Are You Listening On Social Media?

Listening to your audience on social media

Listening on social media is one of your critical first steps when creating your blog and business social media strategy.

Why is social listening critical to your business, and what is it?

By studying the conversations and trends surrounding your business and market, you can optimize your marketing to help grow your reach and interest in your product. All to help you reach your business and income goals!

  • If you’ve noticed a dip in your online sales, tweaking your marketing strategies might be what you want to do to help your business grow. 
  • Social media is a choice that has proven successful for many businesses. But when the topic of social selling is raised, many business owners feel they need help. 

So, where and how do you begin updating your business’s social media?

Businesses can start by creating and updating their social selling strategy. 

A strategy may look like this:

#1: Know your market – intimately.

  • To start with, it is paying attention to your strategies of how attentive you are in addressing your audience’s needs. 
  • Look at successful competitors. What can you model that would help your own business and attraction power?

#2 Businesses online need to identify the appropriate social media sites and communities where their ideal clients congregate and then learn what they can say and do to attract and help them.

  • Listening on social media involves monitoring conversations about your industry on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc. It lets you gain insights into what people say about your offering. They can give you ideas of what topics and trends are relevant to your target audience and what your competitors are doing to attract similar audiences. With this information, you can craft more effective and targeted content and campaigns to help boost your brand’s visibility and reach on social media platforms. 

Listening on social media can show your audience that you care and how to help them.

  • As you develop an authentic and powerful online style, you’ll understand more about what your audience wants.
  • You’ll learn what makes that desirable to your ideal audience and what type of language to use that will attract.

That’s what listening on social media can do for your online success.

You can join in on the conversations with your target audience, even while listening on social media.

  • Use that opportunity to help you gain audience intelligence in your everyday online activities.

People who are a part of your community, and those who don’t even know you yet, want your ideas, information, and suggestions, and they want you to hear them! 

You’ll need to get into the habit of paying attention to more than what they say as part of your listening on social media.

  • Take a look at your analytics and insights regularly to understand how they pay attention to you.
  • Include yourself in their conversations and become likable and involved. That’s engaging!
When you’re listening on social media and responding, you can use it as a strategic tool for blogging, list building, repurposing, promotions, and competitive shrewdness.

Social media makes monitoring any of your platforms easy, enabling you to quickly see the results of your efforts. You’ll find out if your efforts are working, and you can identify why they might not be working and improve your work.

  • Social listening is watching conversations on digital platforms to help you understand your ideal client’s preferences and what they say about brands and other online businesses.
    • Social listening is the process you can use to help analyze conversations and trends around your brand and your industry and use those insights to improve your marketing.

How does this help you?

Quality content is essential to social listening. You’ll see what your audience is reacting to and find out what is relevant to them.

  • Then you can constantly provide that relevant content, and more people will interact with and visit your site and want to read more about what you offer.

Expand your niche knowledge.

Your clients can learn more about you and your offers through the power of your social media sites. Social listening is how they know more about and from you.

  • Social listening tools gather information about your brand and that of your competitors, which is publicly available online. 
  • Depending on the needs of your business, you can collect data over a predetermined period or in real-time. 
  • Also, you have the option to limit mentions to a specific set of languages or nations.

To determine what topics your clients most frequently discuss and mention about your products and services or brand online (for example, packaging, price, and availability). The research focuses on several keywords or phrases (like the name of your business or product). Comments are looked at to see the writer’s feelings and are then categorized as good, bad, or neutral based on tone and other variables. 

How do you conduct social listening?

Your Social Listening Strategy

  1. Keep track of every mention of your brand in real-time and from a single location.
  2. Obtain the most accurate and recent input.
  3. Help identify Internet discussions that mention your brand.
  4. Keep tabs on the number of online interactions and sentiment shifts.

Design Your Product

Social listening helps you learn what your niche thinks of your products. Helping you keep track of both positive and negative comments to find any areas that need some work—allowing you to concentrate more on your target market’s needs and pain points, which can result in a better product.

What are some of the social listening tools you can use to enhance your own experiences for listening on Social Media?

Check out these tools:

1) Hootsuite is one of the tools you need to manage your social networks from one place. 

hootsuite dashboard

2) Tweetdeck A Twitter tool for real-time tracking, organizing and engagement. 

tweetdeck

 

3) TWEETREACH – Find out how far your tweets traveled? You can also find out who your most influential followers are. 

tweetreach

4) Social MentionSocial Mention monitors over one hundred social media sites. It may be one of the best free tools for listening on social media.  

