Listening

As a social media professional, the term “listening” means monitoring and analyzing what others are saying, as opposed to just being so concerned with talking and putting information out there. It means actively listening to what others are saying about you, topics you’re interested in, and listening when you are unsure of the proper protocol for a specific platform. There are a variety of tools designed to monitor your social media, and these services come in a variety of different shapes and sizes cater to all types of users. 

 

This academic journal article discusses why listening is important in social media, and Ms. Crawford summarizes it very well, “A consideration of listening practices allows for a more acute assessment of online engagement, and de-centers the current overemphasis on posting, commenting and ‘speaking up’ as the only significant forms of participation. Additionally, it allows for the deep sense of connection that listening participants can feel in online spaces, rather than diminishing this form of presence as lurking, with all its linguistic connotations of a sense of threat, ambiguity or concealment.”

 

 

Another interesting article that addresses the topic of listening is found here. 

According to this, we can improve our SMC listening skills by establishing a strong listening strategy. You can accomplish this by determining your target audience, identifying the major influencers, understanding the needs and preferences of your audience, learning the keywords and trends, and incorporating all of that information into a strategic social media business plan.