The process of “listening” in conversations that are taking place on social media is known as social listening, as the term implies. This entails listening to and examining discussions about your brand and other relevant subjects.
As a result, it’s a fantastic approach to grasping your customers’ perspectives on your company or a particular subject, learning about their interests and concerns, and spotting improvement opportunities.
With the appropriate approach, social listening may help your organization in many ways, from marketing to messaging to customer support.
5 Benefits of social listening to your business
There are several benefits to using social listening for your organization, both direct and indirect. The following are some of the critical applications of social listening:
1. Understating the customers.
You can better determine your audience by listening adequately to social media conversations. It gives you a sense of the subjects they’re discussing and their viewpoint. This enables you to delve further into their interests, values, and requirements by going beyond demographic data.
2. Engaging the customers.
Conversation monitoring is one of the most well-liked applications of social listening. And doing so makes it easier for you to locate several chances to interact with your audience. You can take part in these chats.
You could also immediately respond to brand mentions by offering a solution or an answer. You may demonstrate to your audience that you are eager and willing to communicate with them by identifying and taking advantage of these possibilities.
3. Analyzing the opportunities.
Social listening is crucial to your social selling approach since it can be used to find conversations with individuals interested in your products or services. One could, for instance, inquire of their followers regarding their usage of your goods.
Alternatively, they might ask about recommendations for your products or services. These are fantastic chances to interact with prospective leads and develop them into paying clients.
Stay with the latest trends.
Social listening allows you to keep up with the most recent market trends. You can look at hashtags and discussions relating to your business to identify emerging or current trends in your industry. This will enable you to understand the market’s direction and modify your strategy and messaging.
4. Enhance brand strength.
Social listening helps you know how people feel about your business or products because it can assess opinions. You can pinpoint the issues that need to be resolved or the feelings that need to be fostered by delving into what affects this perception. This will help you create doable action plans to enhance brand health.
You can even come across trending topics where your brand receives favorable media coverage. Take advantage of these chances by interacting with your audience and participating in the discussion. This is a fantastic technique to maintain and improve brand health even when attitudes are already favorable.
5. Excellent customer service.
It is simple to discover complaints, queries, and concerns thanks to social listening. This makes it feasible for you to help your customers and respond to their needs right away. The ability to engage with customers who haven’t just messaged you directly on social media is its best feature.
To be notified immediately whenever your brand is mentioned online, you can set up notifications for tagged and untagged brand mentions. Then you can check for service-related concerns that require quick resolution.
Top 10 social listening tools
Here are the top 10 social listening tools in 2023, along with their pros and cons:
1. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a powerful social listening tool that can help you track mentions of your brand across social media, the web, and traditional media. It offers a wide range of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. However, it can be expensive and difficult to use.
Pros:
- Powerful social listening capabilities
- Wide range of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Expensive
- Difficult to use
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
2. Mention
Mention is a social listening tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It offers a simple interface and a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. However, it can be difficult to get started with and does not offer as many features as some of the other social listening tools on the market.
Pros:
- Simple interface
- Variety of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Difficult to get started with
- Does not offer as many features as some of the other social listening tools
3. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a social media management tool that also offers social listening capabilities. It allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. However, it can be expensive and difficult to use.
Pros:
- Social media management tool
- Social listening capabilities
- Variety of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Expensive
- Difficult to use
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
4. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is another social media management tool that also offers social listening capabilities. It allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. However, it can be expensive and difficult to use.
Pros:
- Social media management tool
- Social listening capabilities
- Variety of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Expensive
- Difficult to use
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
5. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a content marketing tool that can also be used for social listening. It allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. However, it can be expensive and difficult to use.
Pros:
- Content marketing tool
- Social listening capabilities
- Variety of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Expensive
- Difficult to use
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
6. Talkwalker
Talkwalker is a social listening tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. Talkwalker is a good option for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Wide range of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Can be expensive for small businesses
7. Synthesio
Synthesio is a social listening tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. Synthesio is a good option for large businesses.
Pros:
- Powerful social listening capabilities
- Wide range of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Expensive
- Difficult to use
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
8. Brand24
Brand24 is a social listening tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. Brand24 is a good option for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- Wide range of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Limited data storage
- No advanced analytics
9. Awario
Awario is a social listening tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. Awario is a good option for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- Wide range of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Limited data storage
- No advanced analytics
10. Iconosquare
Iconosquare is a social media management tool that also offers social listening capabilities. It allows you to track mentions of your brand, keywords, and competitors across social media. It also offers a variety of features, including sentiment analysis, influencer identification, and competitive analysis. Iconosquare is a good option for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
- Social media management tool
- Social listening capabilities
- Variety of features
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Competitive analysis
Cons:
- Can be expensive for small businesses
- Difficult to use
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
Conclusion
Social listening is a valuable tool for businesses to understand their customers’ perspectives and engage with them effectively. By monitoring social media conversations, businesses can analyze opportunities, keep up with market trends, enhance their brand strength, and provide excellent customer service.
