Digital marketing – what are “listeners” and why are they important?
In these days of digital marketing, it’s easy to get bogged down in numbers. How many impressions, likes, comments and shares did you get on social media? How many people read your blog, and how long did they spend on the page? And did you get the stats you hoped from your email marketing campaign?
However, there are a lot of people out there who are listening, but only quietly. Their journey to conversion is different, and not as easy to measure, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
In this blog, we explore “listening” and why marketers should be aware of it.
What is a “listener?”
A listener is someone who is aware of your marketing but doesn’t interact with it online. This might be for any number of reasons: perhaps they’re too busy, or they don’t have time for the to and fro that comes of leaving a comment. Perhaps they’re just shy, or only use the internet because the modern world expects it.
But none of these reasons mean they’re ignoring you. They might well be reading your social media posts and emails – both great ways for your business brand to embed itself with a new client.
Why do listeners matter?
If you’ve ever been networking and met a stranger who immediately recognises you and knows about your business, you’ve probably encountered a listener. They’ve been quietly reading your LinkedIn content and signed up to your email newsletters, and have simply absorbed the information without bothering your statistics.
Talking to these people, you might see how much information they’ve taken on just by following you online and signing up to newsletters. Not only that, but they can prove to be better clients when they do convert. This is because they’ve been thinking rather than interacting, so when you start to see them interact, it’s usually because they’re moving towards conversion.
By contrast, people who click everything, “like” everything and reply to everything are sometimes trying to leverage your marketing to promote themselves. They might not be interested in what you have to offer at all. Engaging listeners can be a longer game, but it can often be more fruitful when they finally convert.
How can you nurture these quiet relationships?
It can be hard to know how to engage listeners, because you can’t see immediately whether your efforts are paying off! However, if you remember that a listener is listening out for the information that they want, you can provide them with it. For example, these people are unlikely to engage with the traditional methods of getting people involved, like holding a competition or asking people what they’re doing this weekend. Instead, they’re looking for solid information about who you are and what you do, and what makes you different. This is the kind of information they can absorb, and which will gradually guide them towards deciding to use your product or service.
With this in mind, remember to balance your obviously engaging content with thoughtful information that reinforces your messages. That way, you can talk to the shouters and the listeners alike, engaging both kinds of people to move your business forwards.
Marketing support for small and large businesses
The Get Ahead marketing team support businesses of all sizes. We provide a range of services including email marketing, social media management, blog writing and graphic design. We can also create overarching campaigns to bring all your marketing together, with delivery from either Get Ahead’s virtual experts or your own in-house team. To find out more, contact your local regional director today.
