As described in our earlier blog, Why Online Listening Is a Vital Tool for B2B Marketers, there is a treasure trove of information online about your industry, your company, your brand, and your customers. The B2B court of public opinion is always open. If an industry influencer trashes your product in an online forum you’re not aware of, that negative sentiment could spread like wildfire and start affecting your sales figures well before you hear about it.
Market shifts can happen anytime.
That’s why online monitoring and analysis is essential for B2B marketers who want to:
- Track brand health and brand equity
- Improve segmentation and audience profiling
- Perform category analysis to uncover unmet needs
- Influence stakeholders and drive action
Perception is influenced online.
CBD and “The Whizard” are offering an example of top-line online monitoring and analysis in our new Battle of the Stones report on the countertop industry.
In the report, we examine the perception battle between quartz and granite countertops. Granite was long considered the favorite type of countertop for high-end homes, but quartz has gained dramatic popularity in recent years, now surpassing granite according to one industry group.
How did this happen? Our report looks into what people are saying about countertops, including influencers who can significantly alter opinions of homeowners and others. We also show how monitoring and analysis can track the customer journey and uncover the unmet needs of customers, which can influence the type of content you produce for them.
Listening to your audience is key.
As you review the report, consider how strong your online intelligence is on your own industry, company, and brand. Do you know what’s being said about you? Are you involved in those conversations? Are you ready to embark on a major campaign – such as a product launch – without knowing how exactly to communicate with your target audience about how it builds their business and solves their problems?
Identify brand advocates and detractors, and influence your market with customer-backed data (not just anecdotes from the field sales team). Get in touch with us today to start listening.