Social Listening: What is it and Why It’s Important
Knowing how your customers actually feel about your products or services can be invaluable. Not only can customer feedback allow you to better meet the demands of your audience by fine tuning issues and aspects of your products and services, but it also gives you opportunity to add an additional elements to expand their experience.
Not that long ago, gathering customer feedback was somewhat of a challenge. Knowing how clients felt about what they purchased from was a bit of a guessing game. Client surveys, customer service phone lines, and research on sales performance were some of the only ways to know what was working and what wasn’t.
Today, social listening is the new frontier. Utilizing this process allows you to learn how your audience feels about your brand, allowing you to change course when needed. With this information, you’re better able to position yourself for future growth.
What is social listening?
Social listening happens when your brand pays attention to what customers are saying about your products and services online, as well as your industry as a whole in order to pinpoint and craft better marketing decisions. This process can involve listening to customers' problems and concerns, as well as gathering information around what they enjoy best about your brand. It’s also about learning about customers’ personal interests and views.
Deeper social listening involves analyzing the conversations and trends related to your brand that are taking place online. Done right, this can allow you to improve not only your messaging and content strategy, but it can also help you outpace your competitors.
How is social listening different from social monitoring?
You can hire someone to do your social listening for you. Companies exist that gather information in various ways. These organizations gather data from social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and review sites such as TripAdvisor for comments and concerns. These companies help decipher the messages and lessons your customers are revealing to you through deep analytics.
In contrast, social monitoring involves tracking how your audience interacts with your brand online through your social media websites only. Whenever a comment is made on Twitter directed towards your brand for example, social monitoring enables you to respond to it in a timely way. In short, social monitoring tells you what, and social listening reveals the why.
Social Listening and Influencers
So, how is all of this related to influencer marketing? Social listening can help in matching you with the right influencer bringing exciting new audiences to your business. You may have an idea of who you think would be a great match for your brand but data may reveal a different story. Deep social listening can help you discern who your audience is turning to for advice related to your industry.
If you sell natural energy bars, you may be wondering if your product resonates more with the followers of elite gymnasts or with those who follow football players. Social listening might reveal that your audience is actually full of young moms who are following someone else entirely.
You may be surprised to learn who your audience truly is and who they turn to for guidance. Social listening can help you identify an influencer that fits with your brand’s values and your voice.
Make an ideal connection through MatchPoint
At Matchpoint Connection, our goal is to provide companies and talent with the best opportunities in influencer marketing. Our online influencer and NIL talent marketplace allows brands and influencers to connect, converse, exchange payments, and more. Contact us today to learn more or download our app to get started!
