Is it possible to see a trend before it happens?

The short answer is yes. You can start to see signs of a trend as it starts to pick up.

How?

By using social listening to identify nuggets of growing conversations as they arise.

Social listening scans our consumer market to understand what’s important to them and why.

Is this different than social monitoring?

Yes. Social monitoring is about risk management. Making sure we are actively responding to conversations about our brand and brand perception.

Most current tools focus purely on social monitoring and brand engagement. The new age of social listening is about using AI to predict trends based early indicators.

Both are critical, but serve different strategies. This blog outlines the differences between social listening vs social monitoring.

One viral TikTok video can have strange and unintended ripple effects across our market. We have all felt how challenging it is to keep up with consumers. How do we understand those ripple effects as they are occurring? Using social media listening.

Social media listening goes beyond merely reacting to direct mentions or comments about our brand. It involves an in-depth analysis of online conversations and trends across various platforms to garner insights into the broader consumer sentiment and emerging trends.

Social monitoring is about our brand perception. That includes monitoring mentions, comments, and feedback across social platforms and responding to them as they arise. Most current solutions in the market focus purely on social monitoring.

Each serve a unique purpose in understanding and responding to the public's perception and needs.

The best way to understand what consumers are looking for is to LISTEN to them directly. We often make assumptions about the market. Then, we base our strategy on those assumptions. What leading companies are doing now is leveraging social listening to proactively adjust strategies (i.e. marketing messaging, campaigns, promotions, etc.) to align directly with what consumers are talking looking for. They use social listening to see opportunities for innovation.

Social listening transforms scattered online discourse into actionable insights. Dive into our comprehensive guide to trend analysis to learn how to identify and leverage emerging trends effectively by social listening.

Social monitoring is typically what we think of when we hear of social listening tools. Social monitoring involves tracking and responding to customer mentions and feedback on social media, serving as a reactive approach to managing a brand's online presence. It's crucial for maintaining a positive brand image and ensuring customer satisfaction by addressing concerns and feedback in real time. This process not only helps prevent issues from escalating but also demonstrates a brand's commitment to its audience. It's an essential element of effective social media management, underpinning the importance of direct engagement with customers to build lasting relationships.

Both social listening and social monitoring are important, but serve different purposes. Here’s where they each fit:

Uncovering vs. Addressing

• Social Listening = Uncovering: Delves into online conversations, zeroing in on specific topics, keywords, and trends that resonate within the brand's industry. This strategic focus aims to uncover the broader discussions that surround not just the brand itself but also the wider market.
• Social Monitoring = Addressing, on the other hand, considers direct mentions, comments, and feedback related to the brand. This focus is crucial for addressing customer interactions on an individual level, ensuring that each mention receives the attention it deserves to foster a positive customer experience.

Predictive vs. Reactive

• Social Listening = Predictive (if done right) embodies a proactive stance, analyzing and interpreting the data collected from conversations to anticipate market needs and shape future strategies. This forward-thinking approach enables brands to stay ahead of the curve while informing development teams.
• Social Monitoring = Reactive adopts a reactive approach, focusing on immediate engagement and resolution of customer issues as they arise. This real-time responsiveness is key to effective customer service, allowing brands to quickly address concerns, solve problems, and review feedback.

Strategic Engagement vs. Reputation Management

• Social Listening = Strategic engagement aims to understand the power of the wider conversation, leveraging these insights to strategically engage with customers in deeper, more meaningful ways.
• Social Monitoring = Reputation management, in contrast, focuses on reputation management and customer satisfaction through diligent attention to individual customer interactions. When to use social listening vs social monitoring?

Recently, an executive at a leading grocery retailer told us how demand spikes for strange products kept them up at night. They know these peaks are coming from social media trends. But, by the time someone from their team sees one of these trends, it’s already too late to build a campaign around it. They’ve missed the peak.

So, how can we know if it’s still worth trying to doing something about a trend?

The new age of social listening use AI-driven analytics to predict trends. AI algorithms can sift through social data to spot emerging patterns and sentiments. AI uses data patterns to tell us where a trend is in its lifecycle.

Instead of a team member seeing one or two videos about “old fashioned mac & cheese”, an AI algorithm can see that there are 30 new videos this week alone. It can then predict out the potential growth rate of this trend, based on historical patterns.

The new age of social listening is about using AI to predict trends based on micro trends and early indicators of demand.

AI revolutionizes social listening by transitioning from a reactive to a proactive approach, enabling brands to anticipate trends and understand consumer behaviours deeply. Key roles of AI include:

• Trend Prediction: AI analyzes social data to forecast emerging trends and market shifts, allowing brands to strategically plan ahead.
• Consumer Behaviour Analysis: By examining social conversations, AI offers a comprehensive view of consumer preferences and lifestyles, guiding brands to align with broader trends.
• Sentiment Analysis: AI's sentiment analysis deciphers the emotions behind social conversations, helping brands adjust strategies to better resonate with consumer sentiments.
• Product-Level Forecasting: AI predicts demand and identifies unmet needs through social discussions around product features, driving innovation in line with consumer expectations.

