Communication is the lifeblood of any organization. Without proper communication channels, a standing army would be in chaos unable to respond to the onslaught of the enemy. In medieval times, armies both in the West and in the East used flags also known as war flags or standards to signal positions and act as focal points.
The importance of proper communication channels was also a distinct feature of the expansion of the Roman empire. An intricate network of post houses translated to efficient governance and administration. Small wonder Ancient Rome lasted 1000 years as intelligence and communication flowed to and from these post houses with ease.
Today like before, corporations must be able to have a feel of their market. Without knowing what the market really wants, a business could be running in circles unable to satisfy a need. And that’s how the idea of the listening post began. To roll out better customer service, your organization must be able to gather needed intelligence. This can be done via face-to-face research and direct guest communications.
In the age of social media, however, there may be no greater listening post you can make the most of than social listening. Indeed, customer service goes beyond the storefront. Being able to monitor what your customers and non-customers are saying about you is vital. As you know by now, it doesn’t take long before a local conversation in social media can become global.
Get a Competitive Edge
If you’re not sure how powerful social media is, take a closer look at some of the most damaging social media posts to grace our feeds. The recent social media comments war of Dolce & Gabanna co-founder Stefano Gabanna should be telling. By calling women ‘fat’, ‘stupid’, and ‘full of cholesterol’ the Mr. Gabanna not only alienated a big majority of his patrons but also destroyed the careful branding of his products.
When you do social listening, you can set it up to monitor all social mentions of your brand, its products, and services. You can expand this to include misspellings and a host of common variations of your brand for best results.
Opportunities could knock at your door when you find people complaining about a competitor and its products. You can step in and inquire about what makes them arrive at such a conclusion. You can then relate to them by showing how your products tackle such shortcomings. Be careful though. To succeed, you have to be friendly and helpful. Once they know you’re on their side, you have converted one lead into a patron.
Zero in on Brand Advocates and Influencers
Another important way social listening can help you is it helps you locate brand allies. You can do this by zeroing in on people who are actively promoting your brand.
When people spread positive news about you at their own discretion, you have an organic brand ally — a marketing gold so to speak. Such a word-of-mouth marketer is social proof that can turn the tide of your marketing endeavors for the better over time.
Take note that social media marketing is an uphill climb. For starters, a successful social media campaigner wears many hats. Not only will you need to be proficient in a host of social media tools, but you also have to be as organized as possible.
What #39;s more, social media marketing is a long-drawn-out process. It takes time, reason enough why relying upon experts from a social media agency can be spot on. By handing the reins of your social media campaigns to experienced professionals, you free yourself to focus on expanding other essential areas of the business.
Improve Your Customer Service
Know that even the best brands on the planet can catch flak now and then. That’s simply because everyone has their own distinct opinion. If you think your brand is perfect, your brand could go down as you won’t find ways to better your brand.
A good way to keep yourself on the ground is social listening. By knowing the positive and negative mentions of your brand on social media, you are able to see different aspects of your products. In doing so, you can gain the needed insights to know how you can improve your brand.
Bear in mind that someone complaining is actually someone asking for assistance. By providing him with one, you can turn what could have been a misunderstanding into a chance of cementing a customer for life.
Find Your Tribe
There’s a lot of guesswork involved in marketing. What ads are best? Which platform will give the most ROI? It would be good if there’s a way you can gain ample insight to decide. That should save you lots of time and effort.
That’s exactly what social listening can put on the table. By showing you a platform where people are actually talking about you, you’d know where your market truly is. You can better engage them there. In the process, you’ve gained valuable knowledge. All because you’re willing to listen.
