Monitoring of social networks

Monitoring Social Media
Tasks of Social Media Monitoring
Competitor Analysis
How to Monitor Brand Mentions

Monitoring social media is the process of tracking and analyzing mentions of a brand that occur in blogs and various social networks. This practice, also known as mention monitoring, has become an important tool for brands seeking to maintain their reputation and respond to user feedback.

When consumers are dissatisfied with the quality of products or company policies, they often leave negative comments online. Initially, such messages may be isolated, but over time their number can increase. If companies do not take any action, negative reviews can reach a critical mass, leading to a significant decline in the brand's reputation. To prevent such situations, companies actively monitor mentions of themselves and respond promptly to negative messages.

Tasks of Social Media Monitoring

Handling Negativity

In the process of monitoring social media, it is important to pay attention to three types of negative feedback: natural negativity, trolling, and directed negativity. The task of monitoring is to identify such comments, determine their type, and respond if necessary.

Natural negativity occurs when a user encounters a problem with the brand, such as receiving a defective product or experiencing poor service. Ignoring such messages can cause serious damage to reputation.
Trolling refers to negative comments made for entertainment purposes. It should be addressed if the comment garners a significant number of reactions. Otherwise, it is best to ignore such comments to avoid demonstrating the brand's insecurity.
Directed negativity includes false reviews from competitors or malcontents, which can be categorized as black PR. Responding to such messages is critically important, as ignoring them can lead to a loss of trust from users.

Monitoring negative feedback not only helps maintain reputation but also provides valuable information for product improvement. If users report the same issue en masse, it indicates a real flaw that requires attention.

Handling Positivity

In addition to negative feedback, companies should also pay attention to positive comments. Positive reviews help understand what customers appreciate about the brand, which can inform advertising campaigns. By responding to positive feedback, companies can encourage customers to share even more praise, thereby improving their reputation.

A simple gesture, such as sending a sticker in response to a positive review, can demonstrate the company's friendliness and readiness to engage with customers.

Feedback

Some users reach out to the brand with questions or suggestions through social media, leaving comments on posts that may not align with the topic. It is important for companies to respond to such messages, as a lack of response can be perceived as neglect from support. Positive and appropriate feedback helps avoid negative reactions from users and strengthens trust in the company.

Competitor Analysis

Analyzing competitors' social media provides valuable insights into how they manage their SMM. By studying successful advertising campaigns of competitors, companies can apply their marketing techniques to improve their own strategies.

Additionally, tracking mentions of other brands helps understand how the audience reacts to competitors' posts, what aspects are praised or criticized in their products, and how competitors interact with readers. For example, automotive companies can analyze what customers like about KIA models or what shortcomings are noted about Renault, which will help them make necessary changes to their products and advertising campaigns.

Analyzing advertising campaigns is also important. If there is no increase in mentions after collaborating with popular bloggers, it may indicate a lack of audience interest. Conversely, if the number of mentions increases, analyzing them allows an assessment of the tone of the messages and user reactions.

How to Monitor Brand Mentions

There are two main methods for conducting social media monitoring: manually and using automated services. In both cases, keywords such as the brand name, its products, and services are used for searches.

Manually

For manual monitoring, you can use the "Blogs" section in the Yandex search engine. It allows for finding mentions in social networks, blogs, and forums. However, this method requires significant time investment, as you need to check pages daily and examine each mention manually. Manual monitoring is suitable for companies with a small number of mentions.

Automatically

Automated programs offer a more efficient way to monitor, as they collect mentions of the brand and categorize them by various factors, including tone and source. Such services can generate visual graphs and charts for analysis. However, it is important to remember that automated programs may struggle with interpreting sarcasm, which can affect the accuracy of the data obtained.