Online Eavesdropping: Tools for Monitoring Brand Reputation Online
Remember in high school how rumours spread like wildfire through the hallways? It didn’t matter whether the news was of a break-up or hook-up, if it was juicy enough it was sure to get around. A similar concept can be applied to the Internet. The World Wide Web is basically the world’s largest rumour mill, pumping out millions of gossip updates every nanosecond. Like it or lump it, someone is talking about you. Only this time you aren’t dealing with a high school crush; this time the conversation is all about your brand’s reputation. Don’t you think you should be listening in?
Five Simple Tools for Brand Monitoring
Online marketing isn’t just about selling your product or service online, it’s also about listening and reacting to what consumers are saying about your business. Here are five free, easy-to-use online tools that your Chatham-Kent small business can use to help you monitor the conversation around your brand.
1) Social Mention
If you don’t have time to manage a company Twitter account (contact CIK – we can help!), but are still interested in monitoring the site, I highly recommend checking out this service. Social Mention allows you to monitor any number of keyword phrases across a variety of social networks including blogs, forums, bookmarking sites, and Twitter. Simply provide them with your terms and email address and enjoy daily updates right in your inbox.
2) Google Alerts
Wouldn’t it be nice if Google told you every time someone posted something on the Internet about your company? Sign up for Google Alerts and the search engine will do just that! Provide the tool with your keyword terms (make sure one of them is your business name) and Google will notify you every time a new webpage is published that mentions the phrase. You’d be surprised how many people are referencing your brand in news articles and blog posts.
3) Netvibes
For a more comprehensive look at your brand online there’s the NetVibes dashboard. Users can input their brand name into the search tool and NetVibes will instantly pull up mentions in news, videos, conversations, search trends, and Google search results. Users that signup on the site will enjoy extended features.
4) Addict-o-matic
Like NetVibes, Addict-o-matic features a useful dashboard that allows you to monitor brand mentions across a number of platforms. Insert your keyword term or brand name and Addict-o-matic will present all mentions of your requested term in one easy-to-read format. Users will see images from Flickr, YouTube uploads, Google blog mentions, and much more.
5) KnowEm
Brand hijacking is becoming a major problem online. Squatters are constantly buying up domain names and parking on social media networks with the hopes of cashing in. If you’re looking to use a consistent username across multiple platforms be sure to run a check with KnowEm. Once you’ve found a username that is available across multiple platforms (the service checks 350+ popular social networking sites), go ahead and register. Just don’t forget to use your profile – social networks are starting to crack down and disable inactive users in order to combat domain name squatting.
Want help monitoring your brand reputation? Contact CIK Marketing about our Social Networking Services and we’ll help customize a plan that suits the engagement level of your Chatham-Kent small business.
