How to embed social listening into your social media strategy—without breaking the bank

Social listening may seem like a buzzword reserved for well-known brands with even bigger budgets. But the truth is, you don’t have to break the bank to reap the rewards of this invaluable strategy. Even SMEs, lean marketing teams and startups can harness the power of social listening without breaking the bank.

Do you want to top up your social networks without the high price? Here’s how to incorporate social listening into your social media strategy in cost-effective, scalable ways.

What is social listening (and why should you care)?

Before we get into the how, let’s briefly touch on the why. Social listening monitors social media channels to monitor mentions, keywords and trends related to your brand, industry or competitors. It helps you:

• Understand your audience better.
• Identify trends and opportunities.
• Manage your brand reputation.
• Create more targeted, more impactful content.

The best part? You don’t need an expensive enterprise tool to get started.

DIY approaches to social listening

Sometimes the best tools are the ones you already have at your disposal. Here are some low-investment ways to start social listening today:

1. Use native tools of the platform

Most social media platforms offer free, built-in analytics tools. For example:

• Advanced Twitter Search: Filter tweets by keyword, location or sentiment.
• Instagram Insights: Track mentions, hashtags and audience engagement metrics.
• Facebook analytics: Track mentions and comments on a page to gauge sentiment.

2. Set notifications

Enable notifications for brand mentions, direct messages or comments. This simple step ensures that you never miss a conversation.

3. Monitor hashtags and keywords

Identify a few relevant hashtags or keywords and manually check their activity regularly. While it’s not as streamlined as paid tools, it’s free and a handy starting point.

4. Create a listening dashboard

Use a spreadsheet to track mentions, comments, and trends. Although basic, this method can help you spot patterns over time.

5 Affordable Social Listening Tools

If you think social listening has to come with a big price tag, think again! Here are five affordable social listening tools to get you started.

1. Sked Social

Sked Social’s robust analytics and reporting features can help smaller teams understand social media conversations without significant overhead. Whether you’re tracking sentiment or need data on specific campaign words, Sked offers scalable solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes.

2. Hootsuite (free plan)

Hootsuite’s free plan lets you track mentions and keywords across three social profiles. It’s a great starting option for lean teams.

3. Google alerts

Set up Google alerts for your brand name, industry keywords, or competitors. Although not a dedicated social tool, it is free and effective for monitoring online conversations.

5. Talkwalker warnings

Like Google Alerts, Talkwalker Alerts is a free tool designed to track mentions of your brand or specific topics on the web.

Pro tip: Many paid tools offer free trials or basic plans, so take advantage of them to test different platforms without committing.

Start small and build up

When budgets are tight, start small. Focus on tracking one or two metrics or topics of conversation that align with your goals. For example:

• Customer feedback: Track mentions of your brand to identify common compliments or pain points.
• Analysis of competitors: Monitor what people are saying about competitors to discover gaps you can fill.
• Industry trends: Follow relevant hashtags or keywords to stay ahead of trends.

Once you see value, you can gradually increase your efforts by investing in more comprehensive tools or tracking additional metrics.

Final thoughts

Social listening doesn’t have to be scary or expensive. By using affordable tools, adopting a DIY approach and starting small, you can build a listening strategy that fits your budget and grows with your business.

Are you ready to improve your social media strategy? Sked Social’Scalable solutions can help you turn insights into action. Get in touch today and see the difference it makes for your team.