Social Listening – The Strategy Behind This Cab Service Company’s Come Back Success Story

We love to complain online—but who’s listening?

Guess what’s better than mindlessly posting on social media? Sincere social listening i.e. Actually listening/ to the customers who roast you (or your competitors) online. 😅

Here’s a wild story:

A regional cab company was struggling to make any foothold in the super-intense cab space filled with duopoly!

People weren’t just complaining in reviews—they were ranting in groups, memes, and shady Twitter threads. (Trolls can be really savage)

Users were venting their frustrations about the exorbitant pricing by the ride hailing cabs, frequent driver cancellations, lack of support/escalation, poor condition of the cabs, and so much more.

People were like “yellow cabs are back in a new avatar!”

“Goa taxi mafia network is expanding rapidly all over the country“, blah blah!

Then… plot twist!

They went through the rants online. Large data sets were analyzed to extract the public sentiment.

And, then they did something unexpected.They changed their model.

They saw an opportunity, and pivoted to their own EV fleet with trained and disciplined drivers.

Result?

Cancellations dropped faster than ever. And, they scripted a strong comeback.

And, eventually got backed by a major conglomerate with a prominent automotive business.

Moral of the story?

Social media isn’t just your megaphone—it’s also a free focus group!

So, is your brand listening—or just pretending to care?

How to actually use social listening?

• Lurk like a pro: Check niche groups/forums.
• Embrace the hate: Negative feedback = your upgrade checklist.
• Act fast: If 100 people call your product “trash” maybe fix the smell.

Social listening isn’t a passive activity; it’s an active strategy. It’s about being smart, targeted, and human. Implement these hacks, listen intently, and watch how it transforms your understanding of the digital landscape and your place within it.

Should we just track mentions of our brand name?

Actively search for discussions, where your potential customers are discussing problems your product or service solves. Use keywords related to their pain points, frustrations, and needs. For example, a local cafe shouldn’t just listen for “Paula’s Cafe”; they should listen for “best tuna sandwich near city center” or “where to find authentic hamburger at Saltlake”.

Create a list of 5-10 “problem” keywords and phrases relevant to your offerings. Set up alerts for these terms on your chosen social listening tool (Google Alerts is a great tool)

How to find Competitors’ weaknesses and leverage them?

Through social listening, monitor mentions of your competitors, specifically looking for complaints, negative reviews, or expressions of dissatisfaction. Pay attention to phrases like “[Competitor Name] slow service,” “frustrated with [Competitor Product],” or “wish [Competitor] offered X”.

Identify your top 3-5 competitors. Track their brand names combined with negative sentiment keywords. Look for patterns in the complaints – this is pure market research gold!

Can We discover relevant content ideas through social listening?

Yes. You will discover what are the customers confused about. What information are they struggling to find? These broader questions can be then answered through blog posts, FAQs, social media updates, video tutorials that your audience is actually searching for. It positions you as a helpful authority.

Use tools like AnswerThePublic (for broader questions) or simply scan forums like Reddit and Quora.

How Social Listening can help to do affordable influencer marketing?

Search for your industry keywords combined with phrases like “love,” “obsessed with,” “recommend,” “best.” Check out the profiles of people consistently creating quality content and engaging meaningfully, but who don’t necessarily have massive follower counts yet. Micro-influencers often have highly engaged, niche audiences and are more accessible (and affordable). Building relationships early can lead to powerful, authentic endorsements.

How does location-based social listening works?

Most social listening platforms allow for geographic filtering. Also, you can manually check Instagram location tags and Facebook check-ins related to your business and nearby landmarks. Monitor check-ins, location tags, and mentions of your business or relevant keywords within a specific geographic radius.

This helps you engage with customers posting from your location in real-time (e.g., thanking them for a visit), and discover user-generated content you can reshare.