Your brand's social media mentions are all over the place. How can you get a handle on them?

Diving into the social media data ocean without a clear purpose is like navigating a storm blindfolded. I always guide my team to set measurable goals like: 1. Brand awareness: Do you want to increase brand mentions, follower growth, or reach. 2. Engagement: Is your goal to boost comments, shares, or replies. 3. Lead generation: Do you want to drive website traffic or lead conversions. 4. Customer satisfaction: Are you looking to improve customer sentiment or resolve complaints. By setting clear goals and choosing the right measurements, you can transform social media data from a chaotic sea into a treasure trove of insights that fuel your brand's success.

I believe optimal performance needs a strong team. Instead of emphasizing my role, I showcase our collective efforts in addressing this. To gain control over our brand's scattered social media mentions, we start by establishing clear goals and metrics. Then we consider objectives like increasing brand awareness, improving customer service, or driving sales. Identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is something that we never skip, this includes tracking share of voice, sentiment analysis, reach, engagement metrics, and conversion rates. This focused approach allows us to navigate the social media landscape with purpose, enabling better tracking, assessment, and ultimately, improved control over our brand's online presence.

One Metric I've found helpful for startups is to have a chronological approach. First Create Brand Awareness Second Create a brand story Third Gently give sale leads Fourth and most consistent, Give exemplary customer service

It’s all about owning your narrative. If there is no clarity in terms of goals it will be difficult to have a narrative that works, and surely difficult to control. You can’t have your narrative be governed by any or everyone on social media. Keep your metrics in check and you dictate them. This is the only way to have a strong and profound impact.

Navigating the maze of social media mentions begins with setting clear goals which include brand awareness, conversions, getting traffic, improving customer services, & other KPIs and metrics that align with your brand’s vision and specific business targets. The right tools are your compass, the popular social monitoring tools available are brandwatch , sprout social, hootsuite, etc, helping you filter and prioritize mentions that matter most. Engaging with these mentions isn’t just about responding; it’s about starting meaningful conversations that resonate with your audience. And remember, the digital landscape is ever-evolving. Regular analysis & improvements based on insights gathered will ensure your brand stays relevant & impactful.

I am using Brand24. On the plus side, guys from their online chat support were super friendly and helpful providing me with an additional reports.

Sprout Social is the most commendable social media management tool for those that depend heavily on Instagr.m However, it may not be the most practical platform for businesses that solely use Instagr.m as it's very expensive if you are only using it to manage one social media account.

In my day-to-day, I lean on user-friendly yet powerful tools like Hootsuite for scheduling posts and keeping tabs on multiple social media channels all in one place. Mention is another go-to for real-time tracking of brand mentions, making sure we catch every conversation about our brand. Google Alerts is like our lookout, quickly notifying us whenever our brand is mentioned online. Then, for understanding the impact of our efforts and fine-tuning our strategy, analytics tools like Sprout Social are invaluable. They give us clear insights and show us where we need to adjust. Each tool is picked for its ease of use and effectiveness, ensuring we’re always on top of our game in managing our brand’s presence online.

Strategically filter social media mentions based on criteria like source, platform, tone, reach, and urgency. Prioritize influential users, negative reviews, and customer complaints. Utilize tools to set up alerts, focusing on significant and actionable mentions for effective brand management.

Last one month I've watched an influencer reduce her following from 60k to 18k reason? Most of her followers didn't share her demographics. She also was niching down to a different business whose keywords, hashtags, tone, would be different from what the previous followers were accustomed to. She desired a different reach all together

It’s for you to decide who gets to mention you and your brand. It shouldn’t be at anyone else’s random discretion. Every single mention may not be beneficial for you. It’s about prioritising. There are number of criteria’s at play, filter your own. Understanding this is key to ruling the ‘mention’ game.

Think of this step like sorting through a bustling crowd to find your friends. In the world of PR, not all mentions carry the same weight. Some need immediate attention, while others can wait. Start by setting up filters in your monitoring tools. Look for keywords, sentiment, or even specific influencers. This way, you only see the mentions that truly matter. Next, decide what needs a quick response. Negative comment? Jump in and address it swiftly to show you care. A shoutout from a happy customer or a big influencer? Share the love and thank them. It's all about knowing who in the crowd needs a hi-five, a thank you, or maybe a little chat to clear the air.

After setting clear goals and metrics, we filter and prioritize mentions. It's crucial to filter and prioritize mentions based on criteria like source, platform, tone, reach, and urgency. Not all mentions hold equal importance; we focus on influential users, negative reviews, and urgent customer complaints. Oftentimes we use tools for keyword, hashtag, and location filters to ensure we address the most relevant and actionable mentions promptly, steering our brand's social media presence in the right direction.

Managing a brand's social media mentions can be a challenging and if you are not careful it can head south fast. You can stay on top of what's happening across the various platform through media monitoring tools. Always respond promptly both to positive and negative mentions in a timely manner. Try and personalize responses and stay authentic. This helps build trust and a lasting relationship with your audience. It shows you care and aren't just a bot. Negative mentions can be turned into positive interactions if handled well. When your brand is mentioned positively on social media, amplify the message. Try to leverage user-generated content and create consistent brand messaging.

I've seen that very often a post on social media by a white good or telecom company receives angry responses relating to service delays. This happens because customer service has been unresponsive. Such messages need to be attended to, rather than ignored.

To regain control of our brand's scattered social media mentions, we not just monitor but also respond and engage timely & appropriately. Such responses build trust, loyalty, and brand advocacy. Depending on the mention, we express gratitude, apologize, provide solutions, or inform. We always make sure to showcase our brand values while responding, ensuring a human and friendly tone. Personalized responses are key, we avoid sounding robotic, defensive, or spammy. This proactive approach enhances our brand's social media presence.

I always encourage my MSME clients to atleast spend 30mins engaging with other content they will always reciprocate, with it comes with building a reputable brand. Some AI tools can make one sound robotic. It's advisable to edit it to a humane and friendly tone. As an online business owner its expected that you offer timely response, not more than 10minutes.

As an Online Business Consultant, I advise my clients to keep and an eye on their Goal, to always analyze brand social media mentions, feedback and most importantly note the insights behaviour. whether high or low, it indicates a strategy change or stay consistent. Building a Brand Reputation is built over time.

Brand buzzing across socials? Here's what you should do: 1. Track & Filter: Tools like Brand24 or Hootsuite gather mentions based on keywords, hashtags, and handles. Filter for platforms, sentiment, and reach to prioritize. 2. Respond & Engage: Thank advocates, address concerns promptly, and join relevant conversations. Show you're listening and humanize your brand. 3. Analyze & and Adapt: Use insights from mentions to refine your strategy. Understand what resonates, adjust your voice, and target the right audience. Example: You see tweets praising your new eco-packaging but also complaints about slow shipping. Respond to praise, apologize for delays, and explain ongoing shipping improvements. Track future mentions to gauge the impact.

You need to research on which platform the majority of your audience is on. Don't spread your messages thinly. Focus on a few platforms. A cut and paste content across all platforms does not serve the purpose.