A tool that may not be well known, Social Listening is an audience research tactic that allows you to better understand your target audience. You can do this through identifying topics that might connect with your audience, and through monitoring your industry space, gaining you the knowledge you need to successfully compete with your competitors.
To begin Social Listening, you’ll need to monitor social media platforms, websites and forums, searching for mentions of specific topics, themes, product names. It’s going to assist you in sourcing industry influencers and can demonstrate your content success in your campaigns. There are also multiple tools out there you can utilise to aid in your Social Listening process.
If you’re conducting your Social Listening accurately, you’ll be able to devise your campaigns and strategies with insight and clear knowledge.
We’re going to delve into how Social Listening can impact your business and take your brand to another level.
Get a Grasp of Your Audience
Social Listening is a surefire way to quickly target your audience and tune in to what they’re thinking, talking about, and consuming.
If you’re uncovering what topics they’re interested in, then you’re edging closer to fully comprehending how to target them as Customers.
Look closely at which keywords are being used, but also which are NOT being used by your audience. You are also able to evaluate areas of tone of voice, phrases, words and messages used that you can capitalise on in your own content from your brand.
Identify Trends and Topics
As quickly as the tide changes, the trends of topics and what people talk about and consume is constantly shifting. It is part of your role as a business owner to keep up with these changes.
Social Listening allows you to stay on top of any emerging trends, so you can cater any campaigns or content to what is currently ‘in fashion’.
Stay one step ahead of that pesky competition by staying informed on what kind of content and media your audience is indulging in.
Stand Out From Your Competitors
We know that your industry is often flooded with competitors, all vying for attention from the same target audience. So Social Listening is really going to give you the opportunity to impress customers and elevate yourself above the dreaded competition.
The aim is to always reduce the likelihood of you sounding like and coming across exactly like your competitors. Using Social Listening, you might be able to pinpoint which areas your competitors are lacking in that your audience have a keen interest in. Meaning you can outclass your competitors all while attracting that all-important target audience attention.
This means you should conduct your Social Listening on your direct competitors too, not just your target audience. Check their Social Media platforms, their websites and any other form of online medium that they use.
Social Listening is a technique that will benefit your business and give you insight to make educated changes, campaigns, strategies and help you form new ideas on how you can connect with your target audience and what content works in attracting traffic.