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8.29.2011 | Hilary Murdock

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It’s impossible to listen too closely to clients when they’re explaining why they need a social media strategy. But it’s possible to listen too closely to a client’s brand when trying to develop that strategy.

Think about something you’re truly passionate about. It could be anything: music, volunteering, sports or cooking. When you discuss this favored topic with a friend, you’re more likely to be effusive, enthusiastic and have a specific point of view. And when you’re on your own, you’re probably more likely to seek online content related to that subject.

Now think about a brand to which you’re loyal, one you may even say you “love.” How likely are you to engage in an extensive conversation about it? You may give it a mention here and there, but that’s about it.

The listening process is an essential first step in social strategy development. A simple brand-centric keyword search using Radian6 or NetBase or Crimson Hexagon (whatever your monitoring tool of choice) will immediately turn out countless examples of consumer opinion—good, bad and ugly. It reveals the disparity between what you think people think and what people actually think. And that alone is valuable in assessing a brand’s position in the social sphere.

The big mistake is stopping the search there and letting sentiment alone inform your strategy. In other words, there is danger in listening too closely to the brand. This approach is not likely to inspire the next social movement. To do that, you have to tap into something more visceral. A social listening tool is helpful, but you have to pair it with third-party data to get at what people really care about. A simple Google search can be just as informative as a Radian6 report when it comes to identifying an impassioned audience.

So make it a point to discover what gets people excited and create content that shows how your brand can help amplify that passion. These are the high-volume conversations that drive consumer engagement, and are most likely to spark the next social movement.