoring tool with broad functionality 

There are several tools available that can help you to track social media chatter. These tools can help you quickly and easily monitor multiple channels. The #1 is Awario, but simpler things like Google Alert work as well. Still, you might need a more complex software piece when your business grows. 

5) Act on the insights you gather

Once you’ve collected data from social media monitoring, taking action based on what you’ve learned is essential. For example, if you see many people talking about a particular product on Twitter, you might promote that product on Facebook.

The benefits of social listening for businesses

Most businesses these days have at least a rudimentary social media presence. However, many companies still need help to make the most of their social media accounts. That is where social listening comes in.

Some of the benefits of social listening for businesses include:

  1. Improved customer service – You can quickly identify and address any complaints or issues by monitoring social media conversations. That will help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  2. Greater brand awareness – By keeping an eye on what people say about your brand online, you can identify any opportunities to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences.
  3. Increased sales and conversions – By understanding what people want from your brand, you can create content and marketing campaigns that are more likely to convert leads into sales.
  4. A better understanding of customers – By analyzing the data collected from social media monitoring, you can better understand your target audience demographics and preferences. That can help you to create more effective marketing campaigns and products/services that appeal to your customers.

How to track results from social listening

Social media listening tracks and monitors online conversations about a brand, product, or service. By following these conversations, you can gain valuable insights into what people say about your brand and how they feel about it. This information can help you improve your marketing strategy and create better content that resonates with your audience.

You can use several tools and platforms to track social media listening results. A good software choice allows you to track keywords, hashtags, and brands to see what people say about them on social media. You can measure the reach and engagement of your content, as well as see how it compares to your competition.

A starter tool you can use is Google Alerts. Google Alerts allows you to set up email alerts for specific keywords or phrases. You can then track the number of results that are returned for each keyword and the reach and engagement of each effect. 

How to implement social listening to improve your customer service

First, social listening can help you identify your customers’ issues. Then, you can address these issues by tracking complaints and negative comments before they become more significant problems.

Additionally, social listening can help you track positive comments and feedback. That can help you see what aspects of your business your customers appreciate most and highlight these areas on your website or marketing materials.

Finally, social listening can help you gather customer feedback. By asking customers how they would have liked a particular interaction, you can learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to customer service. This information can help you improve your customer service strategies and make sure that your customers are happy with the experience they have with your company.