Online marketing has become very complex and challenging owing to a greater flow of information and choices available to prospects, who now have definitely turned more finicky. A host of review sites, forums and platforms are shaping or reshaping the way they engage with brands. In this context, it has become critical for businesses to monitor online conversation.

The social media channels that let users evaluate business offerings through reviews of their performance as well as track record must be consistently checked. These are the inputs that often make people make their purchase decisions.

Critical aspects of social media monitoring

It is imperative to pay heed to growing clout of local search and feedback sites to establish your credibility. Their nuisance value cannot simply be ignored when it comes to managing online reputation.

In fact, it is very important to earnestly respond to product reviews – both positive and negative – that can impact your business. A timely and meaningful response will allow you to build goodwill among your prospective customers.

Make sure when they happen to search for a specific brand, product or service on any of these review or search sites, they will get to read encouraging feedback. This holds the key to sales and lead generation.

Keep a tab on community networks

As we well know, social media users largely rely on close contacts including friends, office colleagues, family members and peers to take a major purchase decisions. Their inputs matter a great deal in the process. Many people check Q&A sites to know about other users’ impressions and opinions on products/ services they wish to avail of.

By regularly tracking user interaction on these community networks, platforms and popular blogs, smaller businesses can effectively identify ‘influencers’ and make a conscious effort to reach out to them. By doing so, they can generate new lucrative business opportunities. If used judiciously, social media can certainly prove to one of the most cost efficient and equally effective modes of lead generation as well as actual sales.
What more can you ask for as a business owner?

Locate industry-specific influencers

As mentioned above, knack of identifying influencers is essential. There are people who tend to enjoy authority and credibility among their select network of acquaintances. The influencers can be your prospective customers or existing ones; they can be journalists and analysts whose opinion counts.

Their remarks – positive or negative – on social media may form a perception about your brand that you will find hard to alter. Hence, identifying such key individuals with greater influence in your industry domain makes easier to market products/ services to your target audiences. When recommended by these opinion makers.