Overview of Social Listening
If you have ever wanted to know what people are saying about your business or wanted to know what your competitors are up to then stay tuned for some great tips on social listening to help you get the answers you need.
In the video “Social Listening for Research Insights,” Martin Waxman talks about how social listening is an essential part of business research as it can help you meet the needs of your customers, attract new customers, and grow your business. To help you get started, Waxman has provided many tips on developing a strategic approach, how to get started, and how to socially listen in action.
Develop a Strategic Approach
If you want to continue moving forward in life it is important that you learn from your mistakes and continue to do better. This also applies to businesses in which if you want your business to succeed then you must work on and improve any flaws or problems that may be preventing customers from coming to you. For example, Waxman (2017) mentions that reviewing the complaints of your own business can help you learn a lot about your business, what customers are looking for, and how you can make improvements.
Waxman (2017) also suggests searching for what people are generally complaining about or looking for in other businesses within your industry. By carefully listening to what customers are saying can help uncover a range of ideas on how to improve your business.
How to Get Started
In today’s society, people often run to search engines or social media platforms to get more information about something. I know I sure do. Using hashtags with keywords that describe your business provides a fast and efficient method in delivering relevant information to customers who may be searching for what your business has to offer.
When it comes to deciding which search engines or social media platforms to use for your business, it is important to know which ones will be the most beneficial in meeting your goals. For example, there are various types of search engines such as Google and Bing that use different algorithms to filter results. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter let you search by hashtag, keywords, and users. These search options allow customers to efficiently find the information they need.
When you finally figure out which social media platforms to use, you may realize that managing multiple social media accounts to update and monitor is difficult. Waxman (2017) suggests using a social media marketing dashboard called Hootsuite to help you keep track and manage your many social network channels. It can help you to monitor what people are saying about your business and help you respond instantly. You can also view streams from multiple networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and post updates or reply directly.
Social Listening in Action
If you want to learn valuable information about your competitors or customers then social listening will allow you to do just that. Waxman (2017) mentions that putting together a private Twitter list of competitors, and adding them to your Hootsuite dashboard can allow you to monitor conversations and identify threats or opportunities you may be missing. Social listening also ensures that you maintain great customer service skills.
When a customer has a problem, they want to know someone has heard them and is taking action. Social listening points out people’s issues and gives you an opportunity to deal with them in public. This allows you to handle the situation while showing others that you are receptive and understanding.
Waxman (2017) also suggests having proper protocols in place so that in case of a big issue or crisis, it can be appropriately managed. Of course, social listening will allow you to notice if any issues are starting to arise.
Conclusion
Overall Waxman has provided many beneficial tips on how social listening can help a business grow and improve. Not only does social listening allow you to learn what your customer’s value but it also allows you to know what your competitors are up to.
An example of a company that effectively uses social listening is Nike. The company recognizes just how important customer service is, especially on social media, which is why it created a separate Twitter account just for responding to customer inquiries and issues: @NikeSupport. Nike Support is dedicated to all things customer service, making it easier for customers to reach out when they have a problem or question. Nike Support is very active and quick to respond to messages. This shows customers that they can trust Nike to provide them with the help they need when they need it.
Now that you have all the tips on social listening, you can try it out for yourself and watch your business thrive.
References
Waxman, M. (2017). Social listening for research insights. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/HootSuite-tutorials/Welcome/546104/621980-4.html
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