How to Set Up a Social Listening Strategy

What is the secret to staying afloat in today’s fast-paced, digital world? Social Listening. Not only does it give brands a wealth of information about consumers’ attitudes and behaviors, but it gives them the opportunity to respond. In a post-COVID world, it’s never been more important to build a community online. So, take your social media strategy to the next level and make social listening a top priority. 

Here are 6 steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Identify Objectives

What do you want to get out of listening? Are you looking to expand your customer service, connect with influencers or gather feedback on a recent product launch? Make sure your objectives are clear, concise, and align with your business goals.

Step 2: Determine Target Audience

Each social platform has a unique demographic, so before you engage, it’s important to know where you can find who you’re looking for, their interests, and behaviors. This will help develop messaging that engages and resonates with that specific audience.

Step 3: Solidify Your Delivery

What tools will you need to monitor feedback? And how will you respond to comments and inquiries across each platform? Ensure that your team has guidelines in place on how to follow conversations and the tone of voice they should use when engaging.

Step 4: Identify Keywords and Phrases

Joining in on key conversations requires that you actively monitor keywords and phrases that customers frequently use. It can be as simple as your brand name and the products or services you offer, in addition to industry trends that you can jump in on.

Step 5: Get Started!

Now that you have a clear idea of what you want to do, it’s time to gather your resources and get started. Designate specific roles for each team member to find and reach out to prospects and customers. Remember that listening is only the first step, and effective communication is the missing piece needed to truly deepen your brand’s connections with others.

Step 6: What to Do With Feedback

At this point in the process, you’ve mastered monitoring conversations surrounding your brand on social media, and have seen and heard it all. Now the question is what do you do with all that feedback that you’ve collected? Before you respond, ask yourself these key questions:

1. Who is the person talking?
2. What are they trying to say and to whom?
3. What stage in the sales cycle are they in?
4. What platform are they using to communicate?
5. What are their motives?
6. How can I respond in a genuine way and add value?
7. How can I use this data to improve my strategy?

When reading through the conversation, the key is to think about how you should respond – not as a marketer, but as an old friend offering advice. Even the most basic conversation can bring valuable insight to your team, so remember to keep a log of feedback, so it can be used by your marketing team in the future.

Need help developing a social listening strategy? Not sure what to do next? Contact us to set up a free consultation.

By Kayla, Account Executive/ Communications Specialist | March 9, 2021