The video explains that social listening is the process of analyzing social media conversations to gain insights and make better business decisions [00:42]. It differs from social monitoring by focusing on how people feel and why, even when they don’t directly tag a brand [01:02].
Social listening can help answer five key questions:
What content does your audience want to see?
By tapping into broader industry conversations, brands can identify trends and create relevant content that resonates with their audience, avoiding irrelevant posts [01:26]. An example given is a coffee brand discovering a trend in alternative milks [01:40].
How do you stack up against your competitors?
Social listening allows businesses to understand what customers like most about them compared to competitors, identify industry gaps, and set better benchmarks [02:31]. The video illustrates this with a coffee shop adding chai tea lattes after noticing a competitor’s customers complaining about their absence [03:05].
What does your audience really need?
It helps uncover customer questions and pain points about a brand, industry, or competitors, even when the brand isn’t directly tagged [03:43]. These insights can be used to proactively create educational content and address product complaints [04:19].
Who are your biggest fans and influencers?
This enables brands to discover advocates and potential partners for influencer marketing campaigns [04:40]. The example shows identifying influencers for a new latte flavor promotion [04:54].
How do you identify and manage potential crises on your channels?
Social listening can help catch a crisis before it escalates, allowing teams to create a response strategy early [05:17]. It can also track sentiment during a crisis to see if it’s gaining or losing traction [06:06].
The video concludes by emphasizing that social listening offers many possibilities, from product innovations to measuring brand sentiment, and encourages viewers to start their own strategy [06:33].
