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Why numbers don’t tell the whole truth
In the world of communication and PR, reports and dashboards are filled with KPIs: reach, impressions, publicity volume. However, the truth is that numbers alone are not enough. The Barcelona Principles V4.0 of the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) remind us that quantitative data must be combined with qualitative analysis.
This principle needs to permeate the entire field of communication; therefore, it also concerns the measurement and evaluation of a brand’s image on social media. In other words, social listening does not simply mean measuring how many times your brand has been mentioned on social media, but understanding “the why” and “how” behind every discussion, post, and reaction from the audience.
Real-time insights
In our times, a TikTok video can go viral within minutes or a tweet can gather hundreds of reposts. Real-time monitoring is a prerequisite for the survival of brands. By utilizing social listening tools, they detect trends before they become mainstream, adjusting the message and positioning accordingly.
Of course, when we talk about social listening, we don’t mean just monitoring your own posts, but any mention of the brand, anywhere on social media:
- Owned: The posts that you upload on the official social media pages of the brand, e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.
- Earned: The organic exposure that the brand gains without paying, e.g., comments, mentions.
- Shared: The content that is reproduced by the public, e.g., reposts, shares.
- Paid: It differs from paid advertising and refers to paid content, e.g., an Instagram post from a fashion influencer that was made after a commercial agreement with the brand.
Benchmarking forever
One of the most underrated advantages of social listening is the comparison with the competition. It is not only important how users talk about your brand but also how you position yourself against competitors. Besides the well-known share of voice (SoV), a deeper analysis of the data is needed, with measurements such as: SoV with sentiment (positive, neutral, negative) and SoV by social channel. Through continuous mapping of the dialogue, you can identify gaps left by other players and build a more targeted strategy.
Management starts before the crisis
Crises usually catch us off guard, but they do not arise suddenly. They begin with a negative experience with a retail chain posted on X or with a thread in a forum about a new car model. The ability to detect such warning signals in time through social listening can be the difference between a manageable situation and a blow to the brand’s reputation and sales.
From data to strategy
The time when companies could rely solely on post-campaign reports is over. The leading brands are those that have the ability to understand not only what is being said, but why it is being said and how this can be reversed or leveraged. In fact, social listening is a direct “X-Ray” that reveals the health of a brand, the dynamics of a market, and the psychology of the audience. The result is a more flexible communication strategy based on data.
The article was published on Daily Fax on September 24, 2025.