The Brand Business “LISTEN UP”

by | Mar 23, 2020 | Media Industry, Trends

“Social listening” levels are upping the impact of customer service this year. A buzz word in 2019, social listening is coming into its own in 2020 as a solid trend, driving the “holy grail” of elevated consumer engagement. READ MORE … as to why you & your brand need to keep an ear to the virtual ground.

Social Listening can be described as monitoring activity on your brand’s social media channels. This can take the form of audience/customer/follower engagement, mentions and discussion about your brand or its campaigns. They can even include your competitors or what’s happening in the industry you operate in. The most important part is an analytical review thereafter, mining insights that can be acted upon.

It is this action plan and strategic response to social media conversations that enables you to deliver exactly what content your consumers want, and keeps them coming back for more. The results drive true innovation within consumer-centric awareness and enables you to be completely dynamic in creating a current and custom-made consumer strategy.

“Its a trust thing.”

The continued importance of social listening is particularly motivated by the psychology of content consumers. Simply, they – like brands – respond to and want to feel heard on social media. It’s an emotive balance between validation and connection. Sprout Social’s research indicates that 83% of respondents “like” when brands respond to questions with a further 68% indicating they like when brands join conversations. This leads to 48% of consumers engaging in active buying of products of brands which are responsive to consumers on social media.

Bear in mind it’s not just about talking back. Rather, it’s a considered and reflective engagement that is authentic which grows brand loyalty and keeps consumers coming back for more. It’s now a trust thing.

For those that need to report the numbers, social listening also effectively tracks brand growth. Comment quota, both positive and negative, outlines sales efficacy with a clear window to what action need to be taken should a drastic loss in followers or dip in sales occur. Those who interact with your brand on a consumer level already know best what works for them, so listen to what your audience complains about or would like to see improved upon. This further enables you to innovate on changes as your brand expands, particularly with new offerings.

 The consumer “coming back for more” is really the golden egg of social listening. Loyalty is not a once off transaction with a consumer. Rather it requires constant reinforcement. Social listening taps you directly into the kind of content that your followers enjoy, interact with by way of viewing & sharing and which matches their lifestyle and taste. An obvious engagement spreads to their network, opening up a whole world of new audiences and consumers. Consider enhancing your customer service and communications with the following social listening tools: Hubspot, Sprout Social and Hootsuite. With a different array of reporting analytics, a deeper insight for your brand is a click away.

C.S.A.’s monthly cultural portal, The WIRE connects the dots of culture. With concise stories, many with video content, take a premium dive into the world of African entertainment & cultural fluidity. It’s one thing to be hip to what’s happening but it is another to know why.

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