Humans are not very good listeners. For people in digital marketing though, it is one of the most important skills to have in their toolbelts.
Those marketers who listen are best prepared to respond to their audience wants and needs and solve their problems.
Let’s see how you can become a better marketer by learning to listen.
A little empathy goes a long way
The key to being a good listener is the ability to put yourself into the shoes of the person talking.
In digital marketing, while the Internet connects us all, it also builds a huge physical barrier, as we can’t see the person we’re interacting with. That creates a problem for marketers, as it’s hard to recognize what kind of impact our message has on our audience, but also what they are trying to communicate best to us.
Always seek to understand your audience’s position, context, and life situation. That will help you connect with them tremendously.
Ask better questions
The simplest way to listen, and to actually prove that you listen, is to ask good questions.
If you need more details about something, simply ask “why?”.
You can rephrase it to fit the context, but make sure you are getting to the core of the problem. This is especially valuable when responding to comments on your blog, Youtube channel or social media.
Recap and summarize
This is a great listening technique.
When you feel like you have a good grasp of the conversation, offer a brief recap of what has been said.
There will be a double win in doing so: your customers or audience will felt heard, and you will solidify the ideas being discussed in your brain as well.