The more you know about their preferences, interests, and pain points, the easier it is to engage and convert them. That’s where audience listening comes in as a way to monitor what people are saying on digital media channels.

What is Audience Listening & How Can You Do It Effectively?

what-is-audience-listening-how-can-you-do-it-effectively

What is Audience Listening &amp; How Can You Do It Effectively? 

[[p]]As a marketer, you can never know enough about your audience. Because the more you know about their preferences, interests, and pain points, the easier it is to engage and convert them.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]That&rsquo;s where audience listening comes in, as a way to monitor what people are saying on digital media channels such as websites, news outlets, blogs, and on social media through [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/why-your-brand-should-shut-up-start-social-listening" target="_blank"]]social listening[[/a]] about your brand, products, or competitors.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]So what is audience listening and how can you do it effectively to get a deeper understanding of your audience and the perception of your brand?[[/p]]

[[p]]Audience listening is the process of monitoring what people say on digital media channels about your brand, your products, or your competitors.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]By monitoring brand, product, and competitor mentions online, you can gather highly relevant consumer insights that help you [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-defining-buyer-personas" target="_blank"]]define better audience personas[[/a]] and digital marketing strategies.[[/p]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s a quick and easy way to get specific insights into your audience and develop your audience research further, and is a key component of many [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/5-benefits-of-having-a-digital-marketing-strategy" target="_blank"]]digital marketing strategies[[/a]].[[/p]]

[[p]]One of the most common and effective ways to conduct audience listening is to monitor social media conversations. This is known as social listening and is specific to monitoring conversations and themes on social media platforms.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Audience listening, on the other hand, is a broader type of content monitoring across multiple platforms like websites, forums, news outlets, blogs, as well as social media channels.[[/p]]

[[p]]By conducting audience listening (which should encompass social listening) you can understand what people are saying about your brand, product or service across a range of digital channels to get better insights.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]You can gain many benefits from audience listening that will help you stay on top of developments in your market. For example, it helps you to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Track and document what people are saying about your brand or organization on social media and other online channels like websites, forums, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-start-a-blog" target="_blank"]]blogs[[/a]], and news articles.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Track competitor mentions, updates, innovations, and product launches online.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Develop new ideas for your [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]digital marketing[[/a]] activities, messaging, promotions, and content.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Understand audience needs and motivations so you can enhance the relevance and impact of your digital marketing content and messaging.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Adapt products, services, and propositions to suit existing and emerging customer needs.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Before crafting marketing messages or campaigns, you should gather insights into the values, needs, preferences, and behaviors of their target audience.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]][[em]]&ldquo;People love to talk. So if you really want to get inside people&#39;s heads, don&#39;t guide them too much, don&#39;t lead them too much, let them talk. If someone says something, let it breathe. You might want to ask, tell me more about that and you&#39;ll be surprised where it goes,&rdquo; [[/em]]said Heather O&rsquo;Shea, Chief Research Officer of Boutique Market Research Consultancy Alter Agents in a DMI podcast.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]To do this you can leverage the most effective audience listening strategies &mdash; tools and techniques that help organizations tune in to what their audience is saying, thinking, and feeling which include:&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ol]]
	[[li]]Market research[[/li]]
	[[li]]Surveys[[/li]]
	[[li]]Behavior analytics[[/li]]
	[[li]]Ethnographic research[[/li]]
	[[li]]Social media[[/li]]
[[/ol]]

[[p]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-market-research" target="_blank"]]Market research[[/a]] allows brands to gain a better understanding of their customers. To do this you can tap into research developed by credible third-party companies such as eMarketer, Euromonitor, McKinsey, and Nielsen.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]These can be free reports or might require a fee or subscription to the platform. Some of them can even be used to conduct new research specifically for your business for a fee.[[/p]]

