Social media by the name itself is a stage for extroverts. The book & coffee types are as alien to social media as your wife is to a cricket bat. As a digital marketer, you need to stand out to stand a chance in the race. All is good, but if everyone is talking, but who is listening?
The Myth
We have all heard (and seen) the benefits of social media marketing and what it offers to organizations – virtually free and targeted customer consolidation. It is a universally accepted fact that the idea of using social media in marketing is to consolidate your audience at a common platform and then talk, talk & talk. But wasn’t it also once accepted that the earth was square?
Companies and businesses are eager to talk to customers on social media, and I think this is understandable. But they all neglect answering the single most important question – are the customers as excited to hear from you, especially when there are literally hundreds of you angling for his attention?
Read: 5 Best Brands on Social Media in Kenya
Why you should do it differently
One of the main privileges social media has given many businesses and organizations is to let them hear their customers on a one-to-one basis. It’s an absolute blessing, if realized. To just listen. You could always talk to them through print, digital, outdoor & all such mediums. What’s new there is that you can listen and respond in a more personalized manner.
The concept of social media listening was introduced for this very reason. But it’s a shame that very few organizations take advantage of this very important part of social media marketing. Much as they ignore the most important KPIs in social media monitoring.
Talk less, Listen more
It’s human nature that we all like ourselves the best. And your customers are no different. To them, sales talk will always be sales talk. Tell them and they like it. Hear them and they will love it.
Use your social media platforms to invite your target audience to express themselves. Encourage them to say what they always wanted to but thought nobody cares to know. Good, bad, or ugly, it’s all equally precious.
You have spent years & millions in those fancy strategies to understand the market psyche. Now, it’s all there in flesh & blood for you to make the most of. Let your customers feel that you are there for them and not the other way round. It’s the whole idea behind growth hacking.
It’s a myth that social media is a microphone to showcase your talent. Instead, it’s a stethoscope to quietly hear your customers’ heartbeat. Use it the right way.