The average business owner uses social media platforms like Facebook as a way to connect with customers and generate sales leads. However, there are other ways you can use social media to grow your business. One of the most effective ways to find out more about the public perception of your business is by engaging in social media listening. This term is used to describe the process of monitoring the mentions, reviews and comments about your business on social media. 

Over 51% of the brands online use social listening in some capacity. During the pandemic, many marketers used social listening as a way to track changing sensibilities and preferences during this unprecedented time in history. Below are some reasons why using social listening can be beneficial for your small business. 

Properly Identify Potential Sales Leads

Knowing when your company is mentioned on social media can help you find and take advantage of new sales leads. If a person is polling their social media following asking for advice on where to find the products/services they need, reaching out to these individuals is vital to your long-term success. Many large corporations use social listening tools to find out about these potential leads. 

Responding to a post that relates to your business can show potential customers that your company is adamant about closing the deal. You can also make a positive impression on other consumers by showing them how involved your company is in meeting the needs of consumers.

Addressing Customer Complaints

It is foolish to think that every interaction that you have with consumers on social media will be positive. There will be times when your company makes mistakes with a customer. Addressing these mistakes and doing all you can to fix the damage done can help you keep existing customers loyal. If you come across a customer complaint during a social media listening session, the last thing you need to do is ignore it. 

The best way to put a positive spin on this negative press is by responding to the complaint. Asking the customer in question to private message you details of their problem is the first step in getting them back on track. When responding to these negative complaints, you should avoid becoming argumentative with the customer in question. Making this mistake will only worsen the situation, which is why you need to be respectful and accommodating. 

Find and Display User-Generated Content

Garnering positive attention on Facebook and other popular social media platforms can help you grow your customer base. If you participate in social listening, your chances of finding user-generated content will increase substantially. With this content, you can show potential customers the quality of your products/services. Pinning this user-generated content to the top of your Facebook business page is a great way to ensure potential customers see it. 

Generating leads with Facebook will be much easier with the help of professionals. At Small Business SEO, we can help you find a new audience on this popular social media platform.