Mass communication is nothing new, as TV, radio, and even the printing press allowed businesses to shape their own brand identity through carefully crafted public messaging. The difference with social media is that now, audience members can talk back – and also talk to each other.
In some ways, this added dimension of communication can be a great benefit. If your business tells a story that resonates, potential customers may boost its reach even further by sharing your content with family, friends, and colleagues.
If your organisation isn’t careful, however, its message could fall flat – and the resulting criticism could be amplified as well. Sometimes, companies that strike the wrong note can end up with their brand reputation in tatters, as public reaction drowns out all attempts at damage control.
Although such big successes and big failures are easy to point to, the most common outcome for inexperienced marketing teams simply falls under the category of missed opportunities. To explain why, our digital marketing agency in Bangkok, Thailand will walk you through a little concept called social listening.
Reading the room
As any good communicator knows, the first step in telling a good story is to understand your audience. What are their interests, fears, and preconceptions? What are their goals, and how much do they already know about how to achieve them?
Social media is great for reaching out to people, but many businesses forget that it also provides an excellent chance for brands to step back and listen to what people are saying to each other. Social listening is the practice of scanning public platforms to see what people are saying about you, the type of products and services you provide, and what your target audience really cares about.
Done properly, social listening allows you to:
- Engage with your audience. Understanding your audience’s background and perspectives better lets you craft more impactful messages for them. Good listening can also lead to new ideas for product and service enhancements, allowing you to fulfil needs even before others in your industry realise that such demand exists in the first place.
- Track your competitors. By keeping up with what others in your sector are saying and doing, your company can maintain a full view of the playing field. Whether your business strategy is to follow market leaders or blaze an entirely new path, social listening lets you refine your plans accordingly.
- Discover new trends and opportunities. Popular memes, buzzwords, and interactive challenges may be the key to higher engagement, while also building your company’s reputation for being part of the wider culture and conversation. Piggybacking on pre-existing ideas should be done carefully, however, and only when those ideas are clearly relevant to your current message.
Culture moves fast, and yesterday’s trending topics are today’s clichés. Social listening can keep your company in step with the times, helping you avoid embarrassing marketing mistakes and connect more effectively with what people want to see and hear.
For help with brand building and other elements of modern storytelling, contact our social media agency in Bangkok, Thailand today.
