Social Listening and Essential Response

How to use social media to your brand’s advantage.

// By Meagan Saxton //

Using social media as a tool for customer service is a cornerstone of digital marketing in the 21st century. But it isn’t as simple as firing off a series of posts on X in response to angry customers. In fact, responding to customers when they are angry is merely one component of a broader social strategy — one that’s necessary only if the other components struggle to amplify your brand’s message.

Any response strategy begins with building relationships. Communicating with customers and clients — past, present, and future — is a business strategy as old as time. A social media strategy is no different; only the forum for building those relationships is new.

What you say when responding to customers and clients is an in-the-moment choice, but responding should be considered part of a longer-term strategy of community engagement on every social platform where your brand appears.

Responding also begins with listening. “Social listening” is the practice of analyzing online conversations about your brand, competitor brands, and related keywords to learn more about your audience. What are people saying about your products, your customer service, your new logo — anything?

Most likely, the majority of what is said online will not demand a response from an official branded account. But responding isn’t the primary purpose of listening. You can always listen to learn.

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