What is the difference between Social Media Listening and Social Monitoring? Let’s Know!

Do you know social media listening and monitoring? You may already be familiar with these two terms for those who work in public relations or marketing in a company. However, sometimes the understanding between these two activities is often confused. Or even you still don’t know what the difference is.

Definition

To not be mistaken, you need to understand the difference in meaning between the two terms. According to sproutsocial.com, here’s what it means.

Social Media Monitoring

Social media monitoring activities are monitoring activities regarding various conversations or information about certain brands that are carried out on one social media or various social media.

Social Media Listening

Known as social listening, social media measurement, or social media analytics. This is an activity to understand the audience through various conversations or information on social media related to certain brands. Social media listening is more complex and comprehensive than social media monitoring.

From these two meanings, we can see that the critical difference is monitoring and understanding.

Social Listening vs Monitoring

There are several fundamental differences between social listening and social media monitor. Here are some important points to differentiate the two actions:

1. Nature

In terms of language, you can distinguish social media monitoring which means monitor, and social listening which means listening. Monitoring is just a passive act. While listening is active.

2. Response

The next difference lies in the response to the actions taken. Social Monitoring is reactive. This activity is only as monitoring of any views or opinions about a product in various media.

Meanwhile, social listening is more proactive. After the company gets various views from the audience or what the audience is talking about a particular product, then the company takes certain actions. This is a response to this that is useful as a development or evaluation material.

3. Action Scale

The scale of action of social media monitoring is aimed at consumers at the micro-level. its purpose is only to receive information for the internal scope of the company. For example, when social media staff gets negative views in terms of advertising promotions on certain social media, their input will be forwarded to the marketing department.

Meanwhile, the scale of social listening is at the macro level. From this activity, you can understand how the views of the audience, the conditions of competitors, to the conditions of the market in general. The data regarding this matter will be further collected and analyzed into a conclusion that becomes the basis for further actions.

4. Objective

Social media monitoring aims only to maintain relationships with customers. Which is obtained from interactions through social media users. So that the loyalty and satisfaction of permanent consumers or potential customers for a brand are maintained.

Meanwhile, social media listening has more diverse and broad objectives. From this activity, you can evaluate products, and product innovations, adjust competitive strategies with competitors, make more precise marketing strategies, increase brand awareness, and much more.

In short, social monitoring allows brands to pick up short-term interactions while social listening is useful for long-term development.

That’s the difference between social media listening and monitoring. In general, these differences can be understood simply in terms of nature, response, scale, and purpose. It is not only important for those of you who work in companies, but this is certainly also important for those of you who are business people. So do you know the difference?