For many, Valentine’s Day is when people appreciate their significant other for being in their lives. Successful relationships are predicated on listening and communication, as without both, the companionship between the two parties couldn’t be possible. The same can be applied to business, specifically the social media marketing aspect of customer retention and acquisition. If you or your social media manager aren’t listening to the customers that walk through your doors, purchase online, or the consumer market you’re trying to reach, you’ll fail at growing your clientele.

Many people ask me, “So how do you know your social media marketing strategy works, and why is it good for my business?” My answer is always, “Because I know the customer, I know what they want, and I know what gets their attention and drives them to a purchase. “More importantly, I know their behaviors on social media and why they use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to share moments of time in their lives.”

Whether it’s purchasing a car, graduating college, going to Disney World, or having a positive experience with a company, people share the highlights of their daily lives. On the flip side, they also share their lowest points, and it’s important for businesses of any market to not be part of the negative posts and photos that are being shared.

I primarily provide social media marketing services to companies in the automotive industry, but the strategies I provide haven’t been created because I’m smart, but it’s my ability to listen to not only customers, but other business owners. Business owners who are successfully managing their social media accounts without a marketer and seeing great results, often share with me why they’re growing a clientele. They focus on what the customer wants, and share content that resonates best with them. With the entrepreneur’s ability to listen, happy customers and clients are now posting statuses and photos voluntarily on their personal Facebook accounts, raving about the services and products these particular businesses are offering.

In life you’ll learn that many people hear, but very few listen. Listening is the basis of strong business relationships, friendships, and personal relationships. By having the ability to listen, you can begin to apply tactics that draw in customers, grow a following on your social media pages, and become the most popular business in your sector by developing deep and meaningful customer relationships where your clientele become lifelong customers.

With all this being said, this is why many businesses in the automotive sector fail, and you’ve probably seen the same issues arise in the market that you know best. Social media marketing should never be used to hard sell; instead, focus on what the customer wants rather than you making a sale or stuffing money in your pockets. In the long run, you’ll attract more customers, and the community you begin to create will become your greatest marketing and advertising asset. Many old school marketers are focused on selling on Facebook and Instagram, when in reality, their customers will begin doing most of the work due to social media’s ability to enhance word of mouth.

Listening to your customers will dictate the type of content you post, which in turn will elevate your advertising game in the process. If you truly know your customers and what attracts them to purchasing the products you sell or the services you provide, social media marketing will no longer be looked at as hard, and instead will be rather fun, as you begin to create customer relationships that last.