How to Use Social Media Listening

How to Use Social Media ListeningCredit Vasin Lee/Shutterstock Social media is quickly becoming a one-stop shop for small businesses. You can market new products online, sell through Instagram, use it for customer service and even listen to customers opinions.With social media listening, you can reach the right people at the right time with the right content.Social media listening vs. social media monitoringPeople often confuse social media monitoring with social listening, and vice versa. While they are similar, they arent the same. Taylor Kincaid, social media director atOnline Optimism, says social media monitoring is responding to comments and questions on your social media profiles.Think of social media monitoring as something you do daily, i.e., monitoring notifications to answer comments and questions. Social media listening, however, is a macro view of what people are saying online.Social media listening and social media monitoring offers brands t wo distinct use cases, said Rachael Samuels, social media manager atSprout Social. We often say, Monitoring sees the trees listening views the forest.Social listening provides a broader view of industry trends and customer sentiment that may have a direct or indirect impact on a brand, said Samuels.It captures trends and brand opportunities that may have otzu sichwise been overlooked and, therefore, gets left out of the greater brand strategy, she said.Editors musiknote Looking for a social media management solution? Fill out the below questionnaire to be connected with vendors that can help.Why is social media listening important and how can businesses use it?Social media listening is important it gives you valuable insights about your brand, customers and industry. Once you identify trends online, you can tailor a strategy to align your products or services with these trends.This can involve creating content your customers want to consume, monitoring the brand health of your com pany or a competitor and using trends as inspiration for fresh marketing campaigns, said Emily McReynolds, social media manager at Passion Digital.Heres how to use social media listening to promote your brand.Learn how your audience behaves on different social channels. For example, you might notice your audience engages mora with short-term content than long-form videos. Use this insight and modify your strategy accordingly. Instead of posting a long-form video, cut it up into more bite-sized content, said Kincaid.McReynolds agrees. It is useful to analyze historical data to see what drives engagement and what doesnt, and create content based on this, she said. Social listening also allows companies to monitor customer service mentions, which is important for brand image.Track your overall brand health. Use social listening to determine how people perceive your brand overall. With this information, you can spot and address potential problems and sentiments.Create new campaigns. Lis tening to conversations your customers are having about your brand identifies gaps and opportunities in the marketplace that you can capitalize on.To start using social media listening, platforms such as Hootsuite, Sprout Social and TweetReach offer tools and analytics. To learn more about social media marketing tools, read this Business News Daily guide. Saige Driver Saige received her Bachelors degree in Journalism and Telecommunications from Ball State University. She is the social media strategist for Business.com and Business News Daily. She also writes reviews and articles about social media. She loves reading and her beagle mix, Millie. Start Your Business Business Ideas Business Plans Startup Basics Startup Funding Franchising Success Stories Entrepreneurs Grow Your Business Sales Marketing Finances Your Team Technology Social Media Security Build Your Career Get the Job Get Ahead amtsstube Life Work-Life Balance Home Office Lead Your Team Leadership Women in Business Managing Strategy Personal Growth Find A Solution HR Solutions Financial Solutions Marketing Solutions Security Solutions Retail Solutions SMB Solutions About Us Contact Us Par tner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap 200 Fifth Avenue, Second FloorWaltham, MA 02451infobusinessnewsdaily.com Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) All Rights Reserved. Company About Us Contact Us Partner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap Network Business.com BuyerZone.com