Listening vs monitoring
Monitoring
- Tracks tags and direct mentions
- Answers what people ask you
- Happens daily
- Reactive by nature
Listening
- Tracks untagged talk and trends
- Finds what people say about you
- Reviewed weekly
- Shapes strategy
What to listen for
- Your business name, with common misspellings
- Your owners' and key staff names
- Competitor names and complaints about them
- Service questions in local groups and forums
- Reviews on Google, Yelp and industry sites
Tools to start with
| Tool | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Alerts | Emails you when new web pages mention a term | Free |
| Platform search | Finds posts and hashtags on each app | Free |
| Meta Business Suite | Shows Facebook and Instagram mentions and messages | Free |
| Paid listening tools | Track mentions across many sites at once | Monthly fee |
Turn findings into action
Answer complaints you find, even untagged ones, if the setting allows it. Add repeated questions to your content plan. Note what people praise or dislike about competitors and use it in your messaging.
Good example. A pest control company spots neighbors asking about termites in a local group. It posts a termite guide that week and gets several inspection calls.
Bad example. A company never searches its own name. A complaint thread grows for weeks before anyone notices.
Read what community management is. Our social media marketing includes weekly listening reports.