The Importance of Listening in Effective Communication: How Social Listening Can Improve Your Marketing Efforts
Imagine you’re at a gathering, talking to someone you’ve just met… let’s call them Blake. At first glance, Blake looked like an interesting person who aligned with your values. But after some time chatting, you’ve noticed that they’ve dominated the entire conversation, barely letting you get a word in and neglecting to truly hear the few things you have been able to say. You’re going to turn the other way at the first opportunity you get, no?
Everybody wants to be heard, valued, and appreciated. We want our engagements to be a two way street, where our needs are being met and our input is being taken into consideration.
Now take a look at your marketing strategy. Does it look a bit like Blake? Does your brand talk without really listening much? More often than not, the answer is yes. From people to brands, most of us enjoy talking about ourselves, and it can be easy to forget to consider our audience.
When we tailor our message to appeal to the people we’re talking to, it can be delivered much more effectively. For instance, revealing your passion for camping to Jordan (an avid hiker) might not land as well with Sammy (a city-slicker). If you want to connect with Sammy, you should probably opt for something that resonates. Maybe they’re holding a book, so you opt for your interest in reading instead.
Careful, though, not to stray from your authenticity. Finding common ground does not mean lying or bending the truth. It means leaning into preexisting similarities and using those as a way to build rapport.
In order to find common ground on which to connect, you must first listen. By listening effectively, your brand can build better relationships with your audience and therefore gain valuable feedback, make more conversions, and foster genuine loyalty.
By leaning in to social listening you can boost your marketing efforts. Social listening refers to the practice of monitoring the digital sphere to learn more about your target audience, your brand perception, and your competition. Here’s how to do it:
1.Set clear goals
The first step to any good strategy begins with defining your goals. That includes a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, as well as the why and the how. Having clearly defined goals allows you to focus your efforts, rather than being all over the board.
2. Define your target audience
If you haven’t already done so, this should be a high priority before any social monitoring, or even any further marketing efforts proceed. Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your strategies to maximize effectiveness.
3. Know who the competition is
Understanding your place in the market is another key step in successfully marketing your brand. As you look into your competition, make a chart of gaps and overlap between your brand and theirs. These insights will help you differentiate your brand and position your product/service as superior.
4. Make a list of relevant keywords
A clearly defined list of keywords related to your brand or desired insights can act as a sort of compass. Keywords should be related to your product/service, the problem your brand solves, your competition, and anything else that you think could provide valuable insights.
5. Pinpoint the channels you will monitor
This step should be easy. Let your own social media presence act as a guide here - what channels is your brand active on? Where do you get the most traction? The goal here is to focus on one or two channels where your target audience is most active.
6. Begin social listening
When it comes to the actual process of social listening, you have a few options. The most budget friendly option would be to rely on in-house manpower to manually monitor socials within the parameters you’ve set forth. Alternatively, you could sign up for a third-party software, such as Hootsuite or SproutSocial. And of course, if you’d rather completely outsource your social listening efforts, you can always hire a marketing agency (like Social Canvas) to take care of it for you from start to finish.
7. Consider conducting a content audit to complement your social listening strategy
Content audits are a great way to check in with your own digital presence and pinpoint areas for improvement. This compliments a social listening strategy nicely, because you can combine insights to elevate your brand. If you’re interested in getting started with a content audit, you can learn more here.
Social listening can help your brand stay on top of customer wants/needs, real time feedback, market trends, collaboration opportunities and what’s going on with the competition.
By actively listening to and understanding your audience, you can fine-tune your business strategies, offerings, and messaging to meet your customers' needs more effectively. Plus, keeping tabs on competitors allows you to adapt and innovate, maintaining your competitive edge. Embrace the power of social listening, and watch your communication and marketing efforts flourish.
