The prevalence of social media and its platforms has opened more and more opportunities for established and venturing businesses. 

If we are discussing the best marketing strategy to reach a large audience, then social media channels will certainly deliver satisfying results. But keep in mind that this is only possible if you implement the proper social media practices in your business. 

For businesses to leverage social media platforms effectively, it is imperative to develop social media listening and monitoring strategies to stay connected and relevant to their target market. 

In this article, we will look into various social listening and monitoring tools to help you set up a stronger and more competitive position in the market. 

What is social media listening and monitoring?

Before we look into the useful tools you can use, let’s first define social media listening and monitoring and how they differ from each other. 

Although these two are often interchanged, there is a thin line that separates these two particularly when we talk about marketing strategies. 

So what does social media listening and monitoring mean? 

In social media listening, insights and data are analyzed to understand trends and create an actionable approach to cater the customer needs. On the other hand, social monitoring is all about gathering and collective data. It refers to the practice of keeping track of the mentions, hashtags, competitors, and market trends across various relevant social media platforms. 

Essentially, both are crucial for effectively marketing your business and simultaneously meeting your customers’ needs and queries. In fact, social media listening has increased in value compared to the previous year.

According to a survey conducted by UpCity, 38% of businesses this year are performing social listening. Meanwhile, over 17% leverage on this to acquire more customers for their business. 

Benefits

In business and not using this valuable strategy, then you are likely missing out on a lot. Yes, you read that right; the benefits of this strategy go beyond insight and data – there’s more.

Below are some of the benefits of this social listening and monitoring:

  • Opportunity to understand and engage your target audience efficiently
  • Competitive advantage by knowing how competitors interact with audiences
  • Gather products insights from user feedback and experience
  • Create a streamlined action plan to address future potential issues
  • Further your business’s growth opportunities
  • Real-time interaction with customers to educate them about your services

Top three social listening and monitoring tools to use

With the number of social media platforms businesses use to promote their services, keeping track of everything at once takes time and dedication. Fortunately, with the continuous advancement of technology, numerous software emerged aiming to assist you in making your job easier.

Using social listening and monitoring tools, you can track mentions, relevant keywords, comments, and feedback on various social media platforms. Aside from these, some tools offer more advanced features that allow you to post or integrate analytics at the same time.

Here are some of the tools that you can use:

  • HootSuite – This tool allows you to track business mentions, DMs, hashtags, and even respond to customer queries and needs on a single dashboard. 
  • Adview – This platform is known as an effective tool for business that monitors social listening to effectively promote their Facebook and Instagram ads. 
  • Talkwalker – A data-driven tool that draws data across 150 million sources and allows you to analyze and monitors blogs, forums, news sites, and other social media platforms. 

Take advantage of the valuable data from this strategy

There is no doubt that social media provides excellent opportunities for long-term growth, whether you are a new or established business. With the right strategic marketing practices backed up by detailed analysis, your business can effectively communicate, connect and remain relevant despite the competition.

Here at Talk Out Loud, we offer industry-standard digital marketing services in Portland that provides realistic results. 

Ready to take your business to greater heights with our digital marketing services? Visit our website to learn more about our services. You can also get in touch with us by booking an appointment here or calling (800) 773-0029.