In this article we will delve into the concept Social Listening, what it is and what are its benefits.

Before going into the subject, we would like to highlight some interesting data to put Social Listening in context:

• In the world there are 2.8 billion users active in social networks (We are Social Studio).
• El 91% of retail brands they use two or more social media channels (Yes Lifecycle Marketing).
• Internet users have 5 social media accounts on average (study communicates more for less).
• El 53% of users read reviews of other users on social networks before purchasing a good or service (Annual Social Networks Study 2017 by IAB).
• In Spain, according to the INE (National Institute of Statistics), 42.9% of companies have a digital presence. Of these, 94.5% use social networks for business purposes.
• El 91.5% of companies who are on the Internet believe that social media is useful for developing their business (INE data).
• In Spain, only a 8.5% of SMEs and large companies they carried out Big Data analyses (ePYME Report Study 2016) of the National Observatory for Telecommunications and Information Society -ONTSI-).

These figures demonstrate the importance of being on the Internet, but above all, that Companies need to be more willing to listen than ever. When we manage a brand's social media accounts, it's normal to receive an alert for mention or interaction, but do we control what users say about our brand on the network or other social networks? That's why it's important to practice Social Listening.

What is Social Listening?

Social Listening or Social Media Listening is a technique that allows us to know everything that is said about our brand or “of the specific terms” that we want to know on the Internet. It is the process of monitoring and finding everything that is said about our company, a topic, a brand, a person or a specific sector on the different online platforms.

It is important not only to pay attention to the reactions of our customers and audience, but also to the activity of the different social media in our industry and competitors.

What benefits can Social Listening bring to our company?

Preventing a Digital Reputation Crisis

If we monitor in real time, we can locate a possible user problem with our company. It is important to discover them in time and to be able to prevent them.

Identify influencers and brand advocates

Active listening allows us to see who are the users who mention our company the most, those who speak badly, but above all, those who defend the brand with the sword and nail. Once detected, we can contact them to carry out some marketing actions together.

Get to know the market and sector

Paying attention to user comments on different platforms allows us to get a general idea of opinions about the sector. This information is very valuable to us because it will allow us to know where and how to act.

Spy on the competition

Perhaps one of the most important points. Practicing active listening will give us an idea of what our main competitors are doing online.

Understanding the consumer

Consumers want to feel heard, to have the brand help them and try to answer their questions. Companies need to get closer to our consumers.

Improve our products

Knowing the opinions of users on the network will also help us to recognize what we like and dislike about products, to know what works and what doesn't, what they use it for, etc. This information will allow us to modify our products, if appropriate, to adapt them to our users.

Detect potential customers

If we can help the different users and offer them a good experience solving your concerns, problems... we may get a new customer.

As the phrase goes, Information is power. Knowing how to search for and find this information is important, but more important is Know how to use and analyze the data obtained to achieve our objectives. This information will allow us to create and modify our digital strategy.

It's time for your company to practice Social Listening, it's time to listen to everything we haven't heard, now is the time, before the competition does.

If you want more information and see what Social Listening can bring to your business, don't hesitate to write to us.

How can we help you?

If you need more information, do not hesitate to contact get in touch with us.