WCRC Brands Illustrated up till 15 October | Page 14

BI Case Study - SOCIAL LISTENING Plunging Headlong into SOCIAL LISTENING Building an ecstatic community these days takes more than posting, it takes mindful social listening! A re you missing out on opportunities to increase sales and ROI, or to increase media value, awareness, and growth? You just might be. Are you listening to what people are saying about your company? Are you responding to those comments? There have been a lot of overwhelming changes on how people communicate and interact with each other online in recent years. Social Media has practically revolutionized the internet into something that is more personal and participatory. That’s why social networking is now the top online activity. Of all the windows through which a business can peer into an audience, social media seems most enticing. The breadth of subjects, range of observations and above all, the ability to connect and draw inferences make social analytics hugely exciting for anyone who is interested in understanding and influencing past, present and potential customers, employees, or even investors. Social listening refers to the ability to listen to its target audiences on social media channels and respond appropriately. It is imperative that businesses realize that the value of social media is not limited to publishing content and posting product and brand updates. The power and value of social media goes way beyond the obvious. Social Listening is not only applicable to social media but to all kinds of online platform where information about a brand may appear. As individuals leave traces of their activities - personal, social and professional - on the internet, they allow an unprecedented view into their lives, thoughts, influences and preferences. Social analytics attempts to draw useful understanding and inferences, which could be relevant to marketers, sales persons, HR managers, product designers, investors and so on. Thus, online 14 media host a plethora of social activitie