Not long ago I published the Top 10 Reasons brands should listen to social media.  A lot of people enjoyed the list so I dug in to see if there were even more reasons to listen – and there were – at least 10 more reasons.  Today I’m going to share 5 more of these reasons with you.  What do you think?

The Long Tail
Influencers carry a lot of weight, but there are millions of people online at a given time. Passionate brand evangelists can be found in far reaches of the web, in smaller and more niche communities. Social networks, communities, and forums exist for the most specialized interests you can imagine, and monitoring social media closely is the best way to find them. There can be immense value in connecting with these small but passionate groups and giving them opportunities to get acquainted and connected with you and your brand. Connecting with “the long tail” can do wonders in raising the awareness of your brand within your target community.

The Story Angle
Looking at your brand and your industry from a single point of view can be limiting. Listening to how other people are telling stories about your product, company, or brand can uncover new and creative ways to talk about your business. You may uncover subtle trends in your industry or innovative ways of describing your work. The media and the readers of your blog will enjoy capturing a creative story that will help your brand stand out from the competition.

The Misstep
One of the challenges of participating in social media is giving up strict control of your messaging by allowing your community – internal or external – to participate in its creation. With that openness comes challenges, including employees who may mean well, but may be giving out misinformation. By paying attention to your brand mentions in social media, you can identify these potential missteps early and work with your teams to correct inaccuracies. You may also learn some valuable information about rumors, misconceptions, or incorrect information that’s been circulating through your internal networks so you can work to clarify and correct it.

The Recruit
More than likely, the first thing a potential employee will do when considering your company is do a Google search. Monitoring the web ensures that you’ll know what they’ll see and read before they do. And today’s talent market is incredibly tight in many industries, making great people the most valuable asset for many businesses. Listening carefully to discussion online in your industry can help you identify experts and standout talent that you may not find through traditional search channels.

The Brand Association
You’ve likely spent a great deal of time and money establishing your value proposition and brand positioning in the marketplace. But are your customers and potential customers viewing your brand through the same lens? By expanding your monitoring efforts to listen broadly across the web, you may capture tangential associations for your brand across new lifestyles, demographics, or cultures that you hadn’t previously considered. And if there are negative terms associated with your brand, discovering them will allow your company to address issues when needed and keep realistic awareness of overall brand perceptions for future planning.

Need even more reasons? Stay tuned tomorrow and I’ll publish yet another 5 reasons to monitor social media.