Overall, AI in social listening empowers brands to be anticipatory, tailoring strategies and products to future consumer demands and staying ahead in competitive markets.

Unlock AI’s potential in marketing with our blog AI in Marketing.

Here are 5 ways social listening is used across functions:

• Marketing campaign ideas
• SEO and website optimization
• Aligning merchandising and marketing teams on future strategies
• Promotional strategies
• In-store displays
• Innovation in product development

• Boost marketing campaign engagement by 3x to 5x: By strategically sharing content related to these trends during their ascent, brands can enhance their engagement and ride the wave of growing interest.
• Reduce CPM by 2 to 3%: Crafting highly engaging content that drives organic reach, diminishing the reliance on paid media and fostering significant growth in organic media engagement
• Decrease market research time by 5 to 10 hours a week: Allowing teams to focus on execution rather than scrolling through social media for ideas.

Granularity detects product trends for marketers. The AI-based platform serves marketers with predicted trends that are growing and proven to have 3x to 5x more engagement. The platform does this by processing and predicting thousands of signals using AI. The engine evaluate indicators from Tiktok, Instagram, Google Searches, Youtube and others.

Granularity leverages its AI-based tracking tools to forecast future market trends by pinpointing micro trends emerging within the broader landscape. Within this system, AI delves deep, offering detailed descriptions of each trend, enriched with real-time data and specific insights. This approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of the market's evolving dynamics, allowing for precise strategic planning and decision-making.

Each trend on Granularity’s platform comes with an opportunities table that captures key keywords from real customer searches across platforms like TikTok, Google, YouTube, or Instagram. This table reveals the trend's momentum through likes and search volumes, offering valuable insights for strategic alignment with what's capturing audience attention.

Granularity's trends opportunity table stands out by incorporating real-time video updates from TikTok and YouTube, offering a direct line to the heartbeat of current market trends. This feature ensures users receive a dynamic snapshot of shifting consumer interests, keeping them at the forefront of the latest digital evolutions. With these live updates, the table becomes a vital resource for those looking to tap into and understand the nuances of today's digital landscape, providing immediate insights for strategic decision-making and trend adaptation.

To learn more about women's sneaker trends check out our blog 14 TOP Trending Sneakers for Women.

In the ever-evolving realm of social media, understanding social listening vs social monitoring is crucial for brands looking to navigate this space effectively. Social listening offers deep insights into consumer trends and behaviour while social monitoring focuses on real-time engagement and managing a brand's online reputation. The adoption of AI technologies into these practices significantly enhances a brand's capacity to both predict market changes and respond promptly. Explore Granularity for an integrated approach to social listening vs social monitoring, enhancing your marketing strategy with deep trend insights to navigate the social media landscape effectively.

What's the main difference between social listening and social monitoring?

Social listening involves analyzing online conversations for strategic insights, focusing on broader trends and sentiments. Social monitoring is about responding to direct mentions and feedback, managing a brand's immediate online presence.

Why is social media listening crucial for brands?

It provides a comprehensive view of a brand's social presence, uncovering trends and consumer needs. This allows for proactive strategy adjustments, ensuring relevance and fostering innovation in a fast-paced digital world.

How does social monitoring benefit a brand?

Social monitoring is essential for real-time engagement, addressing customer feedback, and managing a brand's reputation. It ensures customer satisfaction and loyalty by demonstrating a brand's commitment to its audience.

What are three key differences between social listening and social monitoring?

1. 1Social listening is strategic and broad, identifying long-term trends and sentiments. Social monitoring is tactical, focusing on immediate interactions.
2. 2Social listening is proactive, while social monitoring is reactive.
3. 3Social listening informs future strategies; social monitoring manages current reputation and customer interactions.

When should a brand use social listening over social monitoring?

Use social listening for strategic planning and trend analysis to inform long-term decisions. Opt for social monitoring for immediate customer service and reputation management, ensuring timely responses to feedback and mentions.

What role does AI play in social listening?

AI transforms social listening with predictive analytics, trend forecasting, and deeper consumer behaviour understanding. It identifies emerging trends, analyzes sentiment, and forecasts product demand, enabling brands to anticipate market needs.

How can social listening transform marketing strategies?

By providing insights into market trends and consumer preferences, social listening enables brands to develop targeted, resonant marketing strategies. It enhances customer engagement and drives more effective campaign outcomes.

Does social listening encompass social monitoring?

No, not all tools include both social listening and social monitoring. Most current solutions focus purely on social monitoring with no predictive capabilities.

What makes Granularity's approach to social monitoring unique?

Granularity uses AI-based tools for in-depth trend analysis and real-time updates, offering detailed insights into market dynamics. Its platform features an opportunities table and live video updates, providing a comprehensive view of current trends.