Social media listening involves using AI technology to collect and analyze social media data and identify posts that are relevant to your business. Using a social listening platform can offer a wide range of benefits, and the process is increasingly an integral part of modern business operations.
However, the technology is still relatively new, and many business owners will feel unsure about what it can offer and how best to put it to use. If this sounds like you, we’ve put together a guide just for you. Read on to check out our three tips for using social media listening to uncover trends and new opportunities.
Look for Where is Your Brand Being Talked About
Today’s social media landscape is absolutely colossal. There are countless different platforms and channels, and within each of these there are innumerable small groups and communities. This makes it essentially impossible for businesses to track where their brand is being talked about. Until now.
With social media listening, you can identify digital locations where your business is being spoken about the most. Some of these won’t come as a surprise, such as on industry-specific message boards and forums. However, you may see a few unexpected results, and you could find new potential targets that you can focus your marketing efforts on to boost sales and conversions.
Think About New Target Customers
All businesses have a target customer. This can be a broad group or a highly specific individual, it all depends on the type of products you sell, the services you deliver, and where you are in the world. For example, a company that produces designer men’s shoes will likely be targeting men of a specific background and income status, which is a relatively narrow group.
It can be difficult for businesses to know just how successfully they are reaching their target customer, which is why social listening is such a valuable tool. By conducting social listening, you can assess both where your business is being talked about, and who is doing the talking. This will give you an immediate insight into whether you are reaching your target customer or not. If you are, you can be confident that your advertising strategy has been a success. If not, you may need to go back to the drawing board.
However, if you notice that your brand is being talked about by customers outside of your target group, this could mean there is potential to widen your reach and target more customers, which could see a significant sales increase.
Consider What’s Being Said
They say all publicity is good publicity, but this isn’t necessarily the case. While it’s always encouraging to see your brand being talked about, if it’s in a negative way then this could be harming your business.
Looking at what customers are saying can give you a clear idea of what they think about your brand. If it’s less than positive, see this as an opportunity to fix your brand image in the eyes of the consumers and you’ll reap the rewards.
Conclusion
To make the most out of social listening, look for where your brand is being talked about, identify new target customers, and always consider what’s being said.
