It seems like social listening is a secret weapon only a select few brands know about – we rarely hear about companies utilizing it. However, social listening is not a secret at all: many use it, but not to its full potential.

Let’s start with the basics in case you’re unfamiliar with social listening. Despite stemming from complex technological concepts (big data, machine learning, etc.), it doesn’t demand a huge budget or coding expertise. You really just need understanding, a tool, and a dash of creativity.

What is Social Listening?

Grasping how social listening works is key – and quite simple. Social listening involves monitoring social media and the web for brand mentions to understand how people perceive your brand and offerings. You can then use strategies like social selling to engage with them.

A social listening/monitoring tool takes your chosen keywords (usually your brand name, industry, CEO, or similar) and scours social media and the web for them. Social media encompasses platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, etc.) as well as blogs and forums. The web includes everything else online. Not every tool covers everything, but the best ones (not always the priciest) do.

Via Sprout Social

Now, let’s talk creativity. While many companies utilize social listening today, their main focus is often customer service. Let’s be clear: social listening is a lifesaver for customer service. I’m not denying it’s one of the best uses of such tools. Social listening identifies individuals who haven’t directly contacted the brand about an issue; it helps social media managers avert crises by tracking negative mentions; and it simplifies responding to users across platforms from a central dashboard.

However, this isn’t the full potential of social listening. It’s not very imaginative either. It’s straightforward, the reason companies invest in these tools, and it doesn’t offer a significant edge over competitors. Customer service is becoming standard practice, not a differentiator.

Lead generation is a different story. And so is, surprisingly, brand awareness. And that brings us to the intriguing “beyond” part of the title. Companies venture into social media for goals beyond customer service. They seek new clients, innovative marketing approaches, and the magic of social word-of-mouth. Social media listening is the ultimate tool for this. Let’s unleash our creativity and explore its potential.

1. Identify Prospects and Impress Them

This strategy involves finding potential customers online and offering them an incentive to try your product or service. It feels personalized yet public. You’re addressing individuals, even if you repeat the tactic. It’s not an impersonal broadcast advertisement.

Simultaneously, you’re engaging publicly. The prospect’s followers might see it, piquing their interest in your product or simply noticing your brand. Both scenarios build brand awareness.

How does it work? You choose industry keywords or those related to your target event. For example, The Keg Steakhouse monitors keywords like “winning,” “won,” “steak dinner,” “birthday,” and “anniversary” in their area to offer discounts. This unexpected gesture surprises and delights people, prompting them to consider the restaurant. Plus, as mentioned, their followers are exposed to the brand.

The same steakhouse has another tactic: after their social media contests end and winners are announced, they monitor conversations about it and award additional prizes to those who discussed the brand online. They claim this small effort creates the strongest brand advocates, leaving people feeling surprised, grateful, and inclined to promote the brand for years.

2. Target Competitors’ Dissatisfied Customers

This might be the digital world’s most effective lead generation tactic. Let’s be real: not all of your competitor’s customers are happy. The larger the competitor, the more dissatisfied customers voice their opinions online. You just need to find them and offer a better experience or at least highlight your brand’s advantages.

If they’ve mentioned a specific issue, explain how your product can help. If not, showcase how your product might be better, more affordable, or more suitable.

Social media listening is key here. Monitor your competitor(s)’ brand and negative keywords related to their product or service, such as “terrible,” “bad,” “awful,” “broken,” “struggling with,” or “problem.” You don’t need every combination; if your competitor is big, obvious keywords will suffice. If they’re smaller, focus on “negative” mentions within your social listening app.

3. Find Those Actively Searching for You

According to Brand24, 14,000 online searches starting with “can anyone recommend?” and 30,000 searches for “where can I buy?” occur each month.

It’s baffling why brands don’t seize these opportunities. Searching for these and similar queries in your location (if applicable) and responding from either your business or personal account can bring in highly qualified leads.

Replies can be simple brand mentions, explanations, or personal anecdotes about your product’s suitability. Instead of directly promoting, inquire about the individual’s needs and requirements and present the best-fitting option. A personalized approach remains powerful.

Another tactic is looking for phrases like “alternative to X,” where X is your competitor or a similar product. For example, when Apple discontinued the 80GB iPod, many sought alternatives to the iPod Classic. While not a direct competitor, it left a void your brand could fill. Responding to such searches allows you to present your product and potentially offer incentives.

4. Unearth the Magic of Micro-Influencers

Marketers understand the undeniable power of online influencers. It’s a fascinating phenomenon: anyone with internet access can become influential without money or power, just through platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit. They gain trust and authority in a niche and then promote brands they genuinely like. Perceived as experts, they actively seek new, niche, and relevant brands to inform their followers.

Influencers are usually open to collaborations, trying and reviewing products, and promoting those they deem worthy. And we all know the effectiveness of native advertising.

While some influencers earn thousands (or even millions) from social media, most become micro-influencers, impacting their followers’ opinions within their specific niches. They might have thousands, not millions, of followers, but these followers are loyal and engaged.

Your goal is to find micro-influencers in your industry. This is where social listening shines. Monitoring industry keywords will reveal relevant influencers. If you’re monitoring your brand, you’ll discover influencers who’ve already mentioned you – these are your prime targets for collaboration discussions.

Listen Closely

A creative approach to social listening can boost brand awareness, generate leads, increase word-of-mouth, and ultimately attract new customers from social media directly and indirectly. The easiest way to begin this implicit marketing is by venturing into the social media realm where ideas can go viral, lines between friends, marketers, and followers are blurred, and people discuss everything. Your task is to find and engage in relevant conversations.