Listening as Key Component to Developing Insightful Communications Action Plans [REPORT]

We’ve reached a crisis in listening: a study found that the average large organization devoted 80 percent of its resources to broadcasting its messages to the public or clients and only 20 percent on listening. However, creating compelling content that resonates with your audience and drives its behavior begins with listening. When brands fail to listen, they act like someone who is late to the party — interrupting different groups to tell stories about themselves. No one likes being around that person.

Once your brand understands how it is being discussed in the media and by thought leaders online you can use those insights to adjust your communication strategy in real-time to augment your strengths or address any weaknesses. Cision’s white paper, “Listening: Turn Real-time Media Channel Insights into Communications Action Plans,” demonstrates the vital role listening plays in the business communication cycle with three data-packed, real-world examples.

The free guide also discusses the key benefits of listening for organizations, including:

•     Identifying the needs of existing audiences, discovering new audiences and effectively responding with relevant information or services
•     Understanding the motivators and affinities of consumers in order to drive change and influence
•     Driving results from real-time data through benchmarking and optimization

Through the process of listening, you can identify which messages resonate with your target audience and the influencers driving those discussions, so you no longer will need to shout to be heard. Instead, listening provides insight on exactly what your message needs to be, when it needs to be communicated and who will best deliver it. Access the full guide to learn more about how this step in the lifecycle of business communications is crucial to crafting a persuasive content strategy that engages influencers, inspires positive sentiment and drives purchasing decisions.

This white paper follows the “Master the Mix: Amplify Your Campaign Results With Earned Media” guide, the first in a series of white papers exploring the communications lifecycle. The guide details how marketing and communications leaders must establish meaningful relationships with influencers and buyers and use earned media in an integrated way with paid and owned channels to maximize program impact.