[[p]]Because it&rsquo;s less expensive, marketers will generally use pre-existing industry or market reports as it&rsquo;s a quick way to get credible well-sourced data. However, as it&rsquo;s a public resource, the data is less likely to bring new insights specific to your business needs. And keep in mind that your competitors will have access to the same research.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you&rsquo;re looking to keep an eye on industry developments or trends, and bookmark [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-digital-pr" target="_blank"]]press release[[/a]] services such as PR Newswire and Business Wire or PR Newswire.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The more specific the research is, the better, because this will help you to successfully communicate with your target audience.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Surveys are used to collect specific quantitative or metric-based data related to your business, product or a trend you are interested in.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Surveying your current audience can be a cheap and convenient way to carry primary audience research. Platforms such as SurveyMonkey and Qualtrics are great tools for collecting survey data.[[/p]]

[[p]]Because you are asking your existing audience, the information collected is highly relevant. In fact, these customers are most likely to drive insights into similar customers who you can market to. Surveys, to an extent, can be conducted as part of live focus groups or interviews.[[/p]]

[[p]]You can then develop content around that research such as whitepapers, blogs or ebooks. For example, the Digital Marketing Institute creates a [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/ebooks/salary-guides-for-digital-marketers" target="_blank"]]salary guide for marketers[[/a]] every year in collaboration with recruitment agency Aspire to provide original data and insights.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Bear in mind that your metric data can be gathered alongside qualitative data such as audience opinions and views on certain topics, brands and products. Both quantitative and qualitative data are valuable when conducting audience research, so it&rsquo;s good to have a mix of both.[[/p]]

[[p]]You can use analytics gathered from all platforms to use [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-behavioral-psychology-to-drive-marketing-success" target="_blank"]]behavioral psychology[[/a]] to understand how people act online. A good example is Google Analytics, which measures people&rsquo;s behavior and engagement with your website and mobile app.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Google Search data provides insightful sources of consumer behavior and keyword data provides an insight into what consumers are thinking, because you can see what they are asking search engines.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Looker Studio, a free, web-based tool from Google allows users to create and share interactive data dashboards and reports based on Google Analytics data.[[/p]]

[[p]]This type of behavioral analysis removes the guesswork from your research and provides quantitative metrics in terms of how often people look for certain keywords or phrases throughout the year in certain locations which can provide insights.[[/p]]

[[p]][[strong]]Pro tip:[[/strong]] Watch our expert walkthrough on [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/videos/walkthrough-how-to-use-looker-studio" target="_blank"]]how to use Looker Studio[[/a]].[[/p]]

[[p]]Ethnographic research involves getting out and observing users in their own environment. This helps you see how users interact in their normal day-to-day lives instead of in a controlled environment, such as a laboratory or focus group. This type of research can be very powerful when combined with digital research.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]A big part of audience listening is social listening. You can use your social media analytics and platforms to analyze data about your community of followers, their likes, engagements, and connections.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Doing this can help you to start creating a picture of who your current customers are. You can also research social media to look at audiences that follow competitors and understand more about their profile.[[/p]]

[[p]]Using [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-hashtags-in-social-media" target="_blank"]]hashtags on social media[[/a]] can be a great way to understand trends and sentiments around one topic that you think interests your audience. This goes across all social media platforms that have useful analytics tools, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.[[/p]]

[[p]]There are also paid social intelligence services such as Zoho Social or Hootsuite that include data visualization and analysis. They help you to gather the data from several social media platforms in one place and monitor conversations so you don&rsquo;t need to jump between tools.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Audience listening isn&rsquo;t a foolproof strategy. Even if a brand is listening and gets involved in the conversation, it does not always have a positive outcome.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]For example, a video by social media influencer Revant Himatsingka on the sugar content in the health drink brand Bournvita went viral after it received 12 million views. The brand responded by dismissing the video as &ldquo;unscientific&rdquo;, saying that it &ldquo;distorted facts and made false and negative inferences&rdquo;.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]The video was removed after Buornvita&rsquo;s legal team contacted the influencer. However, the controversy spurred social media users to raise other questions about the brand&rsquo;s health claims.[[/p]]

Bournvita social media post Credit: Storyboard

[[p]]This shows that brands need to be careful when getting involved in contentious issues, even when they relate to their own reputation.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]In this case, the initial claims were untrue, and the brand had reason to request the video&rsquo;s removal. Yet it still needed to manage the fallout, as its overly aggressive action led social media users to question the product&rsquo;s health claims.[[/p]]

