There are companies that still believe that utilizing social media outlets, like Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook, as a means of listening to consumers is not worth the money, energy and time.

You really cannot blame them. There is a lot of useless chatter. However, if you take the time to look for the right information, listening to social media can be very valuable.

Recently, Martha Stewart was featured in the news for a comment she made on Twitter. She did not post baking tips. Instead, she posted several tweets about her malfunctioning iPad. A move that left Apple’s public relation’s team unhappy.

One Person’s Losses is Another Person’s Gain

Many consumers use social media to comment about products. When a consumer posts these comments, it is a marketing opportunity. In the case of the Martha Stewart tweets, iCracked, a company that repairs iPads, iPhones and iPods, saw an opportunity to offer Martha a solution to her problem. They tweeted how they could help.

A Twitter Response Leads to a Television Spot

No one can be certain if Martha Stewart accepted the offer from iCracked. However, iCracked’s brilliant monitoring of social media, knowing about the problem and quick response got the company media attention. CNBC featured the company and their services in a segment, where the Co-Founder and CEO of iCracked, A.J. Forsythe described the company and their services.

How Can You Become the Next iCracked?

It may have been luck that led iCracked to discover Martha Stewart’s tweets, but there are ways you can create luck for yourself. Here are some ways this can happen.

Search social media for keywords that are relevant to your business.

Now, don’t go out and hire employees to monitor social media. Twitter for Raidan6 and Salesforce are tools that can assist you in monitoring social media outlets, leaving you with time to develop a strong, social media marketing plan.

The tools can alert you to keywords that are important to your business. The keywords can include words that describe your company’s services and the names of your competition. In the iCracked example, iCracked was probably monitoring social media for the terms “cracked” and “iPad”. Another idea, think about your customers and the customer’s of your competitors might complain about?

Automate

Take advantage of automation to alert you of time-sensitive posts. For example. Salesforce syncs its Twitter data with Marketo, a app that automatically sends alerts to your associates. Automating means your company will never mist a post and can respond quickly.

When the time is right, bring in the right resources

If you see a public relations opportunity, tell the right people and act. Can you imagine if iCracked had only responded to the Martha Stewart tweet once and moved on? Speak with your PR team about any opportunities. Do not forget to promote the ideas to the high-level executives. This will make sure your company is fully represented.

Lead generation is not the only reason to monitor social media websites. Involvement with social social media connects you to your customers. You will know what they like and dislike about the company. You can also monitor what consumers think about your competitors. Keep in mind, all communications reflect the company and its brand. The brand is only as good as people’s opinions of it.

Does your company engage in social media monitoring, and has it been beneficial. Share your stories or comments below.