Social Listening 101
Social listening is the process of monitoring social media platforms for mentions of a brand, product, competitor, or any other relevant topic, and analyzing these conversations to gain insights into customer sentiments, trends, and behaviors. It involves tracking keywords, phrases, and hashtags across various social media channels to understand what people are saying about a particular subject.
It has always been a part of the “duties” of a social media manager, but today (especially with TikTok) it is (or should be) a top priority for brands. Comments can go viral just like videos, comments can lead to MORE video content for your brand, and this way of posting/communication on social is really important for Gen-Z.
When we talk to our clients about this, the objective isn’t always clear. We are focused on being PROACTIVE rather than just being reactive with engagement on social media on behalf of our clients. We post our own content hoping to show up on people’s feeds (wanting them to join in conversation with us), run paid ads to make sure that happens, but social listening is about joining the conversations already happening - on users posts. These comments can go just as viral as our organic content, with much less efforts - you just have to know where to be. A lot of our clients have customer service teams who manage social media DMs and comments, but social listening is much more about being in-tune with the trends and cultural conversations - it takes a skilled social media manager to find this and engage.
If you aren’t fully sold, let’s dive into the importance:
Customer Insights: Social listening provides valuable insights into customer opinions, preferences, and concerns, which can inform marketing strategies, product development, and customer service improvements.
Crisis Management: It allows brands to identify and address potential crises or negative sentiments before they escalate, thereby protecting their reputation.
Competitive Analysis: Social listening helps in understanding competitors' strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, enabling brands to stay ahead in the market.
Brand Sentiment Analysis: It helps gauge public perception of a brand, product, or campaign, allowing for adjustments to marketing efforts as needed.
Trend Identification: Social listening helps identify emerging trends and topics relevant to the brand's audience, facilitating timely content creation and engagement.
Here are some examples of how brands engaged in social listening…and it paid off:
I already wrote a blog post about Stanley but their social listening and large actions have really boosted the brand
This is an OG example - but when Emily went viral for her designs in the pandemic, all the brands were trying to get in on the action
Dove launched a campaign that was based off a TikTok “trend”of 10 year old girls who are shopping at Sephora
As someone who has worked in social media for over 10 years, I love tools HOWEVER, spending organic time in the app with the algorithm and letting the content come to you is something I think getting overlooked. TikTok’s algorithm has proven to be elite - so allow it to be. Regardless, here are some tools you can check out:
Hootsuite: Offers social media monitoring and analytics tools to track mentions, keywords, and trends across multiple platforms.
Sprout Social: Provides listening capabilities to monitor conversations, track keywords, and analyze sentiment across various social networks.
Brandwatch: Offers advanced social listening and analytics features, including sentiment analysis, trend detection, and competitor benchmarking.
Dash Hudson: Dash Hudson specializes in visual intelligence and social media analytics, offering features for monitoring brand mentions, tracking performance of visual content, and analyzing audience engagement on platforms like Instagram. It provides insights into trends, influencers, and competitor activities to inform content strategies and marketing decisions.