Welcome to the second part of our reputation management strategy. In this blog, we’re going to cover brand monitoring. This is essential to your brand’s long-term success and there is plenty to get into, so let’s jump right in.
What is brand monitoring?
Brand monitoring is the practice of tracking and analyzing mentions of your brand across various online platforms. This helps you understand public perception, identify trends, and respond to feedback or issues promptly. When done correctly, you ensure a positive reputation and connection to your audience.
Why is brand monitoring important?
Brand monitoring is critical for any brand with an online presence. Why is it so important? Let’s talk about it.
Reputation management
Keeping an eye on what people say about your brand lets you nip any negative comments in the bud. Managing your reputation helps you maintain a positive image and build trust with your audience.
Customer engagement
When you know who’s talking about your brand, you can jump into conversations, respond to feedback, and show appreciation for positive comments. Engaging with customers directly makes them feel valued and boosts loyalty.
Competitive analysis
You’ve heard the expression: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. OK, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but tracking your competitors does give you a peek at what they’re up to and how people are reacting. This insight helps you understand market trends, and tweak your strategies to stay ahead.
Crisis management
If a PR crisis hits, real-time brand monitoring helps you react quickly. You can address issues before they blow up, keep your audience updated, and communicate transparently to minimize damage.
Market insights
You have to understand your market if you want to thrive in it. Brand monitoring helps you analyze trends and sentiments around your brand and gives you valuable insights into the market as a whole. This info can guide your product development and overall strategy to better meet your audience’s needs.
Creator identification
There’s no better partner than the one who already loves your brand and uses your products. Brand monitoring helps you spot these creators who are already singing your praises. Partnering with them will boost your reach and credibility since their followers trust their opinions when it comes to product recommendations.
Improved customer experiences
By keeping track of customer feedback, you can identify areas that need improvement. Addressing these issues helps enhance the overall customer experience, leading to happier, more loyal customers.
New opportunities
Regular monitoring can reveal new opportunities for partnerships, collaborations, or untapped markets. Staying informed about what your audience wants and needs helps you seize opportunities that align with your brand’s goals.
What to look out for
Here are the main things you should keep an eye on when monitoring your brand online:
Brand mentions
Scour the web for any mentions of your brand (this includes @’s on social media, of course). Doing so helps you stay in the know about how often people talk about your brand and in what context.
Hashtags
Keep a close watch on hashtags related to your brand and product. This will help you stay on top of trending topics. You might even find an opportunity to join in on the conversation.
Product names
It’s not just your brand name you need to keep an eye on. You also need to keep tabs on all of your products—especially your latest releases. A solid brand monitoring strategy will help you adjust to customer feedback in real-time and address concerns, if necessary.
Competitors
You’re keeping track of your brand’s mentions and products, so you might as well do the same for your competitors. After all, there’s no shame in copying their success (if they’re having any).
Industry news
Stay updated on news and developments in your industry. Monitoring industry news helps you stay informed about market trends, regulatory changes, and competitor activities.
Where to look for it
Brand monitoring can occur pretty much anywhere online. Here are the top places to start:
Social media platforms
Check platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Use native search functions or third-party tools to track mentions, hashtags, and keywords related to your brand.
Review sites
Monitor review sites such as Yelp, Google Reviews, Trustpilot, and industry-specific sites. These platforms provide direct feedback from customers and can highlight areas for improvement.
News and media outlets
Stay updated with mentions in online news articles, press releases, and blogs. Subscribe to a few newsletters related to your industry so you can keep a close eye on things.
Blogs and forums
Keep up with industry blogs, Reddit, Quora, and other forums where people discuss your brand or related topics. These platforms can provide valuable insights into public perception and customer concerns.
Online communities
Join and monitor online communities such as Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, and other niche communities where your audience engages in discussions related to your brand.
Your own website and social media pages
Monitor comments, reviews, and direct messages on your own website and social media pages. Engaging with your audience on these platforms is crucial for maintaining a positive brand image.
The best free brand monitoring tools
Google Alerts is a free tool provided by Google that sends email notifications whenever your specified keywords are mentioned online. It’s widely used for monitoring brand mentions, keeping track of competitors, and staying updated on industry news.
How does it work?
Getting started with Google Alerts is a pretty simple process:
- Set up alerts: You start by going to the Google Alerts website. Enter the keywords you want to monitor, such as your brand name, product names, or specific industry terms.
- Customize settings: Customize your alert settings. You can choose the frequency of notifications (as-it-happens, once a day, or once a week), the sources (blogs, news, web, etc.), language, region, and the number of results you want to receive.
- Get notified: Once set up, Google will scan the web for mentions of your specified keywords and send you email notifications with links to the content.
More brand monitoring tools to look into
Google Alerts is great. Of course, there are plenty of paid options when you’re ready for something a bit more robust. Here are a few of our favorites:
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media management tool that includes brand monitoring features. It supports multiple social networks and provides analytics and reporting. Its dashboard allows you to track keywords, hashtags, and mentions in real-time.
Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a powerful social listening tool that offers in-depth analytics and insights. It helps you monitor brand mentions across various online sources, providing sentiment analysis and detailed reports.
Mention
Mention tracks brand mentions across social media, blogs, forums, news sites, and more. It offers real-time alerts, sentiment analysis, and the ability to respond directly from the platform. Mention has both free and paid plans.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social offers robust social media management and monitoring features. It helps you track brand mentions, engage with your audience, and provides detailed analytics to measure your social media performance.
Key takeaway: Brand monitoring is critical for maintaining a positive online reputation.
Don’t sleep on the benefits of a solid brand monitoring strategy. When done correctly, brand monitoring becomes essential for maintaining a positive reputation and staying ahead of the competition. It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay connected with your audience, adapt to trends, and, ultimately, drive your brand’s success.
