Dave presents part 2 the invite-only workshop series “Social Marketing Kung Fu” (May 2013) with this session titled “Listening Everywhere,” which covers the mechanics of efficient listening and its benefits & emphasizing the importance of listening in social marketing to an audience of entrepreneurs from various sectors, including breweries, bike builders, and software developers – especially highlighting common mistake of focusing solely on output without considering the response from the audience. Let’s listen and enjoy!
PS Did you catch “Starting Your Story, part 1“?
Download: “Listen Everywhere, part 2” – Social Marketing Kung-fu / workshop & spiel (1:07:02, 98.7MB, .mp3)
Notes follow:
Social Marketing kung-fu, part 2 – “listening everywhere”
Listening as a Critical Component in Social Marketing
The workshop, “Social Marketing Kung Fu, part 2” emphasized the importance of listening in social marketing. Key points include: using search tools and RSS feeds to monitor brand mentions, leveraging Twitter lists for targeted engagement, and geolocated searches for local insights.
Dave emphasized the significance of responding to both positive and negative feedback to mitigate PR issues and convert detractors into supporters. The utility of metrics like sentiment analysis and the impact of reviews on brand reputation were discussed. The session also covered the value of documenting and sharing user-generated content to foster relationships and build a community of advocates
Action Items
- [ ] Set up RSS feeds to capture mentions of your brand across various platforms.
- [ ] Use Boolean searches to filter out irrelevant results and focus on the most relevant conversations.
- [ ] Create Twitter lists to organize and prioritize the people you want to listen to and engage with.
- [ ] Leverage geolocation to find and connect with people talking about your brand in specific locations.
- [ ] Create news roundups and event recaps to amplify and document the growth of your startup.
Reasons for Listening
- The first reason for listening: learning the vocabulary people use to describe the brand and differentiate it from competitors
- The second reason: is to mitigate PR conundrums by being proactive and addressing issues before they escalate
- Importance of responding to negative reviews and comments to turn detractors into supporters
- Examples of how listening can transform negative feedback into positive interactions
The Power of Listening in Market Positioning
- Dave emphasizes the evolving nature of market positioning and the importance of understanding how people differentiate brandd
- Sentiment analysis is mentioned as a tool, but its limitations are discussed (customers are real and tactile, robots are not so much (but need love too)
- Discussion of the importance of capturing and analyzing all feedback, including positive and negative comments
- Dave shares (unofficial) insights from Hootsuite’s experience in showing how listening can help understand and address customer needs
Tools and Techniques for Effective Listening
- Practical advice on using search boxes and RSS feeds to monitor brand mentions
- Discussion on the importance of capturing all relevant data, including misspellings and synonyms
- Tools (like
Social Mention and Netvibes) are recommended for aggregating and analyzing social data - Explaination the use of Boolean filters to refine search results and remove irrelevant content
Leveraging Social Media Channels for Listening
- Importance of actively (not passively) monitoring social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
- Tips on using Twitter lists to organize and manage conversations effectively (more signal, less noise)
- Value of geolocated searches to identify and engage with local audiences
- Use of tools like
Storifyto curate and share user-generated content.
Building Relationships with Supporters and Detractors
- Importance of sincerely understanding and engaging with both supporters and detractors (bringing on board)
- Examples of how Hootsuite identified and built relationships with key influencers
- Value of acknowledging and rewarding supporters to foster long-term relationships
- Importance of personalizing interactions to make customers feel valued
Measuring and Documenting Listening Efforts
- Importance of capturing and measuring data to understand the impact of listening efforts
- Tips on using tools to track and analyze social media activity
- Value of documenting successes and challenges to inform future strategies
- Ways to share insights with the team to ensure everyone is aligned with the listening strategy
Engaging with Local and International Audiences
- Importance of creating value for global customers by addressing their specific needs and concerns and especially cultural nuances
- By understanding cultural differences, then adapting the listening strategy accordingly
- Examples of how listening can lead to innovative solutions and improved customer experiences
- Value of being proactive and addressing issues before they become major problems
- Ways of gently staying connected with customers to understand their evolving needs and preferences
Building a Community of Advocates
- Importance of building a community of advocates who can help promote the brand
- Tips on identifying and engaging with key influencers to amplify the brand’s message
- Ways of creating content that resonates with the community and encourages sharing
- Ways to foster relationships with advocates to ensure long-term support
Winding Up
The session ends with a reminder of the value of listening and the impact it can have on the success of the brand while Dave concludes by summarizing the key points and emphasizing the importance of listening in social marketing and encourages participants to apply the strategies discussed and continue learning.
More:
Community Feasthouse podcast feed – All manner of discourse from media interviews to various lectures and presentations. Topics include social web fu, creative culture, podcast making, DIY publishing, community cultivating, art making and related adventures.
Artifacts from Social Marketing Kung-fu – workshop / spiel Notes and riffs from original “Social Marketing Kung-fu” series at Bootup Garage, Vancouver, 2011