5) Mention  – 

Mention enables brands and agencies to leverage media monitoring and social media in order to increase brand awareness. By tracking a brand, competitor, or industry topic – our platform allows customers to compare and analyze online conversations, as well as create content based on important social and web insights. 

6) Google Alerts You can enter the keywords that you have, and you can see who is talking about you!

It’s an ongoing process that you can develop into a top priority.

If you’re not monitoring your social media presence, you will be unaware of:

• What your competitors are doing.

• What people are saying about you and your brand.

• Whether you are doing a good job and…

• Whether you are improving your presence or it’s getting worse.

Because success means consistency and reliability. Which means you have to be visible and responsive.

One of the most important sites can be your Facebook business page!

Learn How to Maximize Your Facebook Followers and Build Your Email List in 30 min or less a day…Facebook Challenge

“I have heard Donna speak before as well as know many of her clients. I hear only great things about what Donna teaches and that everyone gets more than what they ask for. Sandy Evers. ourgoldenparachute.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Ward
Follow me

68 thoughts on “Are You Listening On Social Media?

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:29 am
      Permalink

      Thank you Heather – Look forward to hearing your favorites end up being.

  • January 20, 2015 at 10:50 am
    Permalink

    I never really thought about it. i always just figured if people like what I have to say they like it and if not, oh well.

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:30 am
      Permalink

      Well, that’s true in some ways Robin – adding to that is once you know what they like, you can give them more. 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 11:06 am
    Permalink

    What great tips on listening. Love the perspective that it’s just as important to listen as it is to participate. Social media isn’t all me, me, me! Excellent post.
    Minette recently posted..Three Steps to a Winning GameMy Profile

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:32 am
      Permalink

      Super fun that you see that, Minette – it’s like when we go out networking offline – so many people are about ‘me, me, me’. It’s not all about me! lol

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:33 am
      Permalink

      You are welcome, Krystal – yep this is continuing our visibility!

  • January 20, 2015 at 11:50 am
    Permalink

    Hi Donna 🙂

    Fantastic post! Packed with tons of valuable resources to help you “listen” to your audience on social media! Will be checking out a few of these…..thank you my friend for always providing valuable information that ANYONE can implement right away 🙂

    I will be sharing this as always 🙂
    Big Hugs!!!
    Joan Harrington recently posted..The #1 Strategy For Inbound MarketingMy Profile

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:35 am
      Permalink

      Thanks so much, Joan! Always glad to see you hear and know that you value and share my work! Big hugs back at ya!

    • January 21, 2015 at 4:16 pm
      Permalink

      Thanks, Michele – I hope to hear what you found and implemented 🙂

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:34 am
      Permalink

      That’s great to hear, Scott – would love to hear some of you ‘alert’ you use for your blogging 🙂

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:36 am
      Permalink

      Nice to hear that, Maureen – thanks so much for your comment 🙂

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:37 am
      Permalink

      How fun to hear that you are starting your blog – yep more than just writing it is involved! 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 1:16 pm
    Permalink

    Listening and engaging with your fans/following/audience is a huge piece of online marketing.

    It’s not just about posting but about engaging. The more engagement, the better the relationship.. the more possibility of them buying products or services.

    Really enjoyed your blog post and looking forward to coming back! Follow over from UBC. 🙂
    Katrina recently posted..Difference Between Niche and AvatarMy Profile

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:38 am
      Permalink

      Thank you so much, Katrina! So glad you found me at UBC and looking forward to seeing you here often! 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 1:16 pm
    Permalink

    I do use hootsuite, but not any of the others, I’m going to have to have a play with them as I need to get my social media ‘life’ sorted a little more.
    Sarah Bailey recently posted..10 strange things humans doMy Profile

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:39 am
      Permalink

      Great point, Sarah – these tools do help sort out our work better! Thank you 🙂

    • January 21, 2015 at 4:15 pm
      Permalink

      Thank you, Caroline – love hearing that! 🙂

    • January 22, 2015 at 5:40 am
      Permalink

      I know, right, Theresa – I use a few of these tools and others – so much fun to get organized and more on target in promoting our work.

  • January 20, 2015 at 2:46 pm
    Permalink

    I use HootSuite to help manage my social media. It certainly makes it a lot easier for me!

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:40 am
      Permalink

      So right Pam – thank you 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 2:53 pm
    Permalink

    It’s so hard to keep up with all of the social media outlets. I truly find it overwhelming sometimes. I hope I’m not the only one.
    Carmen Perez (listen2mama) recently posted..Threefold CafeMy Profile

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:40 am
      Permalink

      Nope you are not the only one, Carmen – just pick one and see if you like it and move to an additional one is what I do 🙂

    • January 21, 2015 at 4:15 pm
      Permalink

      I do get that, Liz – my issue was Twitter, now it’s so much quicker!

