Listening is Key

Listening is key in all situations but especially via. social media because it is so large-scale. Listening is basically doing research which allows you to collect data required to make informed decisions about what to do next, what to improve, and how to best cater to your customers. Knowing what is important to your customers can help you better plan your offers, promotions, and contests to further drive buzz and sales. If you really listen to what your customers want and need, then this may in turn help your organization/company become more profitable. In addition, the customers will be really happy that their voices were being heard which will give the company more credibility. 

Although the thought of needing to keep track of what people are saying about your company may seem difficult and overwhelming, there are a few easy ways to stay on top of it. These sites are known as Google alerts, social mention, twitter search, Facebook search, YouTube search, or tweetbeep. Not only is it important to keep tabs on your own company but also of your competitors. It is always a good idea to stay up-to-date with your competitors and see what your company should do to exceed their progress.

Since buzz travels so quickly via. social media, if your brand or product is being talked about in a negative way it is always important to respond immediately to fix the issues being discussed. It is always a good idea to respond to the individual, then take the conversation to a private area to resolve the issue at stake.

All companies have to create and execute social media campaigns at some point. Whenever creating a social media campaign, listening should still be the number one priority. There are two areas involved in the listening stage.

1) Foundational Background

2) Social Landscape

Having a good foundational background requires having a clear mission statement, organizational structure, communication audit, and policies and procedures.

No matter what the campaign is, the strategy and tactic in social media should relate to the brand’s vision. This will really help the audience understand what their mission is and what they strive to achieve. After gaining some knowledge on the organization’s values it is important to look into the organizational structure of this organization and see what makes them different from other companies. It is very important to keep an eye on the marketing, public relations, communication, and IT department when it comes to social media campaigns because they all play an important role when it comes to the company’s success. Key players to keep in mind are people who will focus on two-way dialogue in real-time communication via social media. In order to pinpoint who you want on your team, you need to identify what skills are necessary for the job. When thinking about the type of people needed for a specific social media campaign it is helpful to identify the key areas such as the program lead, creative lead, copy lead, social lead and analysts. Having an idea of the roles and jobs that need to be completed will make it a lot easier when it comes time to pick and choose the perfect candidates for the campaign. Every social media team needs a leader and it is always best to pick someone who is able to lead, take on many responsibilities, and who has a deep understanding of social media and business management.  Lastly, it is very critical to keep in mind the policies and procedures of an organization before going forth with the social media campaign design just to make sure none of the company rules are violated. It is always a good idea for companies to also have a crisis response plan for their social media campaigns. This is so that if something goes wrong, then the company will be prepared and know how to respond most appropriately.The social landscape refers to what types of conversations are happening via. social media about your brand, your campaign, etc. The social landscape includes five parts: key listening phrases, conversation platforms, brand community dialogue, influencers, and competition.

To better leverage your company or social media campaigns, you can also gear your marketing and advertising efforts toward a specific group of individuals through social media profiles, activities, and networks. You can even go even narrower by targeting people based off age, gender, education, marital status, interests, job title, employer…etc.