SMM FAQ – Social media monitoring frequently asked questions

Think online listening is as simple as putting your ear to the virtual door? Not quite. In fact, the social media landscape changes so often that even companies who’ve had an online presence for some time find it hard to keep track of what’s going on. Here are three FAQ about the evolution of social media monitoring:

I’m starting to hear a lot about sentiment trend analysis. What is that?

While companies have been able to listen to online conversations, it’s only relatively recently that technology has been able to produce hard numbers regarding what emotions consumers express through online communication. Sentiment trend analysis is a form of social media measurement that categorizes online expressions as positive, negative, or neutral. As a result, companies can better grasp how customers feel about a brand. Do they love it? Do they loathe it? Do they even care?

Sentiment trend analysis is also an ideal way to learn about swings in perception. Recognizing a sharp rise in negative sentiment, for instance, can help a company detect a problem before it becomes a public relations disaster.

I know about Facebook and MySpace, but now there are so many social networks…do I need to be on all of them?!

From Facebook to Foursquare, there are thousands of places where customers might be talking about your brand. In addition to the social networks everyone knows about, there are also blogs, communities, and forums. Why waste time and resources on all of them? A high-quality online listening program will let you know where your customers hang out online. Once you know where they are, you can focus social media strategy efforts on reaching the right customers in the right places.

Our Facebook page just isn’t enough anymore. How do I integrate social media into my overall business strategy?

The very first step in an effective online listening and social engagement plan is creating a strategy. Ask yourself what the goals of the social media monitoring program will be and how they align with your brand strategy. If you want social media to succeed, you cannot treat it like a novelty. It bears repeating: if you want social media to succeed, you cannot treat it like a novelty. For in-the-black success, you must give it the same consideration and care you would to any other business undertaking.

Okay, I’m finally on the social media bus, but I have no clue where to start…

Consider investing in a company that can offer the outsourced solutions you need to create the social media strategy success that your team will be proud of. From consultation to implementation, Social Strategy1 has the expert staff and reliable technology that will deliver results.