Let’s get the listening part right first.

It is said that we should listen and talk in the ratio of ears-to-mouth. Listen twice as much as we talk. This is not only sound advice in how we engage with others but applies well in social media spaces, making it an important focus for companies to request from their social media teams.

Social listening enables brand custodians to gain the upper hand, as you know precisely what your audiences are discussing. This intel is powerful to define new business opportunities and inform campaigns.

That said, to listen across social media platforms is not a matter of random stalking but requires that the team have the right tools at their fingertips – and uses these to get the full picture.

Don’t be a tool, use a power tool

At Ebony+Ivory we use leading social channel management software to fast track our thinking.

It sources content published or mentioning a brand, company or individual across social media platforms, blogs and comments, news websites and Wikis. It further ranks these on specific performance metrics and according to top URLs or Twitter authors, languages or even countries of following.

Our Clients and Team know that the Comparison feature is powerful, as it unlocks true measurability and share of voice. This enables more exact and informed KPI setting for advertising campaigns as specific benchmarks inform salient starting points and focus areas for communication strategies and audience building.

This takes social media evaluation out of the guessing arena, making it more scientific and data-led. Clients gain further value from our social media approach that runs Content Marketing and Insights and Analytics in tandem as follows:

In matching comprehensive intelligence with this approach helps E+I to lasso the potential of social media as being a communication channel where listening informs our voice and where brands become effectively personal. When we listen first to understand, the brands for which we are custodians can make customer insights work for them.

E+I measurement goes beyond the generic Facebook dashboard and our clients enjoy organic vs. paid analysis and viral reach. We also find that information such as tracking interactions per measure and when fans are online (days and times) prove helpful to inform pinpoint strategies.

Social Media marketing is crucial for marketers as it presents quantifiable investment return. It is worth tuning every brand into its audience and geography by listening to the conversations in markets.

Really listen and you will put your people and brands in touch with a connection that is based on deep, intentional understanding.

Now let’s talk. For more information about our power tool, email julia@ebonyivory.co.za or sheena@ebonyivory.co.za