Tune Up Your Listening Station

by Walt Goshert on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | 2 Comments

Psst… Listen Up!

You wanna know the secret to making online marketing work for your local business?

Wanna learn how to get found in the search engines and have your prospects and clients spread the word about you and your business on the social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz?

To effectively tap the power of social media marketing online in your local business…

You must develop the discipline to first, listen… and use tools and build processes to listen first.

First, Listen… Listen First, Huh?

First, Listen

Your prospects are talking online. On Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz, YouTube, blogs, blog comments, Online Reviews, emailing friends. They are talking about your local community, your industry, your competitors, and yes, your local business. They are expressing their likes and dislikes, dreams and desires, problems and frustrations… and revealing needs and wants that your business has the potential to help solve.

But, First, before you rush in and try to sell them your stuff, LISTEN.

First, Listen to Chris Brogan on Listening:

Now… Listen First

Next, now that you get it that you must First, Listen… now you’re ready to use the tools and build processes that position you to Listen First.

Chris Brogan shares with you the tools to building a Listening Station for your business.

First… 5 Tools I Use to Listen

And… Grow Bigger Ears in 10 Minutes

Use Free Google Tools- Gmail, Google Reader, and Google BlogSearch. You might want to add Google Alerts to automatically “listen” to keywords like your name, Business Name, Competition Name(s), etc. served up automatically in your Gmail account.

Listen on Twitter with Twitter Search. Chris mentions this as one of his Listening Station Tools. Here he goes into more detail on how you set it up.

Social Media Marketing where you First, Listen… and Listen First is tapping into the online conversation stream of up- to-date and constantly evolving market research. Your Listening Station sorts and organizes this Market research into your Google Reader and serves as the platform to begin creating content and building prospect and client relationships based not on what you’re trying to sell, but what people want to buy.

Before you start selling… First, Listen… use “Listen First” tools and build processes to gather market research. Then, you’ll be ready to have value-added conversations with your market.

Do you have any other online Listening Tools you’re using… or any suggestions?

Go ahead, share them in comments.

We’re listening.

Flickr Photo Credit C.P.Storm