Being on social media is essential, but CPG brands also need to participate and know what is being said about their brand or products. Here is what social listening means and why CPG brands should make it a priority.
What is Social Listening?
Social listening monitors your CPG branding across all of the social channels. This effort requires a direct response for any customer feedback or mention of your products and services. It should also include mention of your competitors or the industry category you’re in.
Social listening is different from social monitoring. Monitoring requires watching and analysis, while social listening tracks and responds to the underlying “whys” behind what consumers are saying. For example, if consumers are discussing the sustainability of packaging and your brand comes up as an offender in this category, it’s time to take a look at the issue—or potentially face consumer backlash.
Why Should CPG Marketing Include Social Listening?
CPG marketing is challenging in the social media space simply because things move so fast. At the same time, every CPG branding team understands that it’s critical to build a solid reputation in these channels to consistently engage current and potential customers.
These realities call for monitoring social channels to see what consumers are saying about your brand and respond quickly to any red flags about your products. Why should CPG branding efforts include social listening as part of its strategy? There are several reasons why this is a good idea.
Better Engagement
Customers want to engage with your brand. Research shows that 83% of consumers like it when companies respond to their comments on social media, and 68% say they like having a conversation with a brand.
Another 48% say they are more likely to make a purchase if the brand is engaging and responds to its customers online.
Improved Tracking
Social listening lets you track the growth of your brand. If you tailor your CPG marketing to include social listening, you can track the movement from customer complaints to customer satisfaction.
Did that customer's negative comment lead to a loss in followers? How would you know if you didn’t practice social listening? How are engagement metrics trending? Social listening can help you figure this out.
Leverage Opportunities
Social distancing can help you discover new opportunities. For example, if you see many customers complaining about the same issue or praising one particular feature, you can capitalize on this customer feedback.
Some of that feedback could even help you take your product in a new direction that could play right into what’s important to your target audience.
CPG marketing should always include social listening. It’s an active, engaging way to build your brand in the real-time environment of social media. It can allow you to increase consumer engagement as much as it could assist you in bringing on more clients.
Hangar12 is at the forefront of CPG marketing strategy and more. Subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date with our latest insights.
Want to improve your brand's social media efforts? Fill out the form below to download our latest Sample Social Media Audit downloadable.
Download our Sample Social media Audit here.
Topics cpg