Creating content that appeals to an audience’s interests can seem simple in some cases and almost impossible in others, which is why it’s important to know how to leverage social media to find out what it is that they truly want to see. These four steps can help you give an audience the most simply by listening to what it is they have to say.

Ask directly. Initiating direct conversation with your audience is always a good idea. It shows initiative, creates a relationship and gives you the opportunity to get direct answers about what matters to and interests them.

Create polls. Polls basically allow you to ask the same questions and collect an organized set of answers. Ending up with a clear set of statistics is much quicker and more efficient than analyzing individual responses and since they’re quick to respond to there is a good chance you’ll actually get more responses. Polls are perfect for reaching out to large groups of people and you can always include an “other” choice with an option to elaborate so that everyone’s opinion is heard.

Check up on your social networks. Know which Facebook posts have the most likes and responses. Know which tweets are re-tweeted and favorited the most. Activity on social networks can show you what kind of content engages people the most and what kind doesn’t seem to generate much interest, helping guide future content.

Identify conversation starters. Sometimes the content that generates buzz may not be what usually attracts attention, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Take note of anything that really gets people talking, be it issues, news or simply something interesting.

Keeping content engaging and relevant is a constant and active process, but paying attention to what your audience tells you can make it world’s easier.