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:39 am
      Permalink

      Super cool, Connie!

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:39 am
      Permalink

      Thanks, Amber – I live to hear that as a blogger!

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:38 am
      Permalink

      Thanks, Lois – It seems we all do – but, routines do help – one step at a time, right ?

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:38 am
      Permalink

      Great to hear, Stefany – what’s your favorite? 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 8:21 pm
    Permalink

    I didn’t know about several of these services, good to know. I agree that it is important to listen on social media to engage others for connections.

    Also Donna, I dont know if you are aware, but the link you have for Social Mention for #4 doesn’t go to Social Mention. Instead it is linked to Social Report and it is’t free. The link for Social Mentions is http://www.socialmention.com/
    Michel Snook recently posted..Is Affiliate Marketing Automation a Good Idea?My Profile

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:37 am
      Permalink

      Yep – Michel – it’s the same thing Social Mention and Social Report – thank you for your thoughtfulness 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 8:27 pm
    Permalink

    This post is extremely helpful. Hoots unite is the only one I’ve used before.

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:36 am
      Permalink

      Thank you Michelle – good to hear – and glad you found this helpful – there’s a lot of info we all need always

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:36 am
      Permalink

      Well, Annie – you’re not alone – I also slip so much – I do well in one area and then skip for awhile in another – and other times it’s all smooth…

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:35 am
      Permalink

      Thanks for your comment 🙂 It’s appreciated

    • January 21, 2015 at 5:34 am
      Permalink

      Same here, Lesley – we do need to keep updated and implementing and, well there’s a lot to learn and put into a routine. Step by Step – 🙂

  • January 20, 2015 at 10:30 pm
    Permalink

    I almost used Hootsuite when I went on vacation. It came highly recommended from a blogger I trusted. I might use it yet…

    • January 21, 2015 at 5:33 am
      Permalink

      Yep – been using Hootsuite for a few years – I need more consistency myself! Thank you, Rosey.

    • January 21, 2015 at 5:31 am
      Permalink

      Thank you for your comment, Francene – I have known about several, but a bit lazy in setting up more than a few. 🙂

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:33 am
      Permalink

      I know, right Francene! I use a few here and more that I didn’t list – there are some I want to get more involved with also 🙂

  • January 21, 2015 at 8:07 am
    Permalink

    Good point and great tips. I need o up my social media game. I do love Hootsuite though 🙂

    • January 21, 2015 at 8:32 am
      Permalink

      Her Sojourner – it is continuous – listening, engaging, promoting and using helpful sites that let us do more and do it easier. 🙂

  • January 21, 2015 at 10:16 am
    Permalink

    I use HootSuite, but I am sure don’t utilize it like I should. I also use Google Alerts, but those are mostly set up for my freelance news articles that I write from time to time.
    Chrystal M. recently posted..That Time I Bought a $1800 iMacMy Profile

    • January 21, 2015 at 4:14 pm
      Permalink

      Very nice, Rena – and thank you so much – glad to be of help 🙂

  • Pingback: You Need the Essentials for Your Content Posting - Intuitive Business Coach

  • January 23, 2015 at 10:23 am
    Permalink

    I love any kind of program that helps me keep track of my social media reach. Hootsuite is my favorite, it makes it so easy to control my social media channels!

    • January 24, 2015 at 9:44 am
      Permalink

      Me too, Rachelle – it’s getting it organized and systematized that helps so much

  • November 26, 2016 at 7:45 am
    Permalink

    I have heard about Hootsuite but have yet to really try it only because I am always up. I hardly ever sleep and so at any time, while I am up, I can post. But one day it might be helpful when I am unable to do it myself. Some of the other tools are helpful. Might try to Twitter reach one. That sounds interesting.

  • November 26, 2016 at 3:04 pm
    Permalink

    I think it’s hard to track mentions. I used to get so much traffic off of my Facebook page and now it’s almost none. They have made it where you can’t even get in the feeds without paying. It makes me so upset.

    My Instagram is doing OK and I need to work on my Twitter the most.

    • November 27, 2016 at 12:30 pm
      Permalink

      It is a struggle – but, I am still getting leads from Facebook over Twitter – and starting to work more on Instagram.
      Thanks, Valerie for your note!

  • November 28, 2016 at 9:21 am
    Permalink

    Great tips! I didn’t know about any of these tracking applications. I don’t use anything other than Facebook, but this is all still good information to know.

  • Pingback: How to Reach Your Social Media Goals in 2022 -

Comments are closed.