In the last blog post, we provided demographic data that supported the fact that customers of all ages (and likely your customers) have embraced Social Media in large numbers.  We drew the comparison between fishing and marketing—the need to go where the customers are. So, after some consideration, you and your company have decided to jump into the pool.  Now what?  Do you port the old marketing paradigm into the new one of Social Media?  In this new Medium, your first step is not telling your potential customers about your products or services, it is Listening.   Listening to what your existing and potential customers have to say about your products, services, operations, brand, etc. is the first crucial step. 

 Radian6 in their new E-Book (link below) does a nice job of defining Social Media Listening:

 “Listening – or social media monitoring – is the notion of searching for the key words and phrases being used online to hear what’s being talked about. It’s about homing in on the data, conversations, dialogue, and other bits of information that are relevant to your business. From the people talking specifically about YOU, to people talking about your broader industry or even your competitors, listening is about harnessing the conversations that matter to your business, and extracting the information that helps you decide how, where, and when to engage with your community.”

 Even though we think Radian6 is a fine company, and one we are proud to offer to our customers, when you start to develop a Social Medial strategy, you should look at technology last.  Technology decisions should come after your company decides why and how they want to engage in Social Media.  Developing a strategy with a specific end objective should be your first order of business.  How else are you going to prove to management that the investment in Social Media is worth the time and expense?

 Jeremiah Owyang wrote an interesting article on the eight stages of Social Media Listening.  I encourage you to read it as it gives you some ideas on where you can utilize Social Media Listening in your organization. Yet, I disagree with the premise that a company needs to start at stage one and grow the use of Social Media only after being successful in the previous stage.  Almost every business unit in an organization can benefit from listening to their stakeholders whether they are internal or external to the organization.   Here are just a couple examples:

1)      Improving the efficiency of marketing-start with something you are comfortable with and that is marketing.  Start listening for mentions of your brands and marketing campaigns to determine the success —-or failure of your marketing activities.

2)      Customer Service—Listen to what is being said about the quality or quantity of services you are providing to the marketplace. Proactive listening will provide you with field data which you can then turn into product enhancements, changes in service procedures, or any number of other organizational changes which can impact your bottom line.

3)      Also think about HR, Legal, and Sales.  Proactive listening to the marketplace can help you get a jump on potential legal issues, employee problems or help you find new sales prospects.

Need more specifics on how to build a Listening strategy for your Enterprise?  Give us a call here at ethosIQ or complete a contact form.  We can help your Enterprise develop a strategy and a plan to successfully listen and engage your customers.

 Sources:

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/11/10/evolution-the-eight-stages-of-listening/

http://www.radian6.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Radian6_June2010_eBook.pdf