Engaging in social listening for small business

Digital marketing practices should be at the foundation of every business in 2021, no matter the size of the organization or the scope of your target audience. Defined by Hootsuite as the process of monitoring social media channels for mentions of your brand, competitors or product, social listening goes beyond the traditional approach of merely keeping track of your company's reviews.

Organizations that partake in social listening gain powerful insights regarding the gaps in their current service platforms and can learn about new opportunities to grow from the most valuable source — customers. If your organization has yet to utilize this strategy or you are looking to build up your current listening practices, read on to learn how you can better understand your audience by tuning in to their conversations online.

Diversify your listening strategy
It is highly unlikely that any of your customers are using just one social media platform. Kepios estimates that the average consumer is active on at least eight different sites every single day.

Monitor your brand across any channel you think your audience may be active on. The professional conversations clients could be having on LinkedIn will vastly vary from casual and potentially more honest comments being exchanged on sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

Automate your processes
Small-business owners who have the resources to heavily invest in social listening will find no shortage of software and other tools to make the process more efficient.

When selecting the solution that will make the most impact on your business, carefully consider what your objectives are. Are you looking to improve your brand's online reputation, or do you hope to gain a competitive edge by improving your overall offerings?

Utilizing third-party software to aid social listening can help companies gain an even more comprehensive understanding of their markets.

Turn your findings into results
Once you have collected your social listening reports through manual processes, automated tools or a mixture of both, the final step is to apply these findings to your operations. Addressing and dynamically adapting to feedback from your customers and any changes within the market will help you stay ahead of your competition.

Sproutsocial recommends a variety of opportunities businesses can take advantage of after collecting this information. While social listening is a continuous process, organizations will quickly find a variety of cost-effective improvements they can immediately make to better engage customers. These include creating a bank of resources such as a frequently asked questions page to help consumers with common issues or even leveraging what resonates the most with audiences as a key marketing message.

No matter how you utilize your social listening findings, the information will help your organization take advantage of its unique strengths and opportunities to grow business. For any additional questions or assistance with small business legal matters, please feel free to contact the Law Offices of Donald W. Hudspeth at 866-696-2033 or online to make an appointment.

Categorised in: Starting a Business in Arizona

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