A few weeks ago I had a movie day with my nephew. He chose to watch the Lion King. I know we are all familiar with the story, so I’ll refrain from speaking of frivolous details.

It is the typical tale of a great leader (King Mufasa) and evil counterpart (Scar) who is determined to take over the throne. Mufasa reigned as a force for good. The animal kingdom loved and respected Mufasa as their leader (did you see how many were in attendance at Simba’s announcement ceremony?!). After Scar fulfilled a diabolical plot to kill his older brother, he also paved the way for Simba (Mufasa’s son and successor) to run away and never return. Scar took over and, as you can guess, the kingdom went downhill.

Why did the kingdom fail? The problem was this: Scar planned to push his own selfish agenda rather than meet the needs, or welfare, of those he ruled. He was out of touch.

In our technology-driven, social media marketing world, we may not be ruling over a kingdom, but we do have the ability to reach countless audiences. The principal of staying in touch with these audiences remains the same. How are you expected to meet the needs of your consumers if you aren’t addressing what they want to hear?

That’s why you’ve got to listen! Listening is imperative. The job of a listener is to scour the cyber world to see what people are talking about—specifically relating to your business or your competitors. If there’s a mention, record it. If there is a trending topic that is relevant to your consumers, post it on your social networks or blog about it. If there is a complaint or comment that needs immediate action, take care of it.

Ask yourself, “Am I paying attention to what my consumers want?”

It’s simple.

Listen to what is being said.

Respond to questions, concerns and thoughts.

Add value to the conversation.

If you address something that people are talking about, not only will those already engaged be satisfied, those who aren’t already connected with you will find you. Their searches will pull in your content because you are relevant, and you have already taken the time to address what they are looking for. This is what we call organic engagement.

When the goals (above) are met, this enhanced social involvement improves your chances for organic engagement to skyrocket into a regal trajectory. It helps create more online visibility, relevant information, and an all-around stronger Internet presence—that is in touch with your audience. When you make the needs of your kingdom a priority over your personal agenda, you will find that your business (or kingdom) will flourish.

I encourage you to take a noble lead in your marketing efforts, be a bit more Mufasa-like. Carefully listen to what your audiences are talking about. Offer solutions and content that they actually want to hear. Strive to be an asset for those you aim to reach, and they will organically find you. Hakuna Matata!