[[p]]There are so many different audience listening tools on the market, it can be hard to know where to begin.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are the best ones out there by area.[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Google Forms (Free)[[/strong]] &ndash; Simple survey tool for gathering audience insights.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]SurveyMonkey (Freemium)[[/strong]] &ndash; Popular survey tool with analytics for audience preferences.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Typeform (Freemium)[[/strong]] &ndash; Engaging, conversational-style surveys for audience feedback.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Qualtrics (Paid, Free Trial)[[/strong]] &ndash; Advanced survey and research tool with AI-driven insights.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Jotform (Freemium)[[/strong]] &ndash; Customizable survey builder with integration options.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Google Trends (Free) [[/strong]]&ndash; Tracks search trends over time, showing what topics interest audiences.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Exploding Topics (Freemium) [[/strong]]&ndash;[[strong]] [[/strong]]Identifies trending topics before they become mainstream.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Think with Google (Free) [[/strong]]&ndash;[[strong]] [[/strong]]Offers audience insights, case studies, and market research reports.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Statista (Freemium) &ndash; [[/strong]]Aggregates statistical data from market research studies.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]YouGov (Freemium) [[/strong]]&ndash; Surveys and reports on public opinion, demographics, and trends.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Google Analytics (Free)[[/strong]] &ndash; Tracks audience behavior, demographics, and interactions on websites.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Hotjar (Freemium)[[/strong]] &ndash; Heatmaps and session recordings to understand how users navigate websites to help you [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-ai-to-improve-your-ux" target="_blank"]]improve UX[[/a]].[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Microsoft Clarity (Free)[[/strong]] &ndash; Session recordings and heatmaps for analyzing website user behavior.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Crazy Egg (Freemium)[[/strong]] &ndash; Heatmaps and A/B testing tools for website audience analysis.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Mixpanel (Freemium)[[/strong]] &ndash; Tracks user interactions in web and mobile apps.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]dscout (Paid)[[/strong]] &ndash; Captures real-world user experiences through mobile ethnography.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Recollective (Paid)[[/strong]] &ndash; Online qualitative research platform for focus groups and in-depth interviews.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Indeemo (Paid)[[/strong]] &ndash; Mobile ethnography tool that helps researchers observe behaviors in real life.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Lookback (Paid, Free Trial)[[/strong]] &ndash; Live user testing platform for observing real-time user behavior.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]EthOS (Paid)[[/strong]] &ndash; Digital ethnography tool for capturing real-world customer experiences.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Hootsuite (Paid, Free Trial)[[/strong]] - Can monitor brand mentions, track keyword usage, view and respond to messages, and follow influencer accounts.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Google Alerts (Free)[[/strong]] - Monitors all web content to search for your chosen search terms and lets you set up alerts for any term or phrase.&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Brandwatch (Paid)[[/strong]] - Tracks mentions and keywords in real-time and can provide image and sentiment analysis.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]SparkToro (Paid &amp; Free)[[/strong]] - Shows the websites your customers visit, social accounts they follow, hashtags they use, and more.&nbsp;[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Mention (Paid, Free Trial)[[/strong]] - Monitors billions of web pages in 42 different languages with a competitive analysis tool and a crisis management feature.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Mastering the art of audience listening is essential for building meaningful connections, fostering trust, and delivering messages that truly resonate.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]By tuning into your audience&rsquo;s needs, feedback, and emotions you can adapt your approach and create more impactful experiences. After all, the most effective communication starts with understanding.[[/p]]

[[p]]There&rsquo;s no better or faster way to break into the digital industry than with a digital marketing certification. DMI&rsquo;s certified and industry aligned [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/students/courses/professional-diploma-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing[[/a]] will teach you the fundamentals of digital marketing, show you how to leverage AI in your marketing activities and simple ways to cultivate soft skills. You&rsquo;ll also explore key channels such as email marketing, social media, SEO, content marketing, and display and video advertising to execute successful marketing campaigns in any industry.[[/p]]

What is Audience Listening & How Can You Do It Effectively?

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