I’m not eavesdropping, I’m monitoring the conversation.

It’s been said in board rooms around the world. It has cost companies millions (if not billions) of dollars in focus groups and surveys.

“If only we knew what our consumers were thinking…”

Great news. Social media trends and technologies have made answering this question easier then ever. The web is buzzing with opinions. From Amazon reviews to tweets, conversations are becoming increasingly public, making it easier for people to listen to and join in on the conversation.

From the fabulous Ron Bronson’s “We need more social media experts”:

Being on the web is akin to having a glass on the wall to try to listen in on what others are saying. Only, there are tools that you can use to start your own conversations and to listen to other ones. It’s not eavesdropping, it’s information sharing and fact gathering in a fast-paced environment. It’s a bar that never closes and a well that never dries.

3 really basic ideas secrets to unlocking the mystery of consumer opinion:

You have to have the tools in place. There are numerous free and premium tools for finding out what is being said about your brand or product. They aren’t all created equal, but a good place to start is setting up a blog search and Google Alerts via Google Reader (in my experience, you get more results through Reader than e-mailing them), and a search in your Twitter application. Twoogle is a lot of fun too.

You have to ask the questions. If you’re lucky, people are already talking about you. But sometimes you have to start the conversation. Doing this in away that is authentic and encouraging of response can sometimes get tricky. Your copy needs to be engaging and easy to answer – and something they want to answer. Some people would say you need to offer an incentive to get people to answer questions. I disagree. People love to give you their opinion. But…   

You have to be willing to hear the bad stuff. Deep down, we know what our flaws are – but that doesn’t make them any easier to listen to.  And sometimes people will say bad things for the sake of being heard or causing conflict. We’ve heard it before – you can’t control social media. But you can respond. Sometimes you should, sometimes it’s better to round up your friends and get them involved in the discussion.

Remember: The conversation is going to take place with or without you. Grab a seat at the table and bring your ‘A’ game.