How Does Social Listening Inform Changes in Earned Media Strategies?

How Does Social Listening Inform Changes in Earned Media Strategies?

In the dynamic landscape of earned media, eight marketing experts, including CMOs and Presidents, share pivotal moments where social listening reshaped their strategies. From leveraging insights on content authenticity to creating transparency with behind-the-scenes content, these professionals recount specific instances that transformed their approach to engagement.

• Leverage Insights on Content Authenticity
• Highlight Ease of Product Deployment
• Align Messaging with Sustainability Trends
• Feature Heartwarming Adoption Stories
• Capitalize on Customer Experience Trends
• Introduce Challenging Game Modes
• Provide Reassurance During Market Downturn
• Create Transparency with Behind-the-Scenes Content

Leverage Insights on Content Authenticity

Social listening recently played a big role in changing our earned media strategy. We noticed that students and professionals often discussed plagiarism issues and the need for original, high-quality content on social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn.

By paying attention to these conversations, we saw a strong demand for content authenticity and reliability. This insight led us to focus more on promoting our strict plagiarism-check processes and the expertise of our writers in our media efforts.

We reached out to education bloggers, academic forums like ResearchGate, and industry influencers, pitching stories about our commitment to originality and quality. We also created content about common plagiarism pitfalls and how our service ensures 100% original work. This approach resonated strongly with our target audience and media outlets, resulting in several high-profile features and mentions.

This shift improved our brand’s reputation for reliability and drove a surge in traffic and inquiries. It showed us how powerful social listening can be in refining and steering our media strategy effectively.

Highlight Ease of Product Deployment

During the preparation for one of the product launches, our social listening efforts revealed a significant concern among cybersecurity professionals about the complexity and resource intensity of implementing those products/systems.

Recognizing this, we pivoted our earned media strategy to emphasize our solution’s ease of deployment and efficient resource utilization. We developed case studies and white papers highlighting successful, straightforward implementations. Additionally, we engaged with key industry influencers to discuss these issues, resulting in influential endorsements.

This strategic shift led to increased engagement and positive sentiment on social media, enhanced our media coverage quality, and significantly boosted demo requests and inquiries, demonstrating the power of adaptive, listening-driven marketing.

Align Messaging with Sustainability Trends

At Innovate, we closely monitor social media conversations to inform our earned-media strategy. In one instance, we noticed a surge in discussions about sustainable business practices within our target audience. Although our initial strategy focused on promoting our design and development services, we saw an opportunity to align our messaging with this trending topic.

We quickly pivoted by creating content highlighting our commitment to sustainability, such as case studies of eco-friendly projects and tips for businesses looking to adopt green practices. We also engaged with influencers and media outlets known for their focus on sustainability. This shift increased our media coverage and enhanced our brand's reputation as a socially responsible company. The pivot, driven by social listening, significantly boosted our engagement and reach within the target audience.

Feature Heartwarming Adoption Stories

Social listening isn't just about brand mentions and pop culture trends, but it can lead to real-world impact if done right. When we saw a trend of corona pet adoptions, we promoted #AdoptDontShop after a deep dive into what people were looking for. It turns out many wanted information on local shelters and adoption events. We did a kibble-flip on our content calendar and started featuring adoptable pups in need of loving, forever homes on the social media handles of DogwithBlog.in.

We used heartwarming stories and adorable pics, and we've seen a surge in shelter visits, and many of our featured pups have found their forever families. Social listening equals happy endings for rescue pups—that's the kind of content we love to see go viral! We also earned media mentions originating from the tweets, and this helped us gain more traction for our fosters and adoptions.

Capitalize on Customer Experience Trends

Back in 2019, during COVID times, while working with a B2B SaaS firm offering customer support solutions (live chat, chatbots, etc.), I noticed that customer experience (CX) was booming. I positioned myself as a CX leader on Twitter and LinkedIn, engaging with influencers like Shep Hyken and Dan Gingiss. By sharing content that highlighted our product's impact on CX, our posts gained traction and were reshared by industry professionals. It boosted our brand's visibility and organic traffic. This led us to launch a dedicated CX blog, further establishing our presence in the CX community.

Introduce Challenging Game Modes

Social listening was pivotal when players expressed a desire for more challenging game modes in Online Solitaire. Noticing a trend in user comments across platforms, we introduced a timed challenge mode, which was then highlighted in our media outreach. The result was a surge in user engagement and positive press coverage, emphasizing our responsiveness to user feedback. This shift not only satisfied our existing community but also attracted competitive players, enhancing our game's appeal and reach.

Provide Reassurance During Market Downturn

During a market downturn, social listening uncovered widespread client anxiety about their investments. This prompted us to shift our earned media strategy. We began sharing expert advice and reassurance through various channels, addressing these specific worries. The shift not only eased client concerns but also strengthened our reputation as a responsive and client-focused firm. It was a clear reminder that listening can lead to meaningful, impactful changes.

Create Transparency with Behind-the-Scenes Content

Social listening uncovered a recurring theme: clients needed more transparency about our process. At GSA Focus, this insight led us to pivot our earned media strategy by creating detailed behind-the-scenes content and FAQs. This approach demystified our services and built greater trust. One key lesson learned was the power of actively listening to our audience to inform and adjust our strategy for better engagement and